The FEST is an annual three-day event held in Gainesville, FL. For many, the FEST is a magical family reunion that gives us all chance to catch up with old friends, make new friends, and drink as much as humanly possible, all the while running around trying to catch as many bands as possible. Thousands of friends and thousands of cans of PBR fuel a weekend that always ends up being unforgettable, if you can manage to remember any of it at all!
This year the partying will take place...
The FEST is an annual three-day event held in Gainesville, FL. For many, the FEST is a magical family reunion that gives us all chance to catch up with old friends, make new friends, and drink as much as humanly possible, all the while running around trying to catch as many bands as possible. Thousands of friends and thousands of cans of PBR fuel a weekend that always ends up being unforgettable, if you can manage to remember any of it at all!
This year the partying will take place from Friday, October 31st to Sunday, November 2nd, with other festivities happening before, during, and after, including an art show, flea market, and a heaping pile of un-official house shows! And yes, you read that correctly, FEST will be taking place on Halloween weekend, so be sure pack your wildest costumes and prepare to freak out the entire town. This year, the FEST lost a few of their usual venues (RIP Sidebar!) but are currently working on setting up new spots. However, as of now they are working with a limited number of spaces and too many great bands to fit them all in. If you don’t end up making it onto the FEST, make sure to check out the message board on our website and see about hopping on one of the wild house parties.
The Fest is not limited to any particular genre of music. In the past, they have hosted punk, hardcore, ska, country, folk, metal, hip-hop, and indie rock bands. They do not book reggae bands, jam bands, Christian bands, or cover bands. Band that are sexist, racist, or homophobic shouldn't bother applying. All else are welcome to apply!
Money-wise,compensation is negotiated during the booking process, but every accepted band is guaranteed weekend passes, food, and free PBR for the day of their show.
The FEST is also an 18+ event with no major sponsorships. They take pride in the fact that THE FEST is a friends and family festival that stays clear of industry suites, badges, and panels. This is the largest independent music FEST out now and both our reputation and attendance have doubled each year.
This is the first year that the Fest has used SonicBids for their application process, and they will be donating 100% of the money that they receive from your applications to Shirts for a Cure and Harvest of Hope, two incredible organizations that the Fest has had the privilege of working with over the last few years.
Some FEST alumni include Against Me!, Mastodon, Bouncing Souls, Hot Water Music, Lifetime, The Blood Brothers, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Alexisonfire, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Minus The Bear, Drag the River, Kylesa, Latterman, Whiskey & Co, Russian Circles, Chuck Ragan, Riverboat Gamblers, Planes Mistaken for Stars, P.O.S, None More Black, The Briefs, The Soviettes, Pink Razors, The Loved Ones, Mates of State, Torche/Floor, Engine Down and many more.