“Manfest”: Knotfest Australia Cops Backlash Over 2024 Lineup

Knotfest Australia has come under fire for its sausage fest of a 2024 lineup. The bill for next year’s event was unveiled on Sunday night, with many fans voicing their disappointment about the absence of festival founders Slipknot on the roster.

There’s also been a bit of controversy over the booking of Pantera as headliners, after the freshly reunited groove-metal icons were booted off a handful of European festival bills last over frontman Phil Anselmo’s 2016 neo-nazi scandal. However, a lot of the ire directed at Knotfest Australia’s 2024 lineup has been over its disappointing lack of gender diversity.

As Australian festival lineup diversity watchdog @lineupswithoutmales pointed out on Instagram, only one band booked on the entire 2024 bill has a female member, being Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale. It makes Lzzy the one sole woman out of 65 artists on the bill, or 1.5% of the lineup.

Commenting on Knotfest’s official lineup reveal post, Glitoris guitarist Andrew Glitoris quipped: “Just rename it Manfest. Because that’s what it is. 1.5% of the musicians on this line up are women. As well as all the other questions about relevance and the politics of the headliner, theres no justification for the absence of women on this bill.”

While Australian heavy music identity Tim Price posted on Facebook: “Lzzy Hale having a whole ladies’ bathroom to herself at knotfest 2024” along with a cry-laughing emoji.

Fans have been quick to point out a stack of both heavyweight local and international bands who could have been booked on the lineup to level out the playing field, including but not limited to Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil, Alice Cooper (feat. legendary guitarist Nita Strauss), Nightwish, Baby Metal, Poppy, In This Moment, New Years Day, Within Temptation, Amaranthe, Butcher Babies, Walls Of Jericho, Dying Wish, Conquer Divide, Flyleaf, As Everything Unfolds, Devilskin, Rolo Tomassi, Code Orange, DragonForce, Baroness, Skynd, Make Them Suffer, Future Static, The Beautiful Monument, Clowns, Blood Command and loads more.

The Knotfest Australia 2024 lineup does feature Pantera, along with Disturbed, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Mongolian metal band The HU, Asking Alexandria, plus locals Thy Art Is Murder, Speed, King Parrot and more.

Knotfest Australia is happening at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on Thursday, 21st March, Sydney’s Centennial Park on Saturday, 23rd March and Brisbane Showgrounds on Sunday, 24th March

You can peep the full lineup down below.

Knotfest Australia 2024

• Pantera
• Disturbed
• Lamb of God
• Halestorm
• The Hu
• Asking Alexandria
• Wage War
• Escape The Fate
• Thy Art Is Murder
• Skindred
• Speed
• Windwaker
• Brand Of Sacrifice
• King Parrot

Dates & Venues

• Thursday, 21st March – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne VIC
• Saturday, 23rd March – Centennial Park, Sydney NSW
• Sunday, 24th March – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane QLD

Tickets on sale 9am local time Thursday, 23rd November via Knotfest. Early bird pre-sale begins 10am local time Tuesday, 21st November. Sign up here.

Further Reading

Pantera, Disturbed, Lamb of God to Headline Knotfest Australia 2024

Pantera Gigs Cancelled In Response To Phil Anselmo’s “White Power” Incident

Knotfest Australia Review – Brutality and Belonging at Knotfest’s Down Under Debut