Furnace Fest is an American music festival held over three days at the Sloss Furnaces National Historical Landmark in Birmingham, Alabama. It ran annually each August from 2000 to 2003, and ran again from September 2021 to October 2024 when it was thought to be the final run, but in November 2024, Furnace Fest announced it would return in 2025.
The festival was founded in 2000 by Chad Johnson, then-owner of Birmingham-based Christian hardcore record label Takehold Records. Though many performers at Furnace Fest were Christian hardcore, metalcore and emo bands (including most bands signed to the aforementioned label), the event itself did not focus on religious beliefs. After Takehold Records was sold by Tooth & Nail Records in March 2002, which required Johnson moving to Seattle, Washington, the future of the festival was uncertain. Johnson successfully hosted a third edition in August 2002, and then briefly considered relocating the festival to Seattle. In August 2003, a DVD containing footage of Furnace Fest 2002 was released by 3B Studios.
In 2003, the organization of Furnace Fest was passed on to Shannon Schlappi, then-owner of Independence, Missouri-based hardcore record label Anxiety Records, who successfully organized a fourth edition of the festival at the same location. Schlappi intended to continue the festival in 2004, but due to heavy financial losses incurred from the 2003 event, and the owners of the Sloss Furnaces demanding an increase in rental price for the site, Furnace Fest was put on hold. Schlappi hoped to resume the festival in 2005, but it did not happen.
In mid-2019, Johnson revived Furnace Fest and scheduled the fifth edition to take place from September 18–20, 2020. The official press release of the revived festival, along with news of the first confirmed band to be booked, Beloved, was announced on November 29, 2019. A Nashville, Tennessee-based limited liability company, Furnace Fest LLC, was formed on April 10, 2020, to control the legal interests of the festival. The new corporate structure is a four-way partnership divided between Johnny Grimes (based in Birmingham), Mike Ziemer (based in Dallas, Texas), Ryan Luther and Chad Johnson (both based in Nashville, Tennessee). On June 1, 2020, it was announced that the festival's fifth event had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and most bands were automatically re-booked to perform at the rescheduled event, set to take place between May 14–16, 2021. By March 2021, the event had again been rescheduled, this time for September 24–26, 2021. The festival's sixth event took place from September 23–25, 2022. The final event of Furnace Fest was supposed to take place in October 2024 but in November 2024, Furnace Fest announced it would return in 2025.
Furnace Fest lineups by year
August 11–13, 2000 Notes: Overcome played its farewell show, and Strongarm performed a reunion show, both on Saturday, August 12, 2000. Caption, Pensive and Reach the Sky were also booked but did not perform.
Friday August 11
Burn It Down Candiria Eso-Charis Figure Four Forever and a Day Glasseater Isis Living Sacrifice Narcissus No Innocent Victim Not Waving but Drowning One Step Back Selfminded Squad Five-O Stairwell The Dillinger Escape Plan (headliners) Underoath Vessel Zao
Saturday August 12
A New Found Glory Brandtson Brother's Keeper Clenched Fist Disciple Esteem Few Left Standing Further Seems Forever Haste Overcome Shai Hulud Shockwave Stretch Arm Strong Strongarm (headliners) Tantrum of the Muse Terra Firma The Blamed The Casket Lottery Twothirtyeight Where Fear and Weapons Meet
Sunday August 13
Blindside Codeseven Cooter Crucible Embodyment Greycoat Hopesfall Legends of Rodeo Luti-Kriss No Comply Post-Offset Red Roses for a Blue Lady Redeem Slick Shoes Society's Finest Spitfire Tenderfoot The 65 Filmshow The Handshake Murders (headliners) The Jazz June The Juliana Theory
August 2–4, 2001 Notes: Squad Five-O was booked but did not perform.
