FEST 22: October 25-27th, 2024

LAST CALL TO BUY FEST 21 MERCH!

THE FEST 21 T-SHIRT PREORDER ENDS
NOV 20TH AT 12PM EASTERN!!!
  • Pabst Blue Ribbon
  • SmartPunk
  • Ludwig Drums
  • Orange Amplification
  • Visit Gainesville

History of The Fest

THE FEST 19 Recap from Costello Films

THE FEST 18 (Official Highlight Video) from Costello Films

THE FEST 17 (Official Highlight Video) from Costello Films

THE FEST 16 (Official Highlight Video) from Costello Films

THE FEST 15 from Christian Costello

D.I.Wireless FEST OR BUST Tour – FINAL EPISODE from
D.I.Wireless on Vimeo.


THE FEST is an independent multiple-day, multiple-venue underground music festival held annually in Gainesville, FL with support from the fine folks from VISIT GAINESVILLE, ALACHUA COUNTY. Established in 2002 with only 60 bands, four stages, and two days, THE FEST has experienced a massive growth rate, now finding the festival outgrowing the amazing city it was birthed in. In 2013, THE FEST celebrated 12 years and expanded to four days in Gainesville, FL and added two days for the first annual BIG PRE-FEST IN LITTLE YBOR in the historic Ybor City, FL (TAMPA). FEST 12 hosted 400 bands in four days while BIG PRE-FEST gave 100 of those bands and close to 1,000 attendees another two days to enjoy the party in a new city.

THE FEST 18 in 2019 hosted 319 musical acts, 29 comedians, and 50 professional wrestlers over three days at 18 venues in the heart of Gainesville, FL. The main stage was once again Bo Diddley Plaza and hosted bands such as Against Me!, Jawbreaker, Less Than Jake, JAWBOX, The Bronx and Stiff Little Fingers. 

Once again, adding Bo Diddley Plaza enabled FEST to step up production levels as well as enabled attendees to avoid lines and enjoy headliners in an amazing new atmosphere run solely in every way by FEST STAFF and FEST VOLUNTEERS.

At its most packed, our outside venue enabled 4,000 people to watch a band together.

FEST 18 ATTENDANCE STATS:

  • 3 DAY PASSES SOLD = 3,000 (SOLD OUT) 
  • INDIVIDUAL SHOW TICKETS = 2,472
  • BAND MEMBERS/ Wrestlers/ Comedians = 1,483
  • Volunteers/ Staff =610
  • SPONSORS/ PRESS/ VENUE COMPS =317
  • TOTAL ATTENDANCE = 7,872
  • 3 DAY IMPACT ON GAINESVILLE ECONOMY=  23,616

OTHER STATS:

  • NON- US ATTENDEES   12%
  • US ATTENDEES    88%
  • FLORIDA ATTENDEES   32%

TOP FOUR NON-USA COUNTRIES PASSES SOLD TO:

  • Canada 113
  • United Kingdom 65
  • Germany 59
  • Australia 36

These stats once again show that FEST brings some awesome tourism to the state of Florida.

2020 FEST TOOK A KNEE while we all had to deal with COVID-19. 

2021 FEST returned to bring FEST 19 to the masses. FEST staff worked closely with the City of Gainesville to run a fun, safe, and responsible music festival with certain COVID-19 protocols in place. While attendance was down almost 1/3rd from the previous years attendees, bands and local businesses were extremely grateful that FEST staff not only brought FEST back but did it with everyone’s best interest and safety in mind. 

2022 brings us to the 20 year anniversary of FEST!!! This will be a milestone year for FEST and the city of Gainesville. We hope that you are able to join and help us celebrate 20 years of being awesome to each other! 

