Friday afternoon marked the opening of the 30th edition of Ieperfest, a three-day festival dedicated to hardcore punk. The festival is expected to welcome a thousand people every day in Ypres, West Flanders.
Since its inauguration in 1992, Ieperfest has been organised by volunteers. The event showcases rising bands in the hardcore punk scene, whilst also honouring the veterans of the scene.
French band Lion’s Claw concluded the first day, preceded by British groups Knuckledust and The Chisel, along with Sorcerer and Instructor.
Saturday will be dominated by Earth Crisis, a pioneering "straight edge" metalcore band from the 1980s punk hardcore scene. Members of the "straight edge" movement abstain from alcohol and drugs, predominantly adopting vegetarian or vegan diets, due to the excesses usually associated with the hardcore scene. American bands Bane and Angel Du$t will also perform on Saturday.
Sunday will see the reunion of the Flemish group Congress and performances from Japanese group Knosis and American band Gel. The festival will conclude with the metalcore sounds of Harm’s Way.
Ieperfest has long infused straight-edge mentality into its festival, offering vegan and vegetarian food options since its inception.
The festival also advocates for human and animal rights, hosting debates and conferences on these subjects. "For us, it’s not about making a profit, but about making progress," explains Davy Bauwens, one of the organisers.
