Years active 2002-present Attendance ~4,000 Genre Punk rock | Founded by Tony Weinbender Dates 28 Oct – 30 Oct 2016 | |
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Location Gainesville, Florida, United States Similar Lollapalooza, New Orleans Jazz & H, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Pitchfork Music Festival, Austin City Limits Music Fe Profiles | ||
The Fest is an annual music festival in Gainesville, Florida, organized by Tony Weinbender, formerly of No Idea Records. It is a predominantly punk rock festival, though there are also a good number of indie rock, metal, and ska acts. The Fest first took place May 24 and 25, 2002 and has since attracted a large number of people throughout the years. Bands perform across a variety of venues (varying from small bars to large concert halls) in the downtown Gainesville area.
The Fest has also been known for hosting many unofficial house shows. Attendees book the entire Holiday Inn near the University of Florida in addition to many surrounding hotels. The Fest takes place each year on the weekend of the Florida-Georgia football game (around Halloween), held in Jacksonville, so downtown Gainesville is left almost entirely to the thousands of people attending and performing at The Fest.