CBGB FESTIVAL

Morrissey, Patti Smith, Interpol AND Bikini Kill TO lead the bill

CBGB, November 2003 (Teresa Lee/Getty Images)

CBGB Festival will return to Brooklyn for its second consecutive year on Saturday, September 26, taking over Under the K Bridge.

This year’s lineup reflects that mix. Morrissey, Patti Smith, and Interpol lead the bill. They are joined by Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, alongside Bikini Kill, Agnostic Front, Buzzcocks, Circle Jerks, High Vis, Mannequin Pussy, Militarie Gun, Upchuck, and Sleater-Kinney. The program also includes Violet Grohl and Fred Armisen’s Ramones tribute project, The Return of Jackie and Judy.

The name still carries weight. CBGB started as a small club in downtown Manhattan in the 1970s and became the launch point for bands like Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, Lou Reed and Patti Smith. It was not built around big productions or industry structures. It worked because unknown artists had a place to play original music. This festival format translates that idea into a large scale setting, connecting legacy acts with newer bands that operate with a similar independence.

Bringing the festival back to Brooklyn reinforces that connection. New York remains central to the story of punk, but the scene today is more fragmented and global. Events like this create a temporary center point where different generations and audiences intersect in real time.

Tickets go on presale Thursday, April 23 at 10 AM ET, with general sale opening Friday, April 24 at 10 AM ET. Availability is expected to move quickly given last year’s demand. Sign up for presale here.