FEST ALUMNI

7 SECONDS / 88 FINGERS LOUIE / ABLE BAKER FOX / AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY / AGAINST ME! / ALL/AMERICAN STEEL / AJJ / ANDREW W.K / ANTI-FLAG / AS FRIENDS RUST/ ASSHOLEPARADE / ATOM AND HIS PACKAGE / AUDIO KARATE / AVAIL /THE AVENGERS/  A WILHELM SCREAM / BANNER PILOT / BARONESS / BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE / BIGWIG / THE BLOOD BROTHERS / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY! / BOUNCING SOULS / BOLLWEEVILS / BOYSETSFIRE / BRAID / BROADWAY CALLS /THE BRONX/ BULLY/CAREER SUICIDE / CEREMONY / CHIXDIGGIT / CHRIS GETHARD / CHUCK RAGAN / CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE / CITY OF CATERPILLAR / COALESCE / CODE ORANGE / THE COPYRIGHTS / CURSIVE / DAVE ROSS / DEAD TO ME / DEAR LANDLORD / DEFIANCE, OHIO / DESCENDENTS / DIARRHEA PLANET / DILLINGER FOUR / THE DOPAMINES / THE DRAFT / DRAG THE RIVER / DWARVES / THE ERGS / FAKE PROBLEMS / F.Y.P. / THE FLATLINERS / FLOOR / FRANK TURNER / FREE THROW / FOXING / FROM ASHES RISE / THE FRONT BOTTOMS / THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM / THE GET UP KIDS / GOOD RIDDANCE / GOVERNMENT ISSUE / GRADE / HARD SKIN / HAR MAR SUPERSTAR / HOP ALONG / HORACE PINKER / HOT WATER MUSIC / HUM / I AM THE AVALANCHE / INTO IT. OVER IT. / IRON CHIC / IRON REAGAN /JAWBREAKER/JAWBOX/ J CHURCH / JOE SIB / JOEY CAPE / JOYCE MANOR / JEFF ROSENSTOCK / KEPI GHOULIE /KILL YOUR IDOLS/  KNAPSACK / KYLE KINANE / KYLESA / LA DISPUTE / LAGWAGON / LARRY AND HIS FLASK / LAURA STEVENSON / LATTERMAN / LAWRENCE ARMS / LEATHERFACE / LEMURIA / LESS THAN JAKE / LIFETIME / THE LILLINGTONS / LOOK MEXICO / THE LOVED ONES / LUCERO / MAC SABBATH / MARIACHI EL BRONX/ MARKED MEN / MASKED INTRUDER / MASTODON / MATES OF STATE / MATT & KIM / MC LARS / MEAN JEANS / MEAT WAVE / ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES / MELVINS / THE MENZINGERS / METZ / MOCK ORANGE / MEWITHOUTYOU / MINERAL / MINUS THE BEAR / MODERN BASEBALL / MODERN LIFE IS WAR / MOM JEANS. / THE MOVIELIFE / MUNICIPAL WASTE / MURDER BY DEATH/MUSTARD PLUG / NAKED RAYGUN / NEGATIVE APPROACH / NIGHT BIRDS / NIGHT MARCHERS / NONE MORE BLACK / NOTHINGTON / NO TRIGGER / OBITS / OFF WITH THEIR HEADS / PAINT IT BLACK / PAUL BARIBEAU / PEARS / PEGBOY / PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH / PIEBALD / THE PIETASTERS / PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS / P.O.S. / POLAR BEAR CLUB / PRAWN / PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES / PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA / PROPAGANDHI / PUP/ RAINER MARIA / RADIOACTIVITY / RED CITY RADIO / RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS / ROZWELL KID / RVIVR / RUSSIAN CIRCLES / SAMIAM / SCREAMING FEMALES / SEAWEED /SHEER MAG/ THE SLACKERS / SLINGSHOT DAKOTA / SMALL BROWN BIKE / THE SMITH STREET BAND / SMOKE OR FIRE / SMOKING POPES / SNAPCASE / SNUFF / SPANISH LOVE SONGS/ SQUIRTGUN/STIFF LITTLE FINGERS/ STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO / STRIKE ANYWHERE / SUICIDE MACHINES / SUPERCHUNK / THE SWELLERS / TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS / TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET / THIS BIKE IS A PIPE BOMB / TIGERS JAW / TIM BARRY / TITLE FIGHT / TITUS ANDRONICUS / TORCHE / TOUCHÉ AMORÉ / TOYS THAT KILL / TSUNAMI BOMB /THE APPLESEED CAST/ THE WONDER YEARS/  THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND / UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE / VALIENT THORR / WAR ON WOMEN /YOU BLEW IT / YOUTH BRIGADE

  • Liquid Death
  • Iodine Records
  • Loosey's
  • Tullamore D.E.W. Whiskey
  • New Noise Magazine
  • Anthem Tattoo
  • Paramount Grill
  • Silver Q
  • White Claw
  • Wunderland Tattoo
  • Montgomery Drive
  • Havoc Underground
  • Feed the Scene
  • DCxPC Live
  • Bad Time Records
  • Sell The Heart Records
  • iloveimprint.com
  • The Shirt Series
  • Sinking Ship Records
  • Tervis
  • Killer Guitar Rigs
  • Cruise Records
  • New Belgium Brewing
  • Twisted Tea
  • Opus Coffee
  • Bragging Rights
  • Dry Wrought Cider