BŘEZFEST 2026: Jihlava’s Amphitheatre Becomes a Battleground for the Underground and International Stars
Major festivals with tens of thousands of people have their undeniable appeal, but the true heart of the scene beats at smaller, emerging events. The second edition of Březfest in Jihlava showed exactly what an honest underground onslaught should look like: excellent sound, an international line-up, zero posing and immense commitment from everyone involved. It was only a shame that the crowd in front of the stage was somewhat sparse and that a few minor organisational issues complicated the way into the venue. Those who stayed away, however, can only regret it.
FRIDAY: From Hungarian Exoticism to Hardcore Mosh Pits, Grind and Modern Metalcore
The opening day was organised in cooperation with Fajtfest under the Kořeny Vysočiny banner, which promised a stylistically varied ride. For visitors arriving in Jihlava for the first time, finding the amphitheatre was something of a challenge, as the route to the venue could have been signposted more clearly, but the musical opening more than made up for it.
Hungarian band Komodo, winners of the fan competition, opened the entire festival. They served up their original "monitor lizard metal" with the enthusiasm of a band playing to a sold-out stadium, even though only a handful of early arrivals were standing in front of the stage. They were immediately followed by the experienced crew Extreme. Their uncompromising old-school death/thrash provided an excellent contrast, bringing several generations together on stage and making it work flawlessly.
Furiosa from Velké Meziříčí brought a wild blend of hardcore and rap. Anyone expecting a lukewarm regional set was quickly proved wrong. Absolute energy poured from the stage and immediately swept up the small group of fans in attendance.
Stellvris took over the stage after Furiosa. Nicol Hofman formed the commanding centrepiece of the entire show, while the band's modern sound, packed with electronics and heavy growls, resonated perfectly. When the new track Contra El Silencio was played and a young fan jumped onto the stage for the final song, it was clear that Friday's programme could still deliver powerful moments despite the more intimate setting.
Friday's programme was then brought to a close by the legendary Ostrava wrecking crew Malignant Tumour, who threw a hefty dose of their filthy crust-grind into the pit and delivered an uncompromising finale to the first day of the festival.
SATURDAY: When the Heat Strikes, Power Metal Blood and a Gothic Legend Take Over
Saturday's opening was complicated by the unexpected cancellation of Black Row's performance. On the way to the festival, the drummer became unwell and, according to information from the organiser, suffered a collapse caused by the heat, either heatstroke or sunstroke. As he was not medically fit to perform, the band was forced to cancel its set and the schedule was moved back by one hour. Fans used the resulting break to grab refreshments, while some also wandered carefree around the amphitheatre in search of the correct access route.
For many visitors, the Šumperk band Palpitate were an unknown quantity, but their technical guitar work and frontman Milan's vocals immediately captured attention. The Turnov-based Purnama also demonstrated considerable progress, not only visually through their costumes and make-up, but musically as well. The switch to Czech lyrics suits the band immensely and they come across as highly convincing live.
Germany's In Sanity demonstrated what modern melodic death metal should sound like. Charismatic leader Erik drove the band forward, and their cutting riffs deserved a far larger crowd than the one present at the venue at that point. A more substantial audience finally gathered for XIII. Století. The iconic goth-rock mainstay attracted the festival's biggest cross-generational crowd and delivered a set packed with tried-and-tested hits.
Poland's Moyra delivered precise melodic death metal, essential listening for fans of Arch Enemy, with a commanding female vocal performance. One of the most closely watched and eagerly anticipated acts of the entire festival, however, was the German power metal formation Induction. The band, associated with guitarist Tim Hansen, son of the legendary Kai Hansen, founder of the iconic Helloween and Gamma Ray, delivered a first-class show. With an international line-up, a new Finnish-Italian member and drumming powerhouse Michael Ehré, they served up power metal of the highest European standard. A setlist built around the album Love Kills confirmed that the apple has not fallen far from the tree and that this band is rising at tremendous speed.
Despite the rain at the end and the thinning ranks in front of the stage, the experienced Dark Gamballe brought the entire festival to a confident close and added a professional final flourish to the weekend.
SUMMARY: A Labour of Love That Deserves a Full Amphitheatre
Březfest demonstrated enormous potential. Inside the venue itself, the organising team did a fantastic job. The sound and lighting were on the level of major European events, which is far from common for a festival in only its second year.
The points that could be criticised were the unnecessarily long breaks between bands, slightly inadequate wayfinding for arriving visitors and, above all, the disappointing attendance, because the performances on stage deserved a much fuller pit. These are all matters that can be fine-tuned next time. Březfest has soul, it has an excellent and wide-ranging programme, and it deserves three times as many visitors next year.
THANK YOU, AND SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR!
To conclude, enormous respect and thanks go to all the organisers for the courage, energy and heartfelt dedication with which they continue to drive Březfest forward. We also send our sincere thanks to every band for their professional performances and the energy they put into their sets regardless of the number of people in the pit, and of course to all the fans who came and supported live music.
Březfest proved that it matters. Keep following us, keep supporting the underground, and see you in Jihlava next year, hopefully in far greater numbers!