Festivalgoers feeling the music at Pohoda 2023 (source: RADOVAN STOKLASA)
With temperatures plummeting, it’s easy to get hit by the familiar numbness of seasonal depression. But fear not – summer is rumbling in the distance. This week, several popular Slovak music festivals began dropping names from their 2025 lineups, and there are some intriguing choices. We’re going to give you a preview of what is on offer, so you can keep your spirits high and start thinking about summer already.
The Pohoda festival will take place next year from July 10 to 12 at Trenčín airport, just 90 minutes by train outside Bratislava.
Queens of the Stone Age are top of the billing for next year’s festival. The California desert rockers were set to headline Pohoda in 2024, but the band cancelled a string of their EU tour dates last summer as bandleader Josh Homme had to go back to the US for emergency medical care. Known for their hard hitting riffs and inventive sounds, Homme’s Queens are sure to draw many fans to Trenčín .
Iggy Pop, the 77-year-old punk rock icon, has been announced as a headliner. Known for pioneering the genre in the late 1960s with the Stooges, he has worked with legends like David Bowie, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and the B-52s’ Kate Pierson. This will mark only his second performance in Slovakia, following his 2006 appearance at the now-defunct Hodokvas festival in Piešťany. Despite his age, Iggy Pop still puts on an energetic show, moving with far more vigour and grace than many frontmen half his age.
Pohoda isn’t just about rock music. Experimental hip-hop darling JPEGMAFIA will also be taking the stage at the airport. Active since 2016, Peggy (as his fans affectionately call him) has built a devoted following with his layered, sometimes aggressive, and always subversive music. His production blends classic hip-hop rhythms with distorted industrial beats, electronic stings, and rock riffs.
Pohoda has a reputation for booking artists with a growing underground following online, and this year is no exception with the addition of Joey Valence & Brae. This hip-hop duo draws inspiration from acts like the Beastie Boys of the 1990s, delivering fast-paced bars packed with pop culture references over boom-bap beats infused with elements of drum and bass. Their set promises to be a wild show, complete with high-energy mosh pits.
Blondeshell, an American singer-songwriter with a sound influenced heavily by grunge and alternative rock will also be appearing. She is definitely an up and comer, and her performance next year will surely earn her a larger Slovak following.
Ireland is also well-represented in the first round of announcements, with Fontaines D.C. and Bambie Thug set to take the stage. Fontaines D.C. rose from being darlings of the Dublin indie scene to achieving international stardom with their poetic brand of post-punk. In 2021, they were nominated for a Grammy for their album A Hero’s Death.
Rounding out the list is Bambie Thug, a singer from Cork in southern Ireland. Bambie, who is non-binary, wowed audiences at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, finishing sixth overall—Ireland’s best result in the competition since 2000. They describe their unique blend of industrial music and pop as “ouija-pop,” with witchcraft and Irish paganism influencing their lyrics and stage performances. Bambie was originally set to perform at this year’s festival, but their appearance was cancelled along with the rest of Pohoda 2024.
The region hosts festivals similar to Pohoda, such as Colours of Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Sziget Festival in Hungary, and Open’er Festival in northern Poland.
Dark clouds
Last year’s Pohoda festival ended abruptly on Day 2 when a severe thunderstorm ripped through the festival grounds, causing a large arena tent to collapse along with countless camping tents. The chaos sent some people to hospital, though no severe injuries were reported. The festival was cancelled shortly after, leaving many revellers feeling shortchanged. If this year’s lineup appeals to you, last year’s ticket can be used for a 20-percent discount. Weekend camping tickets are €129.
Pohoda – a Slovak word with a combined meaning of peace, comfort and chillness– is Slovakia’s longest running music festival, with its first edition beginning in 1997. The festival is the brainchild of Slovak musical godfather Michal Kaščák, known to many Slovaks as the lead singer of the avant-garde rock group Bez Ladu A Skladu. The group acted as a subversive cultural force in the waning years of the Communist regime of Czechoslovakia.
The aftermath of Pohoda 2024, which was cancelled after a storm ripped through the festival grounds. (source: Jaroslav Novák)
This year’s storm and cancellation dealt yet another blow to the embattled festival, which was already facing a €1 million deficit due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, organisers launched the Nekonečná Pohoda programme, offering 500 lifetime tickets to the festival for €990 each as a way to raise funds.
Elsewhere in Slovakia
Slovakia’s other main festival, Grape, scheduled for August 8-9, also takes place at Trenčín airport. So far, their sole announcement is the French electronic music duo Justice. Known for blending eminently danceable disco sensibilities with carefully chosen vocalists, their sound is sometimes described as a discount Daft Punk. However, Justice often brings a more aggressive edge to their music.
Last year saw major international acts like Charlotte de Witte, Two Door Cinema Club, and Tom Odell, alongside numerous staples of the Slovak music scene. We can expect more big names to be added to next year’s lineup soon.
The current round of Early Bird tickets for Grape festival are €109 until December 31.
Something for headbangers
If you prefer your music on the heavier side, the Gothoom Open Air Festival might be for you. Taking place outside Nitra from August 28 to 30, the festival celebrates death metal, black metal, thrash metal, and more.
Next year’s lineup includes the British extreme metal band Anaal Nathrakh, Irish pagan metal stalwarts Primordial, and the one-man Norwegian black metal project Mork. The final lineup will feature over 30 extreme metal bands from Slovakia and around the world. Tickets are €75.
On the topic of heavy music, just a short drive from Bratislava, the Nova Rock festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria, has announced an extensive lineup of performers. Many Bratislavans attend this festival due to its easy access from the Slovak capital.
Taking place from June 11 to 14, the lineup features American nu-metal giants Linkin Park, Korn, and Slipknot, alongside prog-metal titans Dream Theatre. If you don’t want to wait another month to see Iggy Pop at Pohoda, you’ll be glad to know he’s also performing at Nova Rock.
Nova Rock is a bit pricier, and will set you back at least €259,99 for a four-day camping ticket.
