Karmafest kicked off in Plzeň: Buena Vista club flooded with the energy of the guitar scene

On Saturday evening, April 11, 2026, the city of Plzeň played host to the opening stop of the very first edition of the club festival Karmafest, held at Buena Vista. The festival takes its name from the band Reflections of Karma, who came up with the concept and brought this rock-driven event to life. This year, Karmafest will also hit Teplice, České Budějovice, and Pardubice, before rolling into cities like Jihlava, Prague, and Olomouc in the fall. For more details and the full list of dates, check out our official festival announcement.

Karmafest is a traveling festival built on the connection between guitar-driven music, smaller venues, and that raw, intimate energy you only get in close quarters—where fans can truly expand their musical horizons. Alongside Reflections of Karma, the lineup across all stops includes Post-It and Imodium, with each city also featuring a local act chosen directly by fans through Facebook likes. In Plzeň, the main stage welcomed Bára Zemanová and her band, while the acoustic stage belonged to the local act Prostě Vojta.

The night kicked off around 6 PM with the aforementioned local rocker Bára Zemanová and her band, who stormed the stage and immediately fired up the early crowd. The energy pouring off the stage was wild and untamed - Karmafest couldn't have asked for a better start. Tracks like Barbína, Mayday, and Single Lady rang out, alongside Zamilovaný Nešťastná, a song she originally recorded with Rybičky 48.

After a quick stage reset - slightly delayed by minor technical hiccups - Prague-based Post-It took over. Their set featured songs like V pasti, Strach, Valkýra, and Ragnarok, the latter touching on climate and environmental themes. Classics like Opět sami and their self-titled Post-It (as old as the band itself) didn't miss the cut either. They also dropped their newer single Geronimo, a track dealing with mortality, and wrapped things up with Závislost. Throughout the set, fans danced with inflatable guitars handed out at the entrance. 

Next up, after a swift changeover, came Reflections of Karma themselves. This Prague-based international outfit (with Czech, Australian, and Irish roots) might still be considered newcomers, but its lineup is stacked with seasoned musicians -Travