Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival: What you need to know if you plan to go
Metal and moshing, hard rock and headbanging will be in full force beginning Thursday, when the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival takes over Historic Crew Stadium.
If you want to be in the surging crowd, but haven't bought tickets yet, you'd better make haste. The fest sold out in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and is close to doing so again this year, with limited single-day, weekend and VIP passes left at different price levels.
The festival features more than 100 acts on four stages, including four headliners, who'll perform on the Temple Stage:
Disturbed, 9:20 p.m. Thursday: Known for songs such as "Down with the Sickness," "Stupify" and their cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence," the Chicago band has released eight studio albums, with singles from all of them reaching the Top 10 of the Mainstream Rock chart.
The Original Misfits, 9:40 p.m. Friday: Founded as the Misfits in 1977 by singer-songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig, the band is a pioneer of the horror-punk imagery and influential on punk, hard rock, heavy metal and alternative rock and artists including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Marilyn Manson and Green Day.
Pantera, 9:35 p.m. Saturday: Formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), the band is recognized for developing and popularizing the subgenre of groove metal. After Pantera's breakup in 2003, the brothers went on to form Damageplan. Tragically, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed onstage by a fan with mental illness during a Damageplan concert in Columbus on Dec. 8, 2004. The band reunited last year with vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, joined on tour by guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante.
Slipknot, 9:30 p.m. Sunday: Sometimes classified as "nu metal," the Grammy-winning band has released seven studio albums, three live albums, two compilation albums, one demo album, one EP, 28 singles, five video albums and 33 music videos. Their singles "Psychosocial," "Dead Memories" and "Snuff" all reached the Billboard Alternative Songs top 20.
Now that you know the main names on the metal marquee, there's plenty of other tidbits of information you should know.
More: Five questions with Judas Priest's Ian Hill ahead of Sonic Temple performance
First and foremost, don't forget to hydrate! With warmer temperatures predicted for the weekend, it's easy to get overheated in a large crowd. You're allowed to bring one factory-sealed bottle of water or an empty, reusable bottle into the venue to refill at the hydration stations. Water and nonalcoholic beverages also are to be sold
Here are some other details that can be helpful if you're going ? or planning to go ? to Sonic Temple.
Ticket to rock: Passes available for Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival - but they're going fast
How can I get passes for Sonic Temple?
What passes are left won't be cheap! You can check them out at sonictemplefestival.com/passes.
I'm bringing my kids. Do they need passes?
Sonic Temple is an all-ages event, and all attendees must buy a full-price ticket, regardless of age.
What other bands are playing this year?
Besides the headliners, there are many well-known names on the roster: Evanescence, Judas Priest, Limp Bizkit, Staind, Breaking Benjamin, Sum 41, Cypress Hill, Anthrax, L7 and Living Colour, among others. To see the full lineup, visit sonictemplefestival.com/lineup. A schedule of set times is listed at sonictemplefestival.com/schedules.
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How can I get a camping pass?
You can't. They're sold out!
What happens if it rains?
You get wet, since Sonic Temple is a rain-or-shine event. There are instances when the festival might be paused, evacuated or canceled due to inclement weather including severe thunderstorms, lightning in the festival radius, excessive wind, hail, flooding or as directed by local emergency personnel. We recommend reviewing Sonic Temple's health and safety page at sonictemplefestival.com/health-safety so you can be prepared to get to safety in the case of bad weather.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What to know if you go to Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival
