This merger of two of the most well-known and established brands in rock–OZZFEST, celebrating its 20th anniversary, and KNOTFEST, which debuted in 2012–is set for Saturday, September 24 (OZZFEST) and Sunday, September 25(KNOTFEST) at San Manuel Amphitheater and Festival Grounds in San Bernardino, CA. Tickets for the Live Nation-produced OZZFEST MEETS KNOTFEST–a multi-stage, two-day weekend camping event with more than 40 acts–go on saleFriday, May 20 at 10:00 AM (PT) atOZZFEST.COM and KNOTFEST.COM. All the details and line-ups (below) were revealed at a major press conference today (Thursday, May 12) at the Palladium in Hollywood, CA.
Saturday’s OZZFEST will be headlined by Black Sabbath–marking their last Southern California performance as part of the band’s final tour–and Sunday’s KNOTFEST bill is topped by the festival’s namesake, Slipknot. On hand at the press conference were OZZFEST founder Ozzy Osbourne and Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor and M. Shawn Crahan (aka Clown). The event began with a movie screening, followed by a Q&A session with artists from theOZZFEST MEETS KNOTFEST bill and concluded with a p erformance from Zakk Sabbath, led by Zakk Wylde.
“We are here to create havoc and history,” says Ozzy Osbourne. “Let the madness begin…”
“This could be the one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of,” says Corey Taylor of Slipknot. “Starting out as an Ozzfest band, coming into our own with Knotfest and now combining forces to make a little metal history…it was meant to be and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
“Playing with Black Sabbath is always an honor,”Shawn “Clown” Crahan of Slipknot exclaims. “Merging both festivals will be a legendary experience that will be life-changing for all fans. We are excited to bring all the families together again.”
“We want it to be the loudest, biggest, dirtiest festival in California. We couldn’t be happier,” says Sharon Osbourne.
“The impact of Ozzfest on heavy music and on Slipknot, cannot be underestimated,” says Cory Brennan, President, 5B Artist Management. “For 20 years Ozzfest has given fans their first glimpse at bands like Slipknot, Disturbed and countless others, but alsobringing new fans and bands together every year. Ozzfest inspiredSlipknot to continue this vital tradition with Knotfest, and it’s an honor to celebrate our genre alongside them in 2016.”
The San Manuel Amphitheater and Festival Grounds is whereOZZFEST–the event that launched the U.S. hard rock festival market and went on to tour the world–began in 1996 and whereKNOTFEST last year took over the San Bernardino, CA venue and expanded into a camping festival. There’s also a longtime history between the two namesakes of the events, with Slipknotappearing at OZZFEST in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2013 at the inaugural OZZFEST Japan.
The OZZFEST MEETS KNOTFEST 2016 line-up is as follows, with both OZZFEST and KNOTFEST dedicating a stage in honor of their departed comrade Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead.
OZZFEST Line-up
Saturday, September 24
MAIN STAGE
Black Sabbath
Disturbed
Megadeth
Opeth
Black Label Society
Rival Sons
LEMMY STAGE
Children of Bodom
Hatebreed
DevilDriver
Goatwhore
Huntress
Dead Cross
NUCLEAR BLAST STAGE
Municipal Waste
Kataklysm
Nails
The Shrine
Still Rebel
KNOTFEST Line-up
Sunday, September 25
MAIN STAGE
Slipknot
Slayer
Amon Amarth
Anthrax
Trivium
LEMMY STAGE
Sabaton
Suicide Silence
Overkill
Emmure
Butcher Babies
Man with A Mission
NUCLEAR BLAST STAGE
Whitechapel
Combichrist
Death Angel
SIM
ONI
