The following is an incomplete list of punk rock music festivals. This list may have some overlap with list of rock festivals and list of heavy metal festivals. Punk is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. By 1976 the first festivals were being organized.Christgau, Robert, "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain" (review) , New York Times Book Review, 1996. Retrieved on January 17, 2007.
Festivals
NameYear Location NotesEuropean Punk Rock Festival 1976 Mont de Marsan, France This self-described "First European Punk Rock Festival" was held in Mont de Marsan in the southwest of France on 21 August 1976. The festival was organized by Marc Zermati and featured French bands: Bijou, Il Biaritz, Shakin’ Street, The Damned. and was headlined by Eddie and the Hot Rods, a London pub rock group. The Sex Pistols were also scheduled to play but were dropped by the promoter, claiming the band held excessive demands regarding top billing and certain amenities that were deemed “too much.” The Clash were also billed but backed out in solidarity. The only band from the new punk movement to appear was The Damned.Strongman (2008), pp. 131–132; Savage (1992), p. 216. Strongman describes one of the Sex Pistols' objectionable requests as "some entourage accommodation." Savage says they were dropped from the festival following a violent altercation between Sid Vicious, then part of the Sex Pistols' "entourage," and journalist Nick Kent at a Pistols gig. It is possible that the promoters were specifically afraid of Vicious's attendance. 100 Club Punk Festival 1976 London, United Kingdom A two-days event held at the 100 Club —a typically jazz-oriented venue in Oxford Street, London, England- on 20 and 21 September 1976. The gig showcased eight punk bands, most of which were unsigned. Each performing bands were associated with the evolving punk rock music scene and movement of the UK. The festival is viewed as a watershed event for the movement, as punk began to move from the underground and emerge into the mainstream music scene.Deeply Vale Festivals 1976–1979 England, United KingdomThe Deeply Vale Festivals were a unique series of free festivals held near Bury in northwest England in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. They are regarded as significant events that united punk music into a festival scene.Rock Against Racism 1976–1982 United KingdomRock Against Sexism 1978– United KingdomFuturama Festival 1979-1989 2022- Netherlands, United KingdomHeatwave 1980 CanadaPromoted as the Punk WoodstockInternational Pop Underground Convention 1991 Olympia, WA United StatesPunk and indie festival associated with the start of the riot grrrl movement.Groezrock 1992–2017 Meerhout, BelgiumGroezrock was an annual music festival that took place in Meerhout, Belgium. It started as a small rock and pop festival with one stage with a few hundred people attending but evolved into a large punk rock/hardcore punk festival gathering attendances exceeding 30,000.Ieperfest 1993–present Ypres, BelgiumHardcore punk festivalYoyo A Go Go 1994–2001 Olympia, WA United StatesHeld in 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2001Vans Warped Tour 1995–2019; 2025 United StatesA touring summer festival was held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which stages and other structures were assembled for the duration of the event and then moved to the next location. It began as a showcase of extreme sports with alternative and punk rock music and later progressed into more diverse music genres over the years. It was the longest-running touring music festival in North America. The tour featured some stops in Canada and for a time, Australia and Europe.Antifest 1995–present Svojšice, Czech RepublicRebellion Festival 1996–present Blackpool, United Kingdom Main hub of the UK punk scene in the 21st century. 