Slipknot's Knotfest have delivered the goods with a 2025 line-up featuring some of the biggest names in the heavy-alternative scenes.
After headlining the inaugural Australian Knotfest in 2023, the heavy metal colossus – renowned for a litany of classic cuts including 'Duality', 'Psychosocial', 'Before I Forget' and 'Wait And Bleed' – known as Slipknot will headline festival dates in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney late February, early March.Slipknot's maggots will have plenty to feast on throughout the day, led by Florida pop-punk metalcore outfit A Day To Remember ('It Means A Lot To You', 'The Downfall Of Us All'), who have remained at the forefront of the scene from the Myspace days right through the TikTok era, and return to Australia for the first time since 2019.
Then there's Japanese Kawaii metal group BABYMETAL ('Gimme Chocolate!!', 'Megitsune') whose infusion of J-pop-meets-heavy-metal wizardry has seen them earn mega fans in Slipknot's vocalist Corey Taylor, as well as Rob Zombie, Metallica and Deftones.
Florida-based Russian deathcore band Slaughter To Prevail ('Demolisher', 'Baby Yaga') return to Australia, having earned themselves rabid local fans after their Good Things Festival 2023 appearance.
Australian metalcore stalwarts Polaris, who are currently tearing through Europe and the UK, also join Knotfest 2025 – the band are nominated for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal album at the 2024 ARIAs.
Pioneers of dark and anthemic music, Within Temptation have been captivating audiences for nearly 30 years with 8 studio albums to their name; Knotfest 2025 will see the Dutch group make their Australian live debut.
No strangers to our shores British heavy rockers Enter Shikari will also venture down under at Knotfest joining American heavy metal hardcore icons Hatebreed. Byron Bay metalcore veterans In Hearts Wake will also plant their flag at Knotfest 2025 fresh off the release of their sixth studio album, 'Incarnation' and national Australian headline tour.
If Knotfest 2025 wasn't brutal enough for you, then you can add Los Angeles industrial cult-faves Health to your must-see list, the band returning to Australia fresh from their sold out down under headline run earlier this year. All the way from Ohio, metal mavericks Miss May I will also lend their trademark sonic fury to the Knotfest experience.
The line-up is rounded out by Iowa natives Vended, who've been pushing the limits of combustible energy and raw aggression since their 2018 inception, and San Fran Bay Area hardcore group Sunami – who originally formed as a short-lived joke band in 2019 but continue to dominate the underground hardcore scene with three EPs and their self-titled debut album in 2023.
Tickets on sale from 3pm (local time) on 23 October.
Knotfest Australia 2025 Line-up
SlipknotA Day To Remember
BABYMETAL
Slaughter To Prevail
Polaris
Within Temptation
Enter Shikari
Hatebreed
In Hearts Wake
HEALTH
Miss May I
Vended
Sunami
Knotfest Australia 2025 Dates
Fri 28 Feb - Flemington Racecourse (Melbourne)Sun 2 Mar - Brisbane Showground
Sat 8 Mar - Centennial Park (Sydney)
