# Knotfest

Knotfest is a music festival created in 2012 by American nu metal band Slipknot and their longtime manager and CEO of 5B Artist Management, Cory Brennan. The event has been held both as a touring festival and a destination festival in several countries including the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, France and Chile. Aside from Slipknot, Knotfest has featured a diverse alumni of past performers including Deftones, Marilyn Manson, Lamb of God, Bring Me the Horizon, Prong, Deadly Apples, In This Moment, Amen, Butcher Babies and Prayers.

## History
### Creation

Knotfest was officially announced on June 4, 2012. Among the activities, the festival offered as part of its "dark carnival experience" were circus big-top tents, pillars of fire, amusement park rides, burlesque performers, firebreathers, stilt walkers, drum circles made of junkyard cars and graffiti walls. The two shows also debuted a Slipknot museum.
"It's all about having fun and going crazy, bringing it to the standard it used to be," Slipknot's Shawn "Clown" Crahan told Rolling Stone. "It's time for us to really engulf this idea known as Knotfest where we're in control, we make a day devoted to our mindset, our ideas, the people that we want to play with, the people that we think our fans want to be around... When everyone leaves their senses [will be] overloaded, and I'm talking about smells, sights, hearing, your body, everything is overloaded with stimulation, because that's what Slipknot does."
The inaugural Knotfest was a two-city event and took place on August 17, 2012, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and August 18, 2012, in Somerset, Wisconsin. Among the line-up were bands such as Deftones, Lamb of God, and Cannibal Corpse. On March 24, 2014, it was officially announced that "Knotfest Japan" would be held in November 15 and 16 at Makuhari Messe, Tokyo. Headliners were Slipknot, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Lamb of God, Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, Bring Me the Horizon, Trivium and In Flames. On the first date of the Mayhem Festival 2014, Knotfest 2014 was announced, with it being held at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California, on October 24–26. Knotfest 2015 was to be held at the same location, from October 23 through 25. In December 2019, it was announced that Knotfest would be held in the United Kingdom for the first time in 2020.

### Broadcast

On July 11, Slipknot announced that their closing performance at Knotfest would be broadcast via a pay-per-view streaming website. Shawn "Clown" Crahan said, "It means everything for everyone to see the live spectacle we're creating in the flesh, but we understand some fans around the world can't be at the show. We've now made it possible for you to be there in spirit - so join us live on August 18."

## Website

On May 27, 2020, Slipknot and 5B Management relaunched the Knotfest website as a "global media hub" for news, interviews and more.
The Knotfest site is home to She's With the Band, a weekly podcast hosted by Tori Kravitz that focuses on women in the music industry.

## Performers
### 2012 line-up

| Friday 17 August | Friday 17 August | Saturday 18 August | Saturday 18 August |
| Main Stage | Second Stage | Main Stage | Second Stage |
| Slipknot Deftones Serj Tankian Prong | Lamb of God Machine Head The Urge Dirtfedd | Slipknot Deftones Serj Tankian The Dillinger Escape Plan | Lamb of God Machine Head Cannibal Corpse Disconnect Hardcore (Ph) Prong Gojira |

### 2014 line-up
#### California

Friday 24 October :
| Stage 002 | Stage 003 | Campground Stage |
| Suicide Silence Butcher Babies Alterbeast | The Black Dahlia Murder Chelsea Grin | The Athiarchists |
Saturday 25 October :
| Rockstar Energy Drink Main Stage | Stage 002 | Stage 003 | Headbang for the Highway Stage 004 | Extreme Stage 005 | Campground Stage |
| Slipknot Danzig Anthrax Black Label Society Hatebreed | Testament Carcass Maximum the Hormone King 810 Man with a Mission | In This Moment The Devil Wears Prada Butcher Babies Miss May I One Ok Rock | The Faceless Stands with Fists Dehumanizer Kings of Carnage Play for Blood Shortfuse | Fear Factory Otep Prong Amen Immolation | The Athiarchists |
Sunday 26 October :
| Rockstar Energy Drink Main Stage | Stage 002 | Stage 003 | Headbang for the Highway Stage 004 | Extreme Stage 005 | Campground Stage |
| Slipknot Five Finger Death Punch Volbeat Tech N9ne Atreyu Hellyeah | Of Mice & Men DevilDriver Veil of Maya Nothing More | Killswitch Engage Whitechapel Upon a Burning Body Anti Mortem | Dead for Denver Motograter Fire from the Gods I, of Helix A Threat to the Enemy Still Not Dead | Napalm Death Avatar Attika 7 Exmortus Rattlehead | The Athiarchists |

