A little Background - The 1999 HFStival was uniquely expanded into two separate events: a summer show headlined by the Red Hot Chili Peppers at PSINet Stadium in Baltimore and a fall edition at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.Summer Show (May 29, 1999)Location: PSINet Stadium (now M&T Bank Stadium) in Baltimore, MD.
Main attraction were the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Others included Lit, Fountains of Wayne, and Fuel.
This marked the very first concert held inside the newly opened football stadium.
PSINet Stadium became M&T Bank Stadium after the original corporate sponsor filed for bankruptcy during the dot-com bust. In 1999, the internet service provider PSINet Inc. bought a 20-year, $105 million naming-rights contract for the Baltimore Ravens' newly built stadium. Following heavy over-expansion and the dot-com market crash, PSINet filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2001. In early 2002, the Ravens and PSINet reached an agreement in bankruptcy court to terminate the contract, stripping the giant neon-purple PSINet letters from the building. The facility temporarily reverted to being called Ravens Stadium at Camden Yards for the 2002 season.
The legendary HFStival ended after the alternative rock radio station WHFS changed formats and went off the air, though it returned for a one-night revival in 2024. Founded by Washington-Baltimore alternative rock station WHFS 99.1, the festival grew into the largest annual concert event on the East Coast, drawing massive crowds to venues like RFK Stadium. The radio station abruptly flipped formats to tropical Latin music in January 2005. Without the backing of the station, and facing shifting music industry trends, the main festival era fizzled out following brief commemorative revivals in 2010 and 2011. In 2024 local D.C. concert promoter I.M.P. and Nationals Park brought the festival back on September 21, 2024. The single-day event featured 2000s and 90s staple acts like The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, Incubus, Bush, Garbage, and the Violent Femmes. It is unclear if or when the festival will return for future annual dates.
Photos 1999 HFStival
