Rockstadt Spirit

Last year, the Hellhammer festival was held in Serbia, and Hypnos was played there. As the photographer of the entire festival, I had the chance to hear them for the first time. I was simply thrilled with their performance and the very next day I looked up where they would perform next. Since I had very fond memories of the Czech Republic, the Hard Karpaty Fest caught my eye.
From the start, it somehow seemed to me that the festival organization approach was quite serious. I found out that there is a tradition of Karpaty Fest and that Hard Karpaty Fest is in some way the organizer’s “musical wish.” I also liked that this was some kind of local story. I decided to visit the festival and try to find more people from Serbia who would join me. A lot of people here already attend the well-known Brutal Assault and other bigger festivals. Luckily, I managed to find two more people interested in this trip. The festival took place on June 5th and 6th, 2026, in an abandoned military complex near the town of Slavičin.

Travel
The trip wasn’t too tiring. We had a total of 8 hours of driving, mostly on the highway. On the way, we stopped in Trenčín, where the famous castle is located. The place is beautiful, and every festival visitor should visit it. We had about an hour of driving left, so we took the opportunity to stop at a store and buy the supplies we needed for the camp—beer, of course.

Camp
Arriving at the camp wasn’t too complicated. The organizers put up small signs that led us to the camp. The villages you pass through are small, so there’s not much room for error. We got to the camp via the village of Divnice. Evening was approaching, and we hurried to set up the camp as soon as possible. It didn’t take long before curious campers started approaching to get to know us.

They were surprised to see us from Serbia at such a festival. Of course, we quickly moved on to tasting some brandy, plum and pear. They invited us to join in socializing by the grill and the fire set up in the central part of the camp. The evening atmosphere was wonderful.

Although the night was quite cold, we stayed out late into the night. We were grilling sausages, listening to music from the speakers, and sharing our thoughts about the rakija. The next day, the first day of the festival awaited us. Mobile toilets had been set up earlier, and during the day they were putting up shower cabins and additional taps.

By Friday, everything was functional. The toilet facilities were left clean and orderly. The shower area was heated and had a capacity of four cabins for both male and female visitors.

Ticket validation

According to the organizers’ announcement, someone was supposed to come the next day to give us bracelets for the camp and the festival. The biggest complaint about the festival is the lack of information on how the tickets would be checked and how to get the chip necessary for purchases at the festival. As foreigners, we weren’t familiar with the procedure, and a heavy rain that started made the situation even worse. We saw a larger group of people gathering at the entrance to the camp and doing something there, but we didn’t want to risk getting soaked. In the end, we asked some people who came from there, and they told us that it’s the place where tickets are validated. The whole procedure took about 30 minutes, but it was enough for us to get soaked and miss the first bands at the festival. Still, later performances and situations would greatly improve the impression.

The Venue

We entered the festival, and I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the space. Two stages, enough room in front for those who want to get close, and space behind the mixing board with tables. Nothing was set up without order. Everything worked flawlessly. There were no queues for drink, food or toilets. Credit refill, drink serving, merch… everything was without any delay or problem. Around the stage, tents with benches were set up. I think there’s enough space for everyone. At no point during the festival did we have to look for a spot or to stand.

Because of the sound-tech tent, it’s quite hard to see the stage, but you can hear perfectly and enjoy the music. At the back, there were toilets, and there were plenty of them. For the male audience, urinals were provided, so there wasn’t the slightest delay in using the toilets.

Drinks and food

One thing you don’t need to worry about in the Czech Republic is drinks and food. They love to eat and drink. There really was a variety on offer, both salty and sweet delicacies.

What caught our interest was roast pork and bread with lard and cracklings. As for beer, there’s no doubt that we were in paradise for beer lovers. Radegast was served, again a local brewery with excellent beer. There were also non-alcoholic options as well as juices.

Sound and atmosphere

The sound was perfect for me. The hosts made sure that every part of the festival had clear sound for the bands and that there would be no hearing problems after the concert. The differences in sound between the two stages were minimal, so the enjoyment was complete. The audience, in my opinion, consisted of slightly older people. Of course, there were younger people too, but the audience was mainly mature and older people who still carry metal in their soul and heart. This didn’t disturb the festival’s dynamics at all because even at that age, we love to have fun.

Impressions

The impression is such that I would return to this festival at any time. I brought a lot of positive energy and satisfaction from the Czech Republic. As I write this text, two weeks have already passed since the festival, and I’m still under the impression. However, not everything is perfect, so I have to mention some details that could improve the experience. Ticket verification and the exchange for wristbands could definitely be more efficient and start much earlier. Refilling credits on the chips in that case as well. For us foreigners, there weren’t enough understandable notices (in English), and as the festival grows, this needs to be addressed. In the camp, there could have been some signs or at least a path to follow, because during the day the camp filled up quickly and campers were setting up a bit chaotically. The schedule and number of bands might need to be revised so the audience can follow the entire festival more comfortably. For the two-day festival, there was no break, and the bands played non-stop between stages, which left little time for rest or visiting the booths.

Conclusion

The second edition of Hard Karpaty Fest was simply a phenomenal experience. First, I had the chance to go camping after more than 20 years. The sound, bands, food, and drinks were top-notch. The atmosphere felt like home, with wonderful people and lots of positive energy, making this festival a top priority for the next year. Can’t wait for the next edition!

Review and photos: Igor Dešić

Translated from Serbian using Microsoft Translate.