UK Tech-Fest is going on a hiatus after over a decade of existence. In a lengthy post, festival organizers cite the overall economic climate in the UK and personal losses as the reasons for the hiatus. Still, organizers promise that UK Tech-Fest isn't completely over and will return at some point (and in some new iteration) in the future.
This year's UK Tech-Fest will be held at the Newark Showground between June 29 ad July. The festival will feature Suffocation, Chelsea Grin, Born Of Osiris, and many more. Tickets are available here. It's also been a rough two weeks for the UK metal scene, with both Dominion Festival and ManorFest going under and the O2 Academy Brixton facing a potential shutdown.
"Dear Tech-Fam, this is going to be a long one…
"We've been thinking about it for a while now, and we have decided that this year will be the last ever Tech-Fest of its kind.
"Tech-Fest was born in 2011 with the original plan of a one-day event. You, the fans, had belief in the concept and that has been the driving force since day one. We set out to create a place where bands and fans could unite, where we could bring this community together, chill and listen to our favourite music in one place, and that's what we've done.
"This is our tenth festival, TEN whole years (I mean technically 12 years, thanks covid for messing that up). It's been over a decade of Tech-Fest, 100's of bands, all our amazing volunteers (who we couldn't do this without), and most of all you, the Tech-Fam
"Bands have always been at the heart of the festival. We've proudly hosted the first UK shows for many international bands including Skyharbor, Drewsif Stalin, Plini, Agent Fresco, Slice The Cake, Project Mishram, Destiny Potato, Artificial Language, Siamese, Anima Tempo and many others. We have also supported many UK bands to play one of their first shows at Tech-Fest, including Hacktivist in 2012, Loathe in 2016, Sleep Token as our secret act in 2018 and Vexed in 2019.
"We've kept our prices low to keep it affordable for you, to give you that festival camping experience that's not going to cost you the earth. No one enjoys an overcrowded campsite and miles to walk through mud to the nearest toilet. At Newark it's flat with never any mud, even when we got all that rain. If you know, you KNOW.
"These last few years have been hard ones. With the current state of the country, economy and the knock-on effect this has on the music industry, it is no longer sensible to continue running Tech-Fest in its current form. On top of that we have suffered a lot of personal loss which has taken its toll. Two dear friends of Tech-Fest were sadly taken way too soon – Ben Radcliffe who has been at Tech-Fest since day one, and Karl Riley, who used to play drums in Carcer City. Then earlier this year my (Simon's) father, Steve, passed away. Steve had been at the heart of Tech-Fest and believed in us and this idea from the start. In order to grieve properly and adjust to my life as it is now, I wish to take a hiatus from organising an annual event. I need space to deal with my family affairs and to recover, rest and regroup. I hope you all understand.
"It's been a hell of a journey, and a steep learning curve, so we decided that this year – our tenth anniversary – will be the last Tech-Fest of its kind. Let us make this clear… This is not the end of Tech-Fest! However we are taking this opportunity as a new beginning. The main event will return in a different form down the line. We will still have a Techabilitation 2023 to look forward to and we're currently looking to do other club shows around the country too.
"If you have always been meaning to come to Tech-Fest, then this is the year to do it! Join us to celebrate this last decade, the bands and the Tech-Fam for one last awesome time."
