Insane Clown Posse have announced an otherworldly edition of their annual Gathering of the Juggalos event, and keeping with the “Wicked Clowns from Outer Space” theme, the 2023 lineup features Alien Ant Farm, a host of extraterrestrial attractions, and a tribute set to the group’s definitive 1999 tour of the same name.
The 23rd Gathering will go down July 5th-8th at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, which has become a “UFO hotspot” according to the band in a statement. For their headlining set, ICP will offer a faithful recreation of their “Wicked Clowns from Outer Space” set, which launched in 1999 and concluded only months before the first Gathering of the Juggalos in July 2000. Their announcement reads:
“Step into the Juggalo TARDIS, we’re calibrating the date and taking a space-time trip back to 1999! The original ‘Wicked Clowns From Outer Space Tour’ was a touchstone moment in Juggalo history and many ninja’s initiation into The Dark Carnival way of life. That’s 23 years ago! Some of you ninjas were still droppin’ dueces in your SpongeBob under-roos! Well lucky you, Psychopathic is taking it back like a time traveling repo man when the Insane Clown Posse brings to you ‘The Wicked Clowns From Outer Space Show!’ The spectacle you will witness is a faithful recreation of the original 1999 performance, from the OG set list to elaborate creature effects courtesy of legendary SFX wizard Roy Sota! So, whether you’re reliving your days as a young Juggalo or this is a performance you only wish you’d ever seen, we’re bridging the gap between past and present in a musical wormhole that can only be experienced at The Gathering of The Juggalos!”
ICP will be joined by the likes of Alien Ant Farm, City Morgue, R.A. The Rugged Man with DJ LALA, and more artists still to be announced. The 2023 Gathering’s slate of unparalleled, off-beat entertainment will also encourage the group’s many face-painted fans to turn toward the skies as they embark on “ICP’s Alien Probe Adventure,” an hour-long UFO-scouting hayride that “that could result with your orifices being probed.”
Tickets to the 2023 Gathering of the Juggalos are available in several tiers at the event’s website. Meanwhile, Insane Clown Posse have been tapped to perform at Chicago’s Riot Fest and Virginia’s Blue Ridge Rock Festival in September. Find seats and deals to all of their upcoming live dates here.
As for ICP’s uninitiated, fear not! In 2022, the Juggalos were praised by none other than the normally-prickly producer Steve Albini for being “a non-judgmental, inclusive community for people on the fringe, built on a beautiful communion they call ‘family.’” Just don’t forget to bring the Faygo.