Yes, the Herd Immunity Festival in Ringle, Wisconsin is indeed real, despite repeated warnings over the last three months from countless public officials of various rank against exactly this type of thing amid a devastating worldwide pandemic. The three-day event is set for July 16-18 and will feature Static-X, Nonpoint, Dope, a reunited Bobaflex and more.

UPDATE: Nonpoint have officially dropped off the bill following a post made by Powerman 5000's Spider One, who derided on Twitter, “A bunch of bands that I consider peers and some friends are partaking in a show called ‘herd immunity fest’, which by that title is basically saying to their fans, come see us and we hope you get sick. What the actual fuck??” Nonpoint contended they backed out due to the fest's name. The fest also announced a reduced outdoor occupancy by 80 percent and that it will no longer be called 'Herd Immunity Fest,' though no other name was given. "Mini Fest" had also appeared on advertising before. See that update toward the bottom of the page.

The name of the fest embraces the concept of a population's ability to resist the spread of a contagion, typically achieved through the use of vaccines. The threshold is reached when a certain percentage of the population has built up an immunity to a given contagion, bringing the risk of community spread to nearly nil.

A study done by CovidActNow indicates that only three states —New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts — are on track to properly contain the coronavirus at this point, with case numbers surging to record highs in various states.

Still, the festival's organizers view the weekend activities as a necessary component in mitigating the stress of everyday life brought on by the pandemic and the resulting nationwide economic closures.

Other acts set to perform at the Herd Immunity Fest at the Q & Z Expo Center include Flaw, Blacktop Mojo, Metallica and AC/DC tribute bands (One and Thunderstruck, respectively), Kaleido and more. View the daily lineups below and, for more information, head here.

Thursday
TBA 4:30-6PM
Flaw 6:30-8PM
Blacktop Mojo 8:30-10PM

Friday
Saul 1-2PM
ONE - Metallica Tribute Band 2:30-4PM
Thunderstruck: America's AC/DC Tribute 4:30-6PM
Royal Bliss 6:30-8PM
Bobaflex 8:30-10PM

Saturday
TBA 12:30-2PM
Versus Me 2:30-3:30PM
Kaleido 4-5PM
DOPE 5:30-6:15PM
Nonpoint 6:45-8PM
Static-X 8:30 to close

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