Hellfest (American music festival)

Hellfest is an American all-ages music festival that existed between 1997 and 2005, and 2025 onwards. The festival showcases hardcore music in its broadest sense, including punk rock, metalcore, emo, post-hardcore and more. It originated in Central New York, in and around Syracuse, but eventually relocated to Central New Jersey. Hellfest is known for its fan-friendly atmosphere, including a lack of barriers that provided easy access to the stage for stage diving and sing-alongs. It also encouraged social-awareness through workshops that discussed such causes as animal rights, LGBTQ and politics, with many of its bands and attendees following straight-edge and/or vegetarian or vegan lifestyles.

Not unlike many festivals of its size, Hellfest encountered several problems, notably the changing venues mere days before starting. This was the case for 1999's Syracuse Hell Fest 99, 2000's Hellfest 2K, 2001's Hellfest 2001 and 2005's Hellfest '05. The relocation caused an entire day to be missed of the 2000 edition, while the 2005 edition was cancelled altogether. The considerable financial dilemma that resulted from the 2005 event's cancellation led to the termination of the festival.

In 2022, Trustkill Records owner Josh Grabelle resumed operations after the rights to the label were restored to him. In 2025, Hellfest returned, under the name Hellphyra in collaboration with New Jersey label Takedown Records, and Connecticut label Ephyra Recordings and took place from July 5-6, 2025 with a July 4 date under the name “Hellfest Presents: New Jersey Hardcore”.

Hellfest is scheduled, under its original name on July 3-5, 2026 in Jackson, NJ.