Thursday August 2
Drowningman Eighteen Visions Element 101 Hatebreed Living Sacrifice (headliners) Luti-Kriss Narcissus No Innocent Victim River City High Spitfire Tantrum of the Muse The Huntingtons The Operation The Wednesdays Twelve Tribes Waterdown XDISCIPLEx A.D. Yellowcard
Friday August 3
Darkest Hour Dynamite Boy Fairweather Figure Four Further Seems Forever Gainer Haste Like David Not Waving but Drowning Shai Hulud Small Brown Bike Society's Finest Soilent Green The Stryder Twothirtyeight Underoath Unwed Sailor Zao (headliners)
Saturday August 4
As Friends Rust Bloodjinn Brandtson Brother's Keeper Converge (headliners) Elliott Few Left Standing Glasseater Ghoti Hook Hopesfall Junction 18 New Found Glory Point of Recognition Reach the Sky Sleeping by the Riverside Stairwell Stretch Arm Strong The Hope Conspiracy
August 1–3, 2002 Notes: The third edition of Furnace Fest was originally scheduled for the weekend of August 8–10, 2002, but it was moved up by a week. It was the first year to feature two stages; the Side Stage was sponsored by Century Media and its subsidiary Abacus Recordings. Zao announced that it would be playing its farewell show at Furnace Fest 2002, though the band ultimately decided to reform. Eso-Charis performed a reunion show at the festival. Coheed and Cambria, Meshuggah and Welton were booked but did not perform.
Thursday August 1 Main Stage
7 Angels 7 Plagues A Static Lullaby Codeseven Curl Up and Die Death Threat From Autumn to Ashes Glasseater Haste Hatebreed (headliners) Hopesfall In Flames No Innocent Victim NORA Shai Hulud Skycamefalling Still Breathing Stretch Arm Strong Terror Thirty Two Frames
Side Stage
Aislinn Die Radio Die Everbleeding Evergreen Terrace Fall with Me Falling Cycle Moneybags Gram Mortal Treason Nine Lives Over My Dead Body Such Is Life Taken The Handshake Murders The Mora Luna The Uriah Omen Time to Fly Under the Red (headliners) Unfisted
Friday August 2 Main Stage
Andrew W.K. (headliners) Avenged Sevenfold Bane Blindside BoySetsFire Eighteen Visions Eso-Charis Every Time I Die God Forbid Love Is Red Most Precious Blood Norma Jean One Nation Under Prevent Falls Snapcase Squad Five-O The Dillinger Escape Plan The Exit Throwdown
Side Stage
Beloved Christiansen Cool Hand Luke Copeland Emanuel 7 Farewell Hope Grandview In Clover (headliners) Light Is the Language Noise Ratchet Nourish the Flame Salt the Earth Stairwell Sworn Enemy The Ghost The Operation Time in Malta Twothirtyeight
Saturday August 3 Main Stage
Ace Troubleshooter Anberlin Brandtson Celebrity Dead Poetic Denison Marrs Elliott Further Seems Forever Living Sacrifice mewithoutyou Narcissus Pedro the Lion Roadside Monument Sick of It All The Casket Lottery The Pits Ultimate Fakebook Underoath Zao (headliners)
Side Stage
As I Lay Dying Between the Buried and Me Bleeding Through (headliners) Breaking Pangea BoyWunder Dynamite Boy Kid Gorgeous Lost City Angels Marty A.D. Not Waving but Drowning Open Hand Safety in Numbers Symphony in Peril The Commercials The September Engagement The Young and the Useless This Day Forward Unearth
August 15–17, 2003 Notes: Stretch Arm Strong's album Engage was released at Furnace Fest. Bayside, Evelynn, My Hotel Year, Rifles at Recess, Rogue Nation, Spitafield, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Death Campaign and The Backup Plan were booked but did not perform. Fordirelifesake was booked early on but pulled out due to a scheduling conflict with their Canadian tour.