#### Japan

| Saturday 15 November | Sunday 16 November |
| Slipknot Limp Bizkit Lamb of God Papa Roach Bring Me the Horizon Miss May I One Ok Rock SiM Crossfaith coldrain Meaning Crystal Lake HenLee | Slipknot Korn Trivium In Flames Five Finger Death Punch Amon Amarth Maximum the Hormone Man with a Mission Wagdug Futuristic Unity AA= Knock Out Monkey Make My Day Silhouette from the Skylit |

### 2015 line-up
#### California

* Friday 23 October
* VIP + Camping Kickoff Party
* Sepultura
* The Faceless
* Rings of Saturn
* Khaotika
* Motorbreath
Saturday 24 October :
| Rockstar Energy Drink Main Stage | Stage 002 | Stage 003 | Extreme Stage 004 | Headbang for the Highway Stage 005 | Campground Stage |
| Judas Priest Korn Mastodon Trivium Corrosion of Conformity | Body Count At the Gates Red Fang Battlecross | Gwar Born of Osiris Earth Crisis Goatwhore | Kataklysm Belphegor Inquisition Abysmal Dawn Her Name in Blood Khaotika | Fire from the Gods Buried Under Texas Doomsday Mourning Born for War A Tragedy at Hand Grand Lord High Master Piece in Terror Short Fuse Green as Emerald Kaustik Skyburial This Place Is a Zoo Chasing the Bullet | Street Drum Corps |
Sunday 25 October :
| Rockstar Energy Drink Main Stage | Stage 002 | Stage 003 | Extreme Stage 004 | Headbang for the Highway Stage 005 | Campground Stage |
| Slipknot Bring Me the Horizon Clutch Ghostface Killah Mobb Deep | Suicidal Tendencies All That Remains Beartooth Kyng | Cannibal Corpse Helmet Snot Devour the Day | Dying Fetus Disgorge Internal Bleeding Green Death The ReAktion Kings of Carnage | I, of Helix Proletariat Avoid the Void Abhor A Threat to the Enemy Stands with Fists Paranova Everybody Panic! As Oceans Dead Animal Assembly Plant Speaking with Ghost Xero for Life The Darkest Day | Street Drum Corps |

#### Mexico

Saturday 5 December :
| Main Stage | Tecate Stage |
| Slipknot Megadeth Lamb of God HIM A Day to Remember Trivium Atreyu Asking Alexandria Tanus | Cradle of Filth Ill Niño The Dillinger Escape Plan Brujeria Resorte 36 Crazyfists Here Comes the Kraken Everyone Likes Cathleen |

### 2016 line-up
#### "Ozzfest Meets Knotfest" California

Friday 23 September :
* Armored Saint
* Metal Church
* Exmortus
* Thrown into Exile
Saturday 24 September :
| Lemmy Stage | Monster Energy Drink Stage 001 | Monster Energy Drink Stage 002 | Nuclear Blast Stage |
| Black Sabbath Disturbed Megadeth Opeth Black Label Society Rival Sons | Suicidal Tendencies DevilDriver Huntress | Hatebreed Goatwhore Allegaeon | Municipal Waste Brujeria Kataklysm The Shrine Still Rebel |
Sunday 25 September :
| Lemmy Stage | Rockstar Energy Drink Stage 001 | Rockstar Energy Drink Stage 002 | Nuclear Blast Stage |
| Slipknot Slayer Amon Amarth Anthrax Trivium Motionless in White | Sabaton Suicide Silence Butcher Babies | Overkill Emmure Man with a Mission | Whitechapel Combichrist Carnifex Loathe SiM ONI Westfield Massacre |

#### Mexico

Saturday 15 October :
| Main Stage | Iowa Stage |
| Avenged Sevenfold Slayer Marilyn Manson Disturbed Chevelle Alesana Attila S7N | Meshuggah Killswitch Engage Sevendust Hatebreed DevilDriver The Black Dahlia Murder Volumes Arcadia Libre |
Sunday 16 October :
| Main Stage | Iowa Stage |
| Slipknot Deftones The Offspring Ministry Enter Shikari Emmure Thell Barrio Fire from the Gods | Opeth Arch Enemy Iced Earth Carcass Animals as Leaders Agora Nothing More Sabrina Sabrok Joliette |

#### Japan

| Saturday 5 November | Sunday 6 November |
| Slipknot Deftones Disturbed A Day to Remember Hoobastank Issues SiM Rize Rottengraffty Oldcodex coldrain Crystal Lake A Crowd of Rebellion Survive Said the Prophet Jealkb The Sixth Lie | Slipknot Marilyn Manson Lamb of God In Flames Anthrax Butcher Babies Man with a Mission the GazettE Crossfaith MUCC Her Name in Blood Crazy N' Sane THE冠 魔法少女になり隊 彼女 in the Display Salty Dog |

