Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres (). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, 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. 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. In 2012, during its 20th anniversary, Ieperfest became the longest-running hardcore festival in the world.
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. 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.
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.
History
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. Verhaeghe would later establish the noted Belgian hardcore record label Good Life Recordings.
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. The festival was not booked again in 1993.
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. Verbeke also booked the 1995 edition.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
In 2001, the festival was moved to the parking lot of the Jeugdstadion campsite, where previous years' attendees setup living accommodations. In 2002, the parking lot was unavailable due to a mountainbicycle event, so local business CID Lines offered their land to host the festival.
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). A winter edition was originally planned for February 21, 2009, but was cancelled when the bookers were unable to find headlining acts. The winter edition has since been held sporadically, namely in 2018 and 2022.
In August 2008, Ieperfest moved to a new location, where it continues to be held each year, on a farmland at Poperingseweg 153–161. That year also introduced two stages for bands to perform.
Ieperfest lineups by year
September 5–6, 1992: Hardcore '92 Festival Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Saturday, September 5
Blindfold Feeding the Fire Ironside (headliners) No More Shortsight Spirit of Youth Strong Event
Sunday, September 6
Abolition Nations on Fire (headliners) Strengthen the Will
August 19–21, 1994: Hardcore Festival '94 Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Friday, August 19
Congress Kosjer D Spawn (headliners)
Saturday, August 20
Abhinanda Acme Backdraft Blindfold Fabric (headliners) Nothing Left to Grasp Refused Shortsight
Sunday, August 21
Feeding the Fire Iconoclast (headliners) Hopeman Path Neckbrace Undone
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.
August 18–20, 1995: Hardcore-Festival '95 Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Friday, August 18
Burning Defeat (headliners) Solid The Jedi
Saturday, August 19
Abhinanda (headliners) Blindfold Comrades Concrete Congress Doughnuts Kosjer D Mainstrike Rancor Veil
Sunday, August 20
By All Means Chokehold (headliners) Churn End in Sight Fungus Liar Timebomb
Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Regression and Steadfast.
August 16–18, 1996: Hardcore, The Next Generation Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Friday, August 16
Down for the Count Facedown Firestone Liar Outrage Spawn Unborn (headliners) Victims of Society Vitality
Saturday, August 17
Burning Defeat Congress Despair (headliners) Kindred Racial Abuse Regression Said I Was Sektor Timebomb Voices at the Front
Sunday, August 18
Approach to Concrete Bruma Resist the Pain Separation Spineless Stampin' Ground Swing Kids (headliners) Vanilla With Love
Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Azure, Blindfold, Contention and Refused.
August 15–17, 1997: Hardcore: The Next Generation Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Friday, August 15
Abhinanda Clouded Endstand Facedown Instinct Purification Reiziger Spineless Veil (headliners)
Saturday, August 16
Blindfold Culture (headliners) Intensity Kindred Liar Metroshifter ODK-Crew Sektor Serene Spirit of Youth Thumbsdown
Sunday, August 17
Acheborn Congress Deformity Lifecycle Mainstrike Morning Again (headliners) Rubbish Heap Starmarket Vitality
August 14–16, 1998: Hardcore: The Next Generation Festival Location: De Vort'n Vis, Kiekenmarkt 7, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Friday, August 14
Building Contrition Culture (headliners) Driven Liar One Fine Day One More Stack Timebomb
Saturday, August 15
Clouded Earthmover (headliners) Facedown Highscore Opposite Force Pray Silent Sad Origin Seein' Red Spineless Thumbsdown
Sunday, August 16
Arkangel Ashlar Caliban Congress (headliners) D.S.A. Eyeball Firestone Inflexible Lifecycle Reply Reiziger
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.
August 20–22, 1999: Ieper Hardcore Festival
Location: Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord, D'hondtstraat 59, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Friday, August 20
100 Years Of Forgetting As Friends Rust (headliners) Discount Heaven Shall Burn Hebriana Hot Water Music JR Ewing Once...Never Again Mainstrike Sad Origin Surface Tumult
Saturday, August 21
Ananda Bloodpact Ensign (headliners) H-Street Ochtenddauw Pray Silent Product Redemption Reveal Sabeth Spineless Stroke of Grace Thumbs Down
Sunday, August 22
Facedown Instinct Jane John Holmes Leiah Point of View Reaching Forward Sunrise The Get Up Kids (headliners) True Blue Vitality
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.
August 18–20, 2000: Vort'n Vis Hardcore Festival 2000 Location: Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord, D'hondtstraat 59, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Thursday, August 17
Killed in Action Retalliate Search of Fury Striker
Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at De Vort'n Vis.
Friday, August 18
Amenra Ariel Kill Him Building Cast in Fire Cataract Ensign (headliners) January Star Lumen Reiziger Serene Voorhees With Love
Saturday, August 19
5 Day Get Away Born from Pain Circle Dawncore Evanesce Firestone Good Clean Fun Grade (headliners) Knut Leiah Negate Point of No Return Possession Sad Origin
Sunday, August 20
As Friends Rust (headliners) Bobby Peru Children of Fall Course of Action Inane Length of Time Oil One Fine Day Purification Reveal Severance Standing Tall Stigmata
Notes: The following bands were also booked but did not play: Chispa, Convinced, Garrison, Out for Blood, Piebald, Shai Hulud and Walls of Jericho. 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.
August 17–19, 2001: 2001: A Hardcore Odyssey Location: Jeugdstadion Camping Site Parking Lot, Leopold III - Laan 16, Ypres, Belgium.
Thursday, August 16
DJ Schelpe
Notes: This was a free pre-festival party held at De Vort'n Vis.
Friday, August 17
Caliban Children of Fall Course of Action Deadbolt The Deal E-150 Endstand From the Dying Sky Good Clean Fun (headliners) Retaliate Severance Unconquered
Saturday, August 18
Catharsis Circle Comrades Juliette Liar Man VS Humanity New End Original Possession Reproach Stack The Locust (headliners) The Oath Venerea
Sunday, August 19
Burden Concrete Die...My Demon Facedown Kingpin Leiah Manifesto Jukebox Maximum Penalty (headliners) Newborn PN Reliance
Notes: After-parties were held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at De Vort'n Vis with DJ Jaak. Reveal was booked to play but did not.
August 16–18, 2002: Ieperfest 2002 Location: CID Lines Festival Ground, Waterpoortstraat 2, 8900, Ypres, Belgium.
Thursday, August 15
De Vort'n Vis
Kombat Retaliate (headliners) Straight to the Bar Zero Tolerance
Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at De Vort'n Vis.
Jeugdstadion
Amenra S.F.P. The Diamond Sea (headliners) The Eliot Ness The Hors D'Oeuvres Wilson
Notes: This was a free pre-festival concert held at the Jeugdstadion campground.
Friday, August 16
Absence Born from Pain Chimaera Congress (headliners) Die...My Demon I Adapt JR Ewing Max Rebo Kids Morda Newborn Pretty Girls Make Graves Smut Peddlers Reply Risen
Saturday, August 17
Burn Hollywood Burn Cast-Down Darkest Hour Dead Stop