Ieperfest

Ieperfest
Genre	Hardcore metalcore post-hardcore punk rock
Dates	January, February, March, July, August, September
Location(s)	Ypres, Belgium
Years active	1992, 1994–present
Founders	Edward Verhaeghe
Organised by	ATC Vort'n Vis ART Vort'n Vis Republik Vort'n Vis Genet Records Pyrrhus Records
Website	https://www.ieperfest.com/

Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres (Dutch: Ieper).^[1] The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992,^[1] then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summer edition has been held annually each July.^[2] In February 2008, a winter edition was introduced, which was held annually in either February or March, until 2015 (no winter event was held in 2009). The winter edition has since been held sporadically, namely in 2018 and 2022.^[3] In 2012, during its 20th anniversary, Ieperfest became the longest-running hardcore festival in the world.^[4][5][6]

From 1992 to 1998, the festival was held inside De Vort'n Vis concert venue in Ypres; but starting with the 1999 edition, outdoor locations have been used to accommodate a growing audience. The 1999 and 2000 editions were held in the open courtyard of the Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord music school. From 2001 to 2007, the festival was held at the Jeugdstadion Camping Site parking lot (with the exception of 2002 when it was held on the grounds of the CID Lines company). In 2008, Ieperfest moved to its current open air location on Poperingseweg.

The festival was first organized by Edward Verhaeghe, owner of the record label Warehouse Records (now Good Life Recordings), in September 1992.^[1] Verhaeghe has had little involvement in the booking of the festival following its first year. Hans Verbeke, owner of Sober Mind Records and an employee at De Vort'n Vis, took over for the 1994 and 1995 editions, until Bruno Vandevyvere, owner of Genet Records and Pyrrhus Records and an owner of De Vort'n Vis, became the main organizer in 1996; a position he continues to hold.^[7][4]

Though Ieperfest has historically focused on metalcore bands, a wide variety of hardcore and metal groups have also performed throughout its span, including emotional hardcore, post-hardcore, punk rock, grindcore, death metal, thrash metal, sludge metal, doom metal and stoner rock. The festival has been singled out as influential to Michal Kočan, who cited it as his motivator to start his own Czech music festival, Fluff Fest.^[8]

Ieperfest was first conceived in 1992 by Belgian vocalist Edward Verhaeghe, a hardcore musician who had played in such bands as The Midnight Men, Rise Above and Nations on Fire, and was then operating the record label Warehouse Records.^[1][4] Verhaeghe would later establish the noted Belgian hardcore record label Good Life Recordings.^[1][4]

Although Verhaeghe resided in Kortrijk, Belgium, he booked his new festival at De Vort'n Vis, a popular concert venue for hardcore bands located 30 minutes away in Ypres, Belgium.^[1] The festival was not booked again in 1993.^[1]

In 1994, another noted Kortrijk, Belgium-based musician, Hans Verbeke, took over the booking of the festival. Verbeke worked at De Vort'n Vis, and had played in such bands as Rise Above, Shortsight, Blindfold, Spirit of Youth, Wheel of Progress (and later Liar) and was also operating the hardcore record label Sober Mind Records.^[1][4] Verbeke also booked the 1995 edition.^[1][4]

In 1996, the festival was taken over by Ghent, Belgium-based Bruno Vandevyvere, owner of the record label Genet Records and the record store Pyrrhus Records.^[1][7] Vandevyvere was one of the founders of De Vort'n Vis and had therefore been involved in the first three editions' bookings to some extent.^[4] In 1999, Genet Records released the compact disc Various Artists compilation Vort'n Vis Hardcore Festival 1998, which documented most of the bands that had performed at the 1998 edition of the festival.^[9]

By 1999, the festival had outgrown the audience capacity of De Vort'n Vis, and for the next two years, it was held in the courtyard of Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord.^[1] In December 2000, Good Life Recordings released the VHS Good Life Recordings Presents: Good Life T.V. Video Sampler #1, which includes live footage of bands performing at the 1999 and 2000 editions of the festival.^[10]

In 2001, the festival was moved to the parking lot of the Jeugdstadion campsite, where previous years' attendees setup living accommodations.^[1][11] In 2002, the parking lot was unavailable due to a mountainbicycle event, so local business CID Lines offered their land to host the festival.^[1][12]

In February 2008, a one-day winter edition of the festival was introduced, which was held annually in February or March until 2015 (no winter event was held in 2009).^[13] A winter edition was originally planned for February 21, 2009, but was cancelled when the bookers were unable to find headlining acts.^[14][15] The winter edition has since been held sporadically, namely in 2018 and 2022.^[3]

In August 2008, Ieperfest moved to a new location, where it continues to be held each year, on a farmland at Poperingseweg 153–161.^[14] That year also introduced two stages for bands to perform.^[14]

Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1][4]

Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Nations on Fire, Neuthrone, Scraps, Strength of the Will, State of Grace, Stormwatch and Voorhees.

Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Regression and Steadfast.

Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Azure, Blindfold, Contention and Refused.

Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1]

Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1]

Notes: Most of the bands that played were documented on the Genet Records Various Artists compilation Vort'n Vis Hardcore Festival 1998, released on compact disc in 1999.^[9]

Location: Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord, D'hondtstraat 59, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1][16]

Notes: Good Life Recordings released the VHS Good Life Recordings Presents: Good Life T.V. Video Sampler #1 in December 2000 which includes live footage of bands performing at the 1999 and 2000 editions of the festival.^[10]

Location: Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord, D'hondtstraat 59, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[1][17][18]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at De Vort'n Vis.

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Chispa, Convinced, Garrison, Out for Blood, Piebald, Shai Hulud and Walls of Jericho.^[19] As Friends Rust's set was cut short after only three songs. Good Life Recordings released the VHS Good Life Recordings Presents: Good Life T.V. Video Sampler #1 in December 2000 which includes live footage of bands performing at the 1999 and 2000 editions of the festival.^[10]

Location: Jeugdstadion Camping Site Parking Lot, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[1][11][20]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival party held at De Vort'n Vis.

Notes: After-parties were held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at De Vort'n Vis with DJ Jaak.^[20] Reveal was booked to play but did not.

Location: CID Lines Festival Ground, Waterpoortstraat 2, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^{[1][12][21][22][23]}

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at De Vort'n Vis.^[24][25]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at the Jeugdstadion campground.^[24][25]

Notes: After-parties were held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at De Vort'n Vis with DJ Jaak.^[22][23]

Location: Jeugdstadion Camping Site Parking Lot, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[26][27][28]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at the Jeugdstadion campground.^[26]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Last Days of April, The Furious and The Locust.^[26]

Location: Jeugdstadion Camping Site Parking Lot, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[29][30][31]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at the Jeugdstadion campground.^[29]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Death by Stereo, Disfear, Over My Dead Body and Rag Men.^[29]

Location: Jeugdstadion Camping Site Parking Lot, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[32][33]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Donnybrook, Kill Your Idols, Full Circle Broken, Morning Again and Neshamah.^[32] Morning Again was supposed to perform a headlining reunion show on August 27, 2005, but cancelled their trip to Europe.^[32]

Location: Jeugdstadion Camping Site Parking Lot, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[34][35]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: A Perfect Murder, Alove for Enemies, Cephalic Carnage, Circle One, Death Before Disco, Inked in Blood, Killing Time, Lords, Monochrome, Nodes of Ranvier, Subzero and Trapdoor Fucking Exit.^[36]

Location: Jeugdstadion Camping Site Parking Lot, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[37][38]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at the J.O.C. in Ieper.^[13]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Age of Ruin, Cephalic Carnage, Cult of Luna, Maroon, Lost Patrol Band, Nueva Ética Ruiner, Showbread and Wisdom in Chains.^[13]

Location: Zaal Fenix, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[39]

Location: Poperingseweg 153–161, 8908, Ypres, Belgium.^[14][40]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held on the Marquee Stage at Ieperfest.^[14]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Balzac, Hour of the Wolf, Outbreak, Pound for Pound, Red Tape Parade, Ringworm, Rotten Sound, Shook Ones, Sinking Ships, Soul Control, Sparkle of Hope, SS Decontrol and Warbringer.^[14]

Location: Poperingseweg 153–161, 8908, Ypres, Belgium.^[15][41]

Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held on the Marquee Stage at Ieperfest.^[15]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: An Emerald City, As We Fight, Blood Stands Still, For the Fallen Dreams, Impending Doom, Joe Coffee, Lower Class Brats, Misery Index, Psyopus, Rafflesia and Thick as Blood.^[15]

Location: Zaal Fenix, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[42][43]

Location: Poperingseweg 153–161, 8908, Ypres, Belgium.^[44]

Notes: An accurate schedule of the performance dates and stages has not been located in archival material, therefore all of the bands from the summer 2010 edition are currently listed together. Should a schedule be found, the sections will be updated. The following bands were also booked but did not play: Campus, City of Ships, Dead Swans, Lewd Acts, Maximum Penalty, Rat City Riot, Slapshot, The Carrier, The Now Denial and The Freeze.^[44]

Location: Zaal Fenix, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.^[45][46]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Let Me Run, Möse, Soul Control and The Gohards.^[45]

Location: Poperingseweg 153–161, 8908, Ypres, Belgium.^[47][48]

Notes: This was a charged pre-festival concert held at the JOC 't Perron.^[47]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Broken Teeth, Cro-Mags, Decortica, Harm's Way, Merauder, Pound for Pound, SFA, Wisdom in Chains and Withdrawal.^[47]

Location: JOC 't Perron, Fochlaan 1, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.^[49][50]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Goodtime Boys and Pianos Become the Teeth.^[49]

Location: Poperingseweg 153–161, 8908, Ypres, Belgium.^[51][52]

Notes: This was a charged pre-festival concert held at the Marquee Stage at Ieperfer.^[51]

Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Balance and Composure, Dean Dirg, D.O.A., Here Comes the Kraken, Man VS Humanity, Omega Massif, Shai Hulud, Sydney Ducks, This Is Hell, Wisdom in Chains and Withdrawal.^[51]

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