### 2017 line-up
#### Mexico

Saturday 28 October :
| Tecate Stage | Day of the Gusano Stage | The Maggots Stage |
| A Perfect Circle Korn Stone Sour Bullet for My Valentine Cannibal Corpse Ill Niño Maximum the Hormone Deadly Apples Cerberus | Anthrax Children of Bodom Hatebreed Suicide Silence S7N Here Comes the Kraken Lack of Remorse | Anti-Flag Periphery Tech N9ne Attila ONI Parazit |

#### Ozzfest Meets Knotfest 2017

Friday November 3 :
* Monster Magnet
* Brant Bjork
* Sasquatch
* Lo-Pain
Saturday 4 November :
| Lemmy Stage | Monster Energy Drink Stage 001 | Monster Energy Drink Stage 002 | Nuclear Blast Stage |
| Ozzy Osbourne Prophets of Rage Deftones Children of Bodom Orange Goblin | Kreator Baroness High on Fire Iron Reagan | 1349 Havok Tombs Night Demon Thrown into Exile | Municipal Waste Possessed Kataklysm Suffocation Rings of Saturn |
Sunday 5 November :
| Lemmy Stage | Rockstar Energy Drink Stage 001 | Rockstar Energy Drink Stage 002 | Nuclear Blast Stage |
| Rob Zombie Marilyn Manson Stone Sour Eighteen Visions Prayers | Testament The Black Dahlia Murder Code Orange Stitched Up Heart Goatwhore | Life of Agony Upon a Burning Body Death Angel Oni Ded | Sid Wilson of Slipknot Repulsion Exhumed Warbringer Ghoul Zombie Eating Horse |

### 2018 line-up
#### Colombia

Friday 26 October :
* Judas Priest
* Helloween
* Kreator
* Arch Enemy
* Masacre
* Iron Reagan
* Revocation
* Goatwhore
* Kilcrops
* Under Threat
* Cuentos de los Hermanos Grind
* Pitbull

#### Mexico

Canceled due to lack of organization.

### 2019 line-up
#### Knotfest meets Hellfest 2019 France

Thursday 20 June :
* Slipknot
* Rob Zombie
* Sabaton
* Amon Amarth
* Papa Roach
* Powerwolf
* Behemoth
* Ministry
* Sick of It All
* Amaranthe

#### Knotfest Roadshow 2019 USA & Canada

Lineup :
* Slipknot
* Volbeat
* Gojira
* Behemoth

#### Knotfest meets Forcefest 2019 Mexico

Knotfest 30 November :
| Main Stage | Tecate Stage | Monster Energy Stage | Prudence Stage |
| Slipknot (cancelled) Evanescence (cancelled) Cherry Bombs Behemoth Stratovarius Chelsea Grin Carajo Tanus Here Comes the Kraken Matherya | Godsmack Bullet for My Valentine Papa Roach Nothing More Of Mice & Men Cemican Never Again Headcrusher Kaizan | 311 Suicidal Tendencies The Bronx 8 Kalacas Las Poker Project46 Arcadia Libre Parazit Hate Bullets Hankside | Carcass Belphegor Gore and Carnage Clandestino The Suffering Stone Leek Rejexion Ubon Torcido Monkey Dream Dethdealers The Legion of Hetheria AFK |

#### Colombia

Friday 6 December :
| Knot Stage | Carnaval Stage | Alternative Stage |
| Slipknot Behemoth Testament Unleashed A.N.I.M.A.L. Random Revenge Reencarnación | W.A.S.P. Accept Cherry Bombs Stratovarius Perpetual Warfare Arzen | Carnifex Koyi K Utho Aire Como Plomo Poker Gutgrinder |

### 2021
#### Iowa

Saturday 25 September :
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| Slipknot Suicideboys Gojira Tech N9ne Knocked Loose Gatecreeper Widow7 | Megadeth Lamb of God Trivium Fever 333 Turnstile Vended |

#### Knotfest Roadshow USA

Lineup :
* Slipknot
* Killswitch Engage
* Fever 333
* Code Orange

#### Los Angeles

5 November :
* Slipknot
* Bring Me the Horizon
* Cherry Bombs
* Killswitch Engage
* Fever 333
* Code Orange
* Vended

### 2022
#### Knotfest Roadshow USA & Canada

Jinjer was announced to appear in the first leg, but cancelled due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, their homeland.
| March 16 - April 17 | May 18 - June 18 | September 20 - October 7 |
| Slipknot In This Moment Wage War | Slipknot Cypress Hill Ho99o9 | Slipknot Ice Nine Kills Crown the Empire |

#### Germany

30 July :
* Slipknot
* In Flames
* Ghostemane
* Meshuggah
* Jinjer
* Tesseract
* Bleed from Within
* Malevolence
* Cattle Decapitation
* Vended

