The summer music festival season is nearly upon us. Europe may get the big gothic-industrial festivals like M’era Luna and Wave-Gotik-Treffen. But America has its own share of exciting events. Now is the time to start planning your travels.
Dark Side of the Con 4
Parsippany, New Jersey
March 27 to 29
Official Website
Killer lineup: The Birthday Massacre, The Cruxshadows, Suicide Commando, Grendel, Das Ich, God Module, Bella Morte, Echo Black, FGFC820, Ego Likeness, The Gothsicles, The Rain Within, Astari Nite, Chmcl Str8jckt, Methodical, Devil-M, DaGeist, Ghostfeeder, 00tz 00tz, Die Robot, Stoneburner, Cliff and Ivy, Abbey Death, Peter Turns Pirate, Tragic Impulse, The Mary Lous, Red Lokust
Out From The Shadows Fest VI
Portland, Oregon
April 2 to 4
Official Website
Killer lineup: SYZYGYX, Fearing, Komrads, Love Hate Affair, The Electric West, Physical Wash, Ritual Veil, Body of Light, Automelodi, Ssleping DesiresS, Mayflower Madame, Push Button Press, V.E.X., Versari, We Are Parasols, Ritual Howls, Tearful Moon, Korine, Astari Nite, Seventeen At This Time, Mr Wrong, Lies We Were Told
Dark Spring Festival Boston
Boston, Massachusetts
April 4
Official Website
Killer lineup: Un Hombre Solo, Golden Apes, Sonsombre, Secret Shame, Shanghai Beach, Pilgrims of Yearning, Twin Tribes
Verboden 2020
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
April 9 to 12
Official Website
Killer lineup: The KVB, Trans-X, ACTORS, PASTEL GHOST, Stockhaussen, AutomelodiI, Police des moeurs, SRSQ, Grave Babies, BOAN, Ritual Veil, Wire Spine, In Mirrors, Charlatan, OVER, Devours, DEBBY FRIDAY, MASKARA, Bloom Offering, EXEUNT, Baby Blue, LAND LINE, Thegn, Holzkopf, NUIT, VENETTA, Sharlese, JS Aurelius, Sean Reveron, Mela Melania, Daniel Lebeuf, Charlotte Twanow, B.WEST, Viva Non, Dock Hellis, Girlfriends and Boyfriends, Sektion Tyrants, Monashee, Bare Life, Voice to Skull, Violetta Leigh, Vicebound
Cruel World
Los Angeles, California
May 2
Official Website
Killer lineup: Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Psychedelic Furs, Violent Femmes, The Church, English Beat, Public Image Ltd., Gary Numan, Marc Almond, She Wants Revenge, Blaqk Audio, TR/ST, Cold Cave, Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel, Berlin, Bad Manners, Missing Persons, London After Midnight, Drab Majesty, 45 Grave, Christian Death, The Meteors, Black Marble, Sextile, Softkill, The KVB
Convergence 26
Louisville, Kentucky
May 15 to 17
Official Website
Killer lineup: WINGTIPS, Twin Tribes, The Bellwether Syndicate, God Module, Sonsombre, The Rope, SYZYGYX, Xorcist, SCARY BLACK, The Kentucky Vampires, Vyva Melinkolya
Sanctuary Festival 2020
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
June 4 to 6
Official Website
Killer lineup: Funker Vogt, Velvet Acid Christ, Rhys Fulber, Caustic, Cyanotic, ∆AIMON, WINGTIPS, Paralyze, Nevada Hardware
Mechanismus Festival: Resistance
Seattle, Washington
June 11 to 14
Official Website
Killer lineup: Funker Vogt, Boy Harsher, Velvet Acid Christ, Clan of Xymox, Stabbing Westward, Moris Blak, Curse Mackey, Ivandensphere, Dawn of Ashes, Conformco, This Morn Omina, C/A/T, For All the Emptiness, Cyanotic, Finite Automata, Eva-X, Stoneburner, Die Robot, The Secret Light, William Wilson, Vigilante, Pixelpussy, Solid State, Lithium Dolls, Wolftron, 2 Libras
Terminus: Subversion
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
July 30 to August 2
Official Website
Killer lineup: TBA
San La Muerte Fest 2020
Austin, Texas
September 17 to 19
Official Website
Killer lineup: Ana Curra, She Past Away, The Vanishing, Dystopian Society
Near Dark Fest 2020
Oakland, California
September 17 to 20
Official Website
Killer lineup: Sad Lovers & Giants, Ana Curra, Exit-Stance, Screaming Dead, Wingtips, The Conscripts, Pawns, Secret Shame, Vueltas, Anatomy, Visions, Iver, Sectarian Bloom, Membrane
Cold Waves IX
Chicago, Illinois
September 18 to 20
Official Website
Killer lineup: Stabbing Westward, The Young Gods, Front 242, The KVB, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Ash Code, All Your Sisters, Chris Connelly, Paul Barker, Cyanotic, Kollaps, She Past Away, Actors, The Bellwether Syndicate, Fee Lion
Absolution Fest
Tampa, Florida
October 8 to 10
Official Website
Killer lineup: Drab Majesty, Hante., Mr.Kitty, Traitrs, The Bellwether Syndicate, Astari Nite, Rosegarden Funeral Party, SYZYGYX, Sonsombre, Third Realm, Die Robot, The Purge, The Kentucky Vampires, Pass/Ages, Mother Juno, Cold Medicine, Gulf Blvd.
The Goth Invasion of Portland
Portland, Oregon
October 22 to 24
Official Website
Killer lineup: SINthetik Messiah, The Secret Light, Cliff and Ivy, Die Robot, Solo-X, Adrian H and the Wounds
(If you’re hosting a festival that you want me to add to this list, just shoot me a message. Happy to add. Now including Canada!)