300 bands over four days in August at the Blackpool Winter Gardens. Formerly ‘Holidays in the Sun’ and the ‘Wasted Festival’, it was held nearby Morecambe for part of its first decade. The festival took a permanent place in Blackpool and is held each autumn. Some overseas spinoff festivals have also been held. Deconstruction Tour 1999–present EuropeTouring festival featuring punk rock bands and skatingNew England Metal and Hardcore Festival 1999–2018, 2023–presentWorcester, MA United StatesPunk Rock Bowling Music Festival1999-presentLas Vegas, NV United States3-Days outdoor music festival held in downtown Las Vegas with additional late-night club performances held in multiple venues, live music pool parties, bowling tournament, and other side eventsFluff Fest 2000–present Rokycany, Czech RepublicIndependent vegan hardcore punk festival, significant for European DIY punkFurnace Fest 2000–present Birmingham, AL United StatesThe Fest 2002–present Gainesville, FL United StatesA three-day punk music festival taking over a large amount of the Gainesville, Florida downtown bar and outdoor event spaces that are almost completely operated by volunteer contribution.PunkFest @ 'The Cockpit', Leeds 2002, 2004 and 2005 Leeds, United KingdomThree of a set of similar gigs and large one-day shows that took place between 2000 and 2006. The lengthy article - 'The Final Chapter' featured on the linked website is a summary of the experience of the promoter of these shows and contains a number of previously unavailable archive materialsDrop Dead Festival 2003–2012 United States and EuropeAn electro, post-punk, synthpunk, and experimental multi-day festival and the largest DIY festival for "art-damaged" musicCommon Ground Festival 2004–present Forest of Dean, England, United KingdomOriginally known as Dirty Weekend Festival, Common Ground is a not-for-profit punk rock fundraiser featuring mostly independent anarcho-punk and hardcore punk bands and supporting political activism.Nice 'N Sleazy / Sleazy Live 2004–present Morecambe, United Kingdom Began as offshoot for Rebellion (then Wasted) - campsite with own unofficial stage. Became a separate festival in its own right when Wasted reverted to Blackpool in 2006BCB 106.6fm Radio Interview with Nice N Sleazy promoter Ivan Harrison by Johna Johnson transmitted live 29 June 2018 from Bradford Community Broadcasting Studios. Event occurs at 0:20 - 1:14 Renamed as Sleazy Live from 2025 onwards.Mighty Sounds 2005–present Tábor, Czech RepublicFocused on punk rock and hardcore punk but also ska and reggaeRiot Fest 2005–present Chicago, IL United StatesPersistence Tour 2005–present EuropeHardcore punk tourInsubordination Fest 2006–2013 Maryland, United StatesSound and Fury Festival 2006–present Los Angeles, CA United StatesEstonian Punk Song Festival 2008–present EstoniaAnother Winter Of Discontent (AWOD) 2010–2017 Tufnell Park/Derby, UK Main event held at Boston Arms, secondary room of Tuffnell Park Dome - Northern offshoot AWOD North held in Derby.PouzzaFest2011—presentMontreal, CanadaThree-day festival in mid-May, taking place in several venues in downtown Montreal.Outbreak Festival2011—presentManchester, United KingdomUndercover Festival 2012–present Bilston/Brighton/Guildford/Margate/Tufnell Park/Woking, United Kingdom Break the Ice 2012–2014 Melbourne, AustraliaThis event emerged from a 2012 show by Trapped Under Ice into a 2-day hardcore punk festival held in 2013 and 2014Foreign Dissent2014—present Orlando, FL United StatesAnnual festival featuring exclusively foreign bands (non-US) in Orlando, Florida.Off Limits2017–presentMexico City, MexicoAnnual independent hardcore punk festival organised by Puercords Records, which features Mexican and international bands. Past editions included bands such as Sick Of It All, Ignite, 88 Fingers Louie, Powertrip, Suicidal Tendencies, Wolfbrigade and more.Pop Punk Pile-Up 2018 Selby, United Kingdom New alternative punk rock festival launching in the UK in 2018 featuring acts such as Mallory Knox, The Bottom Line, Room 94 and The King Blues as well as many upcoming acts.Sad Summer Fest2019 - PresentUnited StatesWidely considered to be the successor of the Vans Warped Tour.fForest Fest2022Morris, IL United StatesPunk Rock Music Festival with 200 vendors
Gallery
See also
Punk rock List of music festivals List of gothic festivals
References
Further reading Christgau, Robert, "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain" (review), New York Times Book Review, 1996.