Slipknot announce first seven bands for inaugural Knotfest Italy

Slipknot have revealed the first names for the inaugural edition of Knotfest in Italy.

• READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Slipknot: “Nobody created us except us – we have always drawn our own map”

As per tradition, the Iowa metallers will be headlining, while Architects, Amon Amarth, Lorna Shore, I Prevail, Nothing More and Destrage will be playing the festival. Knotfest Italy is set to take place on June 25 in Bologna.

Knotfest Italy is part of Slipknot’s European festival tour taking place next summer, during which they will also headline the Sunday of Download Festival.

Knotfest has never taken place in the UK, although it was planned to take place at the Milton Keynes Bowl in 2020 before being cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Italy isn’t the only country to see its inaugural Knotfest this year – Slipknot will also be bringing their travelling festival to three dates in Australia in late March 2023.

“Australians have been nothing but family to us from day one,” said percussionist and creative director Clown recently to NME. “Some of the greatest memories in my life come from roaming around Australia – that’s why we try to get there on every album cycle. And Knotfest is dangerous, man… But that’s why we’re taking it Down Under right now. We’re here to burn down your brainwashed philosophy, you know? The bottom line is that the good people of where you’re from need this philosophy.

“That’s been our goal all along: to spread this philosophy and to share our ambition for a new art form… It’s world domination, one country at a time.”

Megadeth, Trivium, Knocked Loose, Spiritbox and Parkway Drive are among the names who have been announced for Knotfest Australia.

The band’s seventh album ‘The End, So Far’ was released in September. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “Aside from the blood, the gore, the theatrics and the noise, there’s clearly always been much more to the band’s ability to shock and surprise – and now it seems their next left turn of an era could be their most daring yet.”