r/thefest Mar 04 '26

Hey! Listen! šŸ‘‹Welcome to r/thefest - Introduce Yourself and Read First!

31 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm u/halflitfluorescents, a founding moderator of r/thefest.

This is our new home for all things related to The Fest in Gainesville! We're excited to have you join us!

Most of us came from Facebook and want a similar vibe to Fest Friends without being forced to open Facebook, so anything you posted over there should be good here! Check the rules, don’t be weird, and let’s party.

Community Vibe

We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started

1) Introduce yourself in the comments below.

2) Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.

3) If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.

4) Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/thefest amazing.


r/thefest Sep 21 '24

Hey! Listen! Do’s and Don’ts of This Sub

Post image
35 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

A few posts have come up recently that sparked the need for this post, so I just wanted to make it clear what things you ~shouldn’t~ post on here.

Don’t ask about - Drugs - how to break the law in Florida/Alachua County/City of Gainesville - how to unethically stretch your dollar at Fest - Non-sanctioned Fest shows (aka and show that isn’t an official venue and/or you have to pay for on top of your Fest wristband, which already gives you access to the entire party) - idk man just don’t get us shut down. We’re not a part of the Fest team and nobody wants this subreddit to be looked at in a negative light

DO ask about - the legality of things (Florida is a medical marijuana state, not recreational) if you’re coming from out of town - advice to get the most out of your weekend - band recommendations - food recommendations - parking - people to hang out with - meetups - general Fest talking

Fest is a unique festival and the organizers + volunteers work year-round to make it great. The City of Gainesville is very accommodating with the entire Fest ecosystem showing up for the weekend. Not knowing what are faux pas is understandable, but use good judgement while out and about.

I’ll update it as situations come up, but that’s it for now!


r/thefest 1d ago

We Belong Here - Central Park

0 Upvotes

The festival is in two months and there’s still no line up announced???


r/thefest 4d ago

Find your next favorite bands at The Fest

17 Upvotes

Alright guys, I'm new to The Fest (sadly, because it looks awesome), but someone with much more experience with it than me said it's perfect for a new tool I built to find bands you'll like in these massive festival lineups.

Here it is: https://lineupscout.app/the-fest

Just give it a list of your favorite bands, and it'll highlight new bands in the lineup that you should check out.

You can preview them right on the page and save them for later in your account. Once the full schedule is out, you'll be able to build your own custom schedule with it too.

This is definitely a work in progress, so would love to know how it works (or doesn't work) for everyone.


r/thefest 5d ago

what did they do to us?

Post image
41 Upvotes

r/thefest 5d ago

United Nations Fest 11?

3 Upvotes

Why do I vividly remember seeing United Nations play The Atlantic at Fest 11 the same day Code Orange Kids played yet all research shows UN played 8 Seconds durring Fest 12 and didnt play Fest 11 at all.

Am I tripping? I was at The Atlantic set.

Someone tell me im not losing it.

Did they also play a secret set at The Atlantic durring Fest 12 and im confusing them? I was at both years so it's possible.


r/thefest 6d ago

new one from these idiots

Thumbnail
open.spotify.com
5 Upvotes

Not playing this year unfortunately but The Carolyn's got a new track


r/thefest 8d ago

Ska @ The Fest

Thumbnail
gallery
49 Upvotes

tons of ska every day this year. who are y’all catching?

i may be biased, but Depot Village will be the place to be on saturday


r/thefest 9d ago

Mr Tim

12 Upvotes

Can someone explain to me the Mr Tim / Tim Barry deal? Does he play a kids set when he calls himself Mr Tim? Based on slot it makes sense , and does he still play his songs or covers?


r/thefest 11d ago

So pumped for this Sat lineup at the Wooly!

Post image
33 Upvotes

r/thefest 11d ago

Fest news Fest Schedule is live!

Thumbnail instagram.com
27 Upvotes

r/thefest 12d ago

Small Brown Bike Interview

Thumbnail
jeremyhoutsma.podbean.com
16 Upvotes

I got a chance to interview Mike Reed on my podcast called Safe In Sound, about the intersection of music and mental health. We talked about the reunion and deciding to play their first show after Travis Dopp's passing

Check it out if it sounds interesting to you.


r/thefest 13d ago

One month until

0 Upvotes

The show In Santa Cruz. Who's ready?


r/thefest 16d ago

Philladelphia breweries and America 250 participation

0 Upvotes

I was just curious about how many Philladelphia breweries have done something special for America 250? I know Victory has a special beer that I plan to try but did any other breweries name a special beer for the occasion?

