The Ichthus Music Festival is an annual Christian music festival in Wilmore, Kentucky.[1] Begun in 1970, it is the oldest Christian music festival in the nation.[2] The festival began as the brainchild of Dr. Bob Lyon, and a group of seminary students at Asbury Theological Seminary, in response to Woodstock Festival and similar music festivals of that era.[3] The first events were held on the grounds of the Wilmore Campmeeting.[4]
Originally an outdoor spring event, the festival was often hampered by poor weather. Beginning in 2006, the festival was moved to mid-June, which offered more favorable weather. The festival as it exists today features six stages: The Main Stage, The Deep End, The Edge, two Indie Stages, and The Galleria Stage. It is a weekend long event, officially starting on Wednesday afternoon and ending on Saturday night. Most Ichthus attendees camp on the grounds provided by the festival.
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The name of the festival is taken from the word Ichthus (Ichthys), an anagram in Biblical Greek used since the second century by Christians as a symbol of their religion. The word is composed of the letters ἸΧΘΥΣ, meaning fish. The individual letters make up a confessional statement of Christians, "Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior":[5]
Every day of the festival, Ichthus holds a worship service at the main stage amphitheater. These services consist of a worship session with music and then a keynote provided by a speaker. Near the back of the crowd is a tent that has many alter ministers to pray with people after the services.[6]
Every year at Ichthus, all stages, merchandise tents, and food vendors close on order for everyone to participate in the Saturday afternoon communion. On the last day of the festival (Saturday) around 20,000 people gather at the main stage amphitheater for the massive communion service. This service consists of praise and worship music, then a keynote speaker. During this service, tens of thousands of people receive communion together.[6]
Ichthus is now held at the 111-acre (0.45 km2) Ichthus Farm, and has features such as shower houses, a playground, basketball courts, soccer fields, a pavilion, and a permanent main stage that has a maximum capacity of approx. 25,000 people.[7]
Ichthus Festival is also no longer just one festival. Ichthus Ministries now has other satellite festivals. One is a one day, 4 staged festival in Fort Wayne, Indiana which was held on September 25, 2010.[8] Ichthus Fort Wayne featured top names such as Switchfoot, Relient K, Red, Thousand Foot Krutch, BarlowGirl, The Almost, KJ-52, Disciple, Family Force 5, Sanctus Real, and more for the 2010 festival.[9] Another festival owned by Ichthus Ministries was held in Pikeville, Kentucky on October 23, 2010. However, the artists for this have not been announced yet.[10]
The Ichthus Main Stage has a reputation for being loaded with top name artists from all genres. From the worship of Casting Crowns to the heavier sound of Skillet.[13] The stage has a legendary history due to its past artists and it's amazing special effects. The artists which have played include (but are not limited to) Skillet, Casting Crowns, Switchfoot, Tobymac, Newsboys, Phil Keaggy, Red, and David Crowder Band.[14] The stage is also known for the communion service that is held each year at the festival. On Saturday, all of the shops, food vendors, and stages close down in order for everyone to be able to attend the communion service.
The Ichthus Deep End Stage is a stage that is mostly dedicated to Christian heavy metal, punk rock, and metal. It was the first stage added to the festival besides the Main Stage. It has grown to be more than a stage through its ministry tents and sales area. Though it is a secondary stage, it does feature some very well known names in Christian music, such as The Devil Wears Prada, Anberlin, Pillar, Haste the Day, Day of Fire, Sleeping Giant, and Disciple.[15]
Around the Deep End stage are other tents for ministry and sales. There are merchandise stands for close by that are just for bands performing on the stage. Other areas of the Deep End stage area include Christian gothic ministry tents such as Hope for the Rejected and The Grave Robbers.[16]
The Edge at Ichthus Festival is an area dedicated to mostly punk rock, metal, Hip-Hop and Indie. It features The Edge Stage, a skate park, and a merchandise area. The skate park features a 24-foot (7.3 m) mini ramp, quarter pipe, manual box, launch ramp, and a rail.[17] Though the Edge Stage is a secondary stage, it also features some big name acts such as The Showdown and Day of Fire.[15]
The Galleria Stage is a stage at the food court that is more dedicated to acoustic sets of music. The stage has chairs and tables provided and also features a coffee shop in the back of it. Artists that have played this stage include Phil Keaggy, and Glenn Kaiser Band.[15]