Drop Dead Festival

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Drop Dead Festival is the largest DIY festival for “art-damaged” music. It features up to 65 bands per event and draws attendees from more than 30 countries. The festival mixes electro, post-punk, electropunk, and experimental music over several days, and has been held in New York and Europe, with smaller events in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, and New Jersey. It is known for elaborate stage designs, a bazaar of scene paraphernalia, movie screenings, and a dance floor with underground DJs from around the world. The festival was founded by NY Decay Productions.

The first Drop Dead Festival took place in August 2003, after NY Decay Productions ran a successful series of smaller events at the Pyramid in New York City. It started at CBGB, then moved to the larger Knitting Factory in lower Manhattan to accommodate more attendees. CBGB continued to host pre- and post-parties for a while after the main festival moved. In 2005, the festival expanded to four days during Halloween week, drawing over 5,000 people with Nina Hagen as a headliner. In 2006, it was held at the Knitting Factory on Labor Day weekend (Sept 1–3) and became the last regular US edition. Since 2007, Drop Dead has traveled to Europe, with editions in Prague (2007), Portugal (2008), Vilnius, Lithuania (2010), and Berlin (2011, 2012).

Website: dropdeadfestival.org