Over the last few months, music festivals across the globe have had to cancel or postpone their 2020 event due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – from the likes of Coachella to Splendour in the Grass, closer to home.
While there have been many bold and valiant efforts to recreate the experience with livestreams and drive-in concerts, most event organisers have followed official guidance from health organisations and conceded that an IRL music festival is not on the cards anytime soon.
The outlier is a nu-metal festival in Wisconsin, appropriately titled ‘Herd Immunity Fest’, which is scheduled to take place next month in the American state, flouting all health advice to the contrary – not to mention common sense. The three-day event is set to take place as the Q&Z Expo Center in Ringle, Wisconsin between July 16-18, and features a lineup that includes industrial metal stalwarts Static-X, Nonpoint, Dope and Bobaflex, among others.
Static-X have announced the event themselves on social media, confirming the Wisconsin death trip on their Facebook page.
Neither the venue nor the promoter (Ardent Entertainment) have issued any statement regarding social distancing practices or similar precautions around the event. A post on the venue’s Facebook page reads, “When the lock down first happened my first thought was OK we can all do 2 weeks, then it went on and on, things were getting cancelled, I started to worry about people not only for this Covid but mental, physical, financial . As humans we need other human contact.”
“So it is our honor to bring you this mini fest. Let’s make it a fun , safe weekend, and let’s be kind to each other. Spread the word by sharing the event and invite your friends.”
If the event goes indeed take place, it will be the first of its kind since the pandemic started. Last month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked an extension of stay-at-home orders, leading Governor Tony Evers to declare the state a “wild west”.