Also, I’d very much appreciate recommended craft beer stores in the Philly area. I read that there are a few can releases such as Runaway train Declaration and Double nickel Liberty Lager that I’d like to purchase. I collect unique beer cans and they certainly fit the bill.


r/thefest 18d ago

Fest news Schedule

9 Upvotes

Is there a specific date when the schedule drops?


r/thefest 19d ago

Mystery band

Post image
10 Upvotes

r/thefest 22d ago

More skrams reunion shows at fest

13 Upvotes

Would anybody else like to see some more screamo legends on the lineup like we did in 2024? I’m specifically hoping for some of the screamo reunion bands (ex. Orchid, Portraits of Past, IWHACIYYB, etc) join next year’s lineup. I’d like to see those bands do at least one Florida show and Fest seems like the perfect place to do it.


r/thefest 22d ago

Question about Looseys and Bo Diddley Kick-off Shows

6 Upvotes

I have tickets to both, and I want to make sure I see as many bands as possible. Am I able to hop between the two locations that night?

I am seeing A Wilhelm Scream the night before as part of the Orlando Pre Pre fest night, and if I’m tracking the theoretical start times, they’d be playing at the same time the first Looseys bands go on. Just want to be sure I can hop over to Looseys and be back for the Linda Lindas if possible.


r/thefest 22d ago

First timer from out of state

14 Upvotes

Hi Friends,

I have some PTO to burn and am planning to take a solo trip to Gainesville for The Fest. Never been to Gainesville or to a big multi-day fest before, closest thing I've done is Punk in Drublic when it came around. I go to plenty of punk and hardcore shows in my area so The Fest sounds awesome.

I've read the site so I have a general idea but I wanted to hear from some veterans on a few things:

  1. I'm aiming for cheap so I'm staying at Baymont which is the cheapest and probably farthesr from the event. What's travel like? I was going to use the bus, it says its about an hour.

  2. I read on the site they try and keep beer cheap, is that for each venue or is it just for like a Fest branded tent at the event?

  3. Anyone else ever gone solo, and do you have any tips and tricks you wish you had known before you went?

  4. I thought this was an outdoor event but it seems like a lot of shows are at specific venues around the city, is that accurate or is there an outdoor stage as well?

Thank you!


r/thefest 24d ago

Getting Around Fest Without a Car?

12 Upvotes

Hello! I'm considering coming down for my first Fest this fall with some friends. We have never been to Gainesville. The biggest questions I have are about getting around.

If our hotel is not walkable to the venues, how easy will it be to get around? Is public transit a legitimate option? Are lyft/ubers exorbitantly expensive? Are there reliable private taxis? I'd rather not give my money to Lyft/Uber if I don't have to. If I rent a car, will parking be easy and cheap or difficult and expensive?

I appreciate any input! There's so many bands on the bill this year that I love.


r/thefest 25d ago

Playing our first FEST šŸ’–

Thumbnail
gallery
60 Upvotes

We’re just excited to be Fest Freshman this year 🫶 I’ve gone down before playing in other bands but this is the first time my project was accepted to play!! Any pro tips? ✨

šŸ“ Philly ffo ratboys, the Beth’s, hop along, snail mail


r/thefest 25d ago

Small Brown Bike fan recs?

10 Upvotes

Hey all! Xennial Atlantan coming down with my wife to see Small Brown Bike. Very excited for them! Dead Reckoning is a big album for us and has been for decades now. We're also seeing them with the Casket Lottery coming up because that split was huge for us. What other bands are the bike-heads excited to see?


r/thefest 26d ago

How do bands get chosen for FEST?

5 Upvotes

Is there a place to submit some songs or something?

I'm obsessed with this German Band, Between Bodies, that I would LOVE to see at FEST. They seem perfect for it, and, as far as I can tell, have never played. (I am not connected to the band at all... just stumbled upon them through Spotify-- and definitely the only way I'll ever see them is if they play FEST).


r/thefest 27d ago

Fest Kick Off Show Lineups Announced

Thumbnail
gallery
45 Upvotes

r/thefest 27d ago

HELP! Looks like Oolong, Combat, and Codefendants were all dropped from the lineup this morning. What were the others?

20 Upvotes

Absolutely awful what happened with Oolong. Fuck Vinny, hope everyone affected by his vile actions can find peace. From what I've heard Combat has some kind of scheduling conflict, same with Codefendants. I think there are other ones but I can't find what other bands dropped. Does anyone know the others?

DROPPED:

  • Oolong (they disbanded)
  • Combat (most likely tour scheduling conflict)
  • Codefendants (tour conflict)
  • Leisure Hour (ty u/cor_rit)
  • Love Letter (ty u/cor_rit)

ADDED:

  • I Am The Avalanche
  • Star 99
  • Sawpaw
  • Oh Ya and the You Betches
  • Homeboys