Friday August 15 Main Stage
A Life Once Lost Anberlin As I Lay Dying Codeseven Copeland Dead Poetic Further Seems Forever (headliners) Haste Hopesfall Mae Minus the Bear Sincebyman Silverstein The Agony Scene This Day Forward
Side Stage
Across Five Aprils Armor for Sleep Bear vs. Shark Boys Night Out Celebrity Christiansen Flattery Leads to Ruins Found Dead Hanging Halfacre Gunroom Haste the Day Mercury Switch Plate 6 Rescue Staring Back
Saturday August 16 Main Stage
Andrew W.K. Avenged Sevenfold Finch Forever Is Forgotten Hatebreed Hum (headliners) In Reverent Fear Mastodon Promise the Ghost Rise Against Salt the Earth Shai Hulud Taking Back Sunday The Red Chord Unearth Vaux
Side Stage
A Small Victory Analog Cold Remember Day Two (headliners) Die Radio Die Earthen Embrace Today From First to Last Love Is Red National Fire Theory Nehemiah Not Quite Bernadette Showbread Trelese Uses Fire With Honor
Sunday August 17 Main Stage
Anatomy of a Ghost Beloved Coma Eternal Evergreen Terrace Every Time I Die Fear Before the March of Flames Kid Gorgeous Martyr A.D. Norma Jean Saved by Grace Stretch Arm Strong (headliners) Terror The Bled Throwdown
Side Stage
Comeback Kid Day of Contempt End of All From a Second Story Window Glasseater Ill Allegiance Scars of Tomorrow The A.K.A.s The Judas Cradle The Program The Takeover This Runs Through
September 24–26, 2021 Notes: These were the bands at the time of the daily schedule being released. '68, As Friends Rust, Gideon, Glasseater, Hatebreed, Misery Signals, Open Hand, Poison the Well, and The Darling Fire were scheduled to play but unfortunately cancelled.
Friday, September 24
Level X Stage (Main Stage) Underoath Thursday Every Time I Die Terror Cave In Emery Silent Planet If I Die First
Plug Your Holes Stage (The Shed) Converge Zao From Autumn To Ashes Eighteen Visions Haste Few Left Standing As Cities Burn Narcissus Defeater Across Five Aprils Reclaim The Empyre
HeartSupport Stage (The Pond) Walls of Jericho With Honor Stavesacre Luxury Terminal Unwed Sailor Astronoid End SeeYouSpaceCowboy Rivals Mr. Enc
Saturday, September 25
Level X Stage (Main Stage) Taking Back Sunday Mayday Parade Anberlin The Bled Mae Cartel Scary Kids Scaring Kids He Is Legend
Plug Your Holes Stage (The Shed) Glassjaw Stretch Arm Strong Beloved Deafheaven Living Sacrifice Shai Hulud Hopesfall Bloodjinn Evergreen Terrace Better Off Nominee
HeartSupport Stage (The Pond) Further Seems Forever Mineral Touché Amoré Jeremy Enigk Codeseven The Appleseed Cast The Beautiful Mistake The Classic Crime All Get Out The Hollywood Horses For The Best
Sunday, September 26
Level X Stage (Main Stage) Killswitch Engage August Burns Red Motionless In White Hot Water Music Face To Face Erra Fit For A King Varials
Plug Your Holes Stage (The Shed) Turnstile Knocked Loose BoySetsFire Darkest Hour Unearth Bury Your Dead Comeback Kid Piebald Love is Red Be Well Holy+Gold
HeartSupport Stage (The Pond) The Get Up Kids The Juliana Theory Anthony Green Showbread The Casket Lottery Microwave The Judas Cradle Bad Cop Bad Cop Dying Wish Meadows
September 23–25, 2022 Notes: Most Precious Blood, Crossfaith and Open Hand were scheduled to perform but unfortunately cancelled.
Friday, September 23
Wheelhouse Stage (Main Stage) Thrice (performing the Illusion of Safety) New Found Glory Alexisonfire Quicksand Norma Jean Anti-Flag Midtown Strung Out Impending Doom Dead To Fall One Step Closer
Plug Your Holes Stage (The Shed) Shadows Fall The Acacia Strain Stretch Arm Strong Madball Integrity E.Town Concrete Glasseater Close Your Eyes Morning Again Capra Forced Neglect
Baked Brothers Stage (The Pond) Movements Fiddlehead Angel Du$t Drug Church Apprehend The News Can Wait '68 Games We Play Doll Skin The Darling Fire Fauxdeep
Saturday, September 24
Wheelhouse Stage (Main Stage) Sunny Day Real Estate Manchester Orchestra The Ghost Inside Poison The Well Elliott (performing False Cathedrals) Cursive