| List of punk rock festivals | |
| Abovestyle: | background:#E9967A; |
| Above: | List of punk rock festivals |
| Headerstyle: | background:#EDC9AF; |
| Label2: | Related genres |
| Data2: | Punk rock, hardcore punk, rock |
| Label3: | Location |
| Data3: | Worldwide |
| Label4: | Related events |
| Data4: | Music festival, concert tour, rock festival, heavy metal festival, gothic festival |
| Label5: | Other |
| Data5: | Punk subculture |
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.[1]
| Name | Year | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Punk Rock Festival | 1976 | Mont de Marsan, France | In August 1976, the self-described "First European Punk Rock Festival" was held in Mont de Marsan in the southwest of France. Eddie and the Hot Rods, a London pub rock group, headlined. The Sex Pistols, originally scheduled to play, were dropped by the organizers who said the band had gone "too far" in demanding top billing and certain amenities; The Clash backed out in solidarity. The only band from the new punk movement to appear was The Damned.[2] Organised by Marc Zermati, it took place at Mont-de-Marsan on 21 August 1976, and featured French bands Bijou, Il Biaritz and Shakin’ Street, as well as The Damned.[3] | |
| 100 Club Punk Festival | 1976 | Oxford Street, London, UK | A two-day event held at the 100 Club—a typically jazz-oriented venue in Oxford Street, London, England—on 20 and 21 September 1976.[4] The gig showcased eight punk rock bands, most of which were unsigned. The bands in attendance were each associated with the evolving punk rock music scene and movement of the United Kingdom. The concert marked a watershed for the movement, as punk began to move from the underground and emerge into the mainstream music scene. | |
| Deeply Vale Festivals | 1976–1979 | England | The Deeply Vale Festivals were unique 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 the festival scene. | |
| Rock Against Racism | 1976–1982 | United Kingdom | ||
| Rock Against Sexism | 1978– | United Kingdom | ||
| Futurama Festival | 1979-1989 2022- | Nederland, United Kingdom | ||
| Heatwave | 1980 | Canada | Promoted as the Punk Woodstock | |
| International Pop Underground Convention | 1991 | Olympia, Washington, U.S. | Punk and indie festival associated with the start of riot grrrl | |
| Groezrock | 1992–present | Meerhout, Belgium | Groezrock is an annual music festival that takes place in Meerhout, Belgium. It started out as a small rock and pop festival with one stage and a few hundred people attending, but has evolved into a large punk rock/hardcore punk festival, with attendances now exceeding 30,000. | |
| Ieperfest | 1993–present | Ypres, Belgium | Hardcore punk festival | |
| Yoyo A Go Go | 1994–2001 | Olympia, Washington, U.S. | Held in 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2001 | |
| Vans Warped Tour | 1995–2019 | United States | The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are constructed prior to and for the duration of the event. The tour began as a showcase for alternative and punk rock music, and in more recent years featured very diverse genres. It is the longest running touring music festival in North America. | |
| Antifest | 1995–present | Svojšice, Czech Republic | ||
| Rebellion Festival | 1996–present | Blackpool, UK | Main hub of the UK scene in the 21st century.[5] 300 bands over four days in August at the Blackpool Winter Gardens. Formerly Holidays in the Sun and the Wasted Festival. Was held in nearby Morecambe some years during first decade. Overseas spinoff festivals also held. | |
| Deconstruction Tour | 1999–present | Europe | Touring festival featuring punk rock bands and skating | |
| New England Metal and Hardcore Festival | 1999–2018, 2023–present | Worcester, Massachusetts | ||
| Fluff Fest | 2000–present | Rokycany, Czech Republic | Independent vegan hardcore punk festival, significant for European DIY punk | |
| Furnace Fest | 2000–present | Birmingham, Alabama | ||
| The Fest | 2002–present | Gainesville, Florida, U.S. | A 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[6] | 2002, 2004 and 2005 | Leeds, West Yorks, UK | Three 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 materials | |
| Drop Dead Festival | 2003–2012 | United States, Europe | An electro, post-punk, synthpunk, and experimental multi-day festival and the largest DIY festival for "art-damaged" music | |
| Common Ground Festival | 2004–present | Forest of Dean, England | Originally 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[7] [8] | 2004–present | Morecambe, UK | Began as offshoot for Rebellion (then Wasted) - campsite with own unofficial stage. Became separate festival in its own right when Wasted reverted to Blackpool in 2006[9] | |
| Mighty Sounds | 2005–present | Tábor, Czech Republic | Focused on punk rock and hardcore punk but also ska and reggae | |
| Riot Fest | 2005–present | Chicago, U.S. | ||
| Persistence Tour | 2005–present | Europe | Hardcore punk tour | |
| Insubordination Fest | 2006–2013 | Maryland, U.S. | ||
| Sound and Fury Festival[10] | 2006–present | Los Angeles, California | ||
| Estonian Punk Song Festival | 2008–present | Estonia | ||
| Another Winter Of Discontent (AWOD)[11] | 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. | |
| PouzzaFest | 2011—present | Montreal, Canada | Three-day festival in mid-May, taking place in several venues in downtown Montreal. | |
| Outbreak Festival | 2011—present | Manchester, England | ||
| Undercover Festival[12] [13] [14] | 2012–present | Bilston/Brighton/Guildford/Margate/Tufnell Park/Woking, UK | ||
| Break the Ice | 2012–2014 | Melbourne, Australia | This event emerged from a 2012 show by Trapped Under Ice into a 2-day hardcore punk festival held in 2013 and 2014 | |
| Foreign Dissent | 2014—present | Orlando, Florida, U.S. | Annual festival featuring exclusively foreign bands (non-US) in Orlando, Florida.[15] | |
| Off Limits | 2017–present | Mexico City, Mexico | Annual 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, UK | 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.[16] | |
| Sad Summer Fest | 2019 - Present | United States | Widely considered to be the successor of the Vans Warped Tour. | |
| fForest Fest | 2022 | Morris, ILUSA | Punk Rock Music Festival with 200 vendors |