Album launch Nirvana in Prague’s Karlín – Panoptiko proved they belong among the Czech elite!

The band Panoptiko released their third album Nirvana and christened it in Prague's Karlín – proving they belong among the Czech elite

The band Panoptiko released their third studio album titled Nirvana, and on Saturday, January 24, 2026, they officially christened it at Prague's Forum Karlín. Alongside the album launch itself, they delivered an outstanding concert that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

That it was going to be something special was evident not only from the fact that the show was completely sold out almost two months in advance, but also from the dedication of the die-hard fans, who began gathering in front of the venue as early as noon. Even an endless six-hour wait in January's freezing temperatures did not discourage them. About an hour before doors opened, the line already stretched all the way to the nearby intersection – roughly 150 meters away.

At exactly 6:00 p.m., the doors opened, first for VIP ticket holders, who entered through a separate entrance, and immediately afterward for general admission. The opening of the doors felt like the start of a running race: despite being thoroughly frozen, fans sprinted inside to secure the best spots in front of the stage, delivering performances worthy of seasoned athletes. The front rows were occupied almost instantly, and more and more fans kept pouring in until both the main hall and the balconies were filled to capacity. However, the concert itself was still two hours away. What now? Fans speculated whether there would be an opening band. Some even voiced an interesting theory that Traktor might appear as the opening act, since their van and two of the five band members had been spotted outside. It would have been a great joke, considering that Panoptiko originally rose to fame as Traktor's opening band – the roles would have been reversed. As 8:00 p.m. drew closer, however, it became clear that there would be no support act, simply due to time constraints. No matter – everyone was here for Panoptiko anyway.

During the two-hour wait, instead of the usual metal bangers commonly played before rock or metal shows, classical music filled the venue. At exactly 8:00 p.m., however, the well-known song "Mein Herz brennt" by the German band Rammstein echoed through the speakers. Anyone who had attended a Panoptiko show before knew exactly what was coming. Once the song ended, the curtain rose and the multi-instrumentally gifted Baron von Telefon appeared on stage, launching the evening's set with powerful strikes on a large drum. Shortly after, Don Balkoni took his place behind the drum kit, and just seconds later the rest of the band joined him on stage. The band opened with "Noc v opeře" (Night at the Opera), the first single from the new album, for which they also released the first music video and after which the newly launched tour is named. This was followed by fan favorites such as "Mozartovy kule" and "Gilotina," and then new tracks like "Kamikaze" and "Nirvana." Over the course of their more than two-hour set, the band played a total of 23 songs, including two cover versions of famous international hits performed together with guest musicians, and eight tracks from the new album Nirvana. Even though these songs were brand new, the audience sang along just as confidently as with the well-known classics, including "In vino veritas," "Prokletý Marsch," "Dýchám," and "Ďábelský bál."

The evening was symbolically guided by the figure of a wise monk, who addressed the audience from a screen. Among other things, he thanked the fans for selling out the show, the bands Traktor and Dymytry for helping Panoptiko gain recognition by inviting them on the Monster Meeting tour in 2021, and ZL Production for building the stage. He also welcomed two special guests to the stage. The first was Traktor's drummer Pavel Balko, who took over the drum kit from Don Balkoni, while Don surprised many fans by picking up an electric guitar. Together, they performed Metallica's "Master of Puppets." The second guest was Pavel's brother – and Don Balkoni's father – Standa Balko, also a guitarist in Traktor, who joined Panoptiko for a rendition of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water." The Balko brothers from Traktor became the godfathers of the album Nirvana. Before the christening, both delivered short speeches. Pavel said it was amazing to witness the band's story and recalled the day Traktor were recording the album Sedmá strana kostky with Wendelín Dreiseitl. Wendel reportedly said he would also like to play, to which Pavel replied that he should start a band. Wendel answered, "Alright." And that band is here today – and it's a blast. Standa then added that everyone was there not only because Panoptiko are a great band, but also because they had released an excellent third album, which they would now christen together. The brothers then popped the champagne, christened the album, and Pavel tossed it to one lucky fan in the front row.

The concert continued with seven more songs. Before "Štvanice," singer Lord Panoptik indirectly mentioned the band Kabát, which is also indirectly referenced in the song:
"Zajdem si pro Kabát, zajdem si pro Špalek, zajdem si pro Váňu, na myslivecký ples"
(Milan Špalek and Ota Váňa are members of Kabát, and "Myslivecký ples" is one of their songs).

After the monk announced the final three encores, the ballad "Dejte mi provaz" was played, followed by the classic closing tracks "Poslední tango" and, after the traditional line "If there were no Traktors, Bathory would never be played," the final song of the night – "Bathory."

In conclusion, I would like to say that Panoptiko truly amazed me and many other fans with this concert. For me personally, it was the best Panoptiko show I have ever attended. That same evening, the band's fan page on Facebook was flooded with photos and messages thanking them for an incredible concert – and I can only join in. It is astonishing that this relatively young band, formed in 2021 and now releasing their third studio album, has already achieved such success. I am very much looking forward to their future concerts and projects. They are simply incredible.

My sincere thanks go to the band, the album's godfathers Pavel and Standa Balko, and everyone involved in making this concert happen. Thanks to all of them, this evening will remain unforgettable for a very long time.

Below the article you can find a few photos; many more are available on our ZONERAMA.