#### Finland

Friday 12 August :
| Main Stage | Pulse of the Maggots Stage |
| Nightwish Lamb of God Arch Enemy Stam1na Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus | Huora Lähiöbotox Sara Bloodred Hourglass |
Saturday 13 August :
| Main Stage | Pulse of the Maggots Stage |
| Slipknot Bring Me the Horizon Cradle of Filth Tesseract Blind Channel | Huoratron Moon Shot Medeia Stoned Statues Shiraz Lane |

#### Knotfest Roadshow Argentina

| 8 December | 13 December | 15 December |
| Movistar Arena | Movistar Arena | C Complejo Art Media |
| Slipknot Arde La Sangre | Judas Priest Horcas | Trivium .MAR |

#### Colombia

9 December :
* Judas Priest
* Pantera
* Bring Me the Horizon
* Venom
* Trivium
* Sepultura
* Hypocrisy
* Vended
* Suicide Silence
* Samael
* Walls of Jericho
* Acutor
* Ceguera
* Templa in Cinere
* Ratos de Porão

#### Chile

11 December :
* Slipknot
* Judas Priest
* Pantera
* Bring Me the Horizon
* Mr. Bungle
* Trivium
* Sepultura
* Vended
* Rama (cancelled)
* Weichafe (cancelled)
* Tenemos Explosivos

#### Brazil

18 December :
| Knotstage | Carnival Stage |
| Slipknot Bring Me the Horizon Mr. Bungle Motionless in White (cancelled) Vended Project46 Black Pantera | Judas Priest Pantera Sepultura Trivium Oitão + Jimmy & Rats |

### 2023
#### Australia

24 March - 26 March :
* Slipknot
* Parkway Drive
* Megadeth
* Trivium
* Northlane
* Amon Amarth
* In Flames
* Knocked Loose
* Spiritbox
* Story of the Year
* Alpha Wolf
* Void of Vision
* Bad Omens*
* Malevolence
* Bad Omens pulled out of the Melbourne show on 24 March due to their vocalist Noah Sebastian losing his voice.

#### Japan

| 1 April | 2 April |
| Slipknot Trivium Man with a Mission In Flames The Oral Cigarettes Enter Shikari Rottengraffty Survive Said the Prophet Red Orca Crystal Lake A Crowd of Rebellion Band-Maid CVLTE THE冠 Asterism Ailiph Doepa Wagamama Rakia | Slipknot Korn Maximum the Hormone Parkway Drive Coldrain Noisemaker Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas Petit Brabancon Paledusk THE SIXTH LIE 魔法少女になり隊 PRAISE HIKAGE |

#### Italy

* 25 June
* Slipknot
* Architects
* Amon Amarth
* I Prevail
* Lorna Shore
* Nothing More
* Bleed from Within
* Destrage

### 2024
#### Australia

Knotfest Australia :
| 21 March - 24 March |||
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| Pantera Lamb of God The Hu Wage War Escape the Fate Speed Brand of Sacrifice | Disturbed Halestorm Asking Alexandria Thy Art Is Murder Skindred Windwaker King Parrot |
Knotfest Australia Sideshows :
| 17 March | 19 March | 19 March | 20 March | 20 March | 20 March | 25 March | 25 March | 26 March | 26 March |
| Adelaide | Adelaide | Melbourne | Melbourne | Melbourne | Sydney | Sydney | Brisbane | Brisbane | Brisbane |
| Disturbed Wage War | Pantera King Parrot Black Rheno | The Hu | Lamb of God Brand of Sacrifice | Asking Alexandria Wage War | Halestorm Skindred Reliqa | The Hu | Lamb of God Brand of Sacrifice | Halestorm Skindred Reliqa | Asking Alexandria Wage War |

#### Iowa

* 21 September
* Slipknot
* Till Lindemann
* Knocked Loose
* Hatebreed
* Poison the Well
* Gwar
* Vended
* Dying Wish
* Zulu
* Twin Temple
* Holy Wars
* Swollen Teeth
* Spine
* Dose

#### Brazil

| 19 October | 20 October |
| Slipknot Mudvayne Amon Amarth Meshuggah DragonForce Orbit Culture Ratos de Porão Krisiun Project46 Eminience Kryour Eskröta | Slipknot Bad Omens Till Lindemann Babymetal P.O.D. Poppy Black Pantera Ego Kill Talent Seven Hours After Violet Korzus Papangu The Mönic |

#### Argentina

* 26 October
* Slipknot
* Amon Amarth
* Meshuggah
* Babymetal

#### Chile

* 2 November
* Slipknot
* Disturbed
* Mudvayne
* Amon Amarth
* Babymetal
* Poppy
* Orbit Culture
* Rama
* Mawiza

### 2025
#### Australia

| Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
| Slipknot Babymetal Slaughter to Prevail Enter Shikari In Hearts Wake Miss May I Sunami | A Day to Remember Polaris Within Temptation Hatebreed Health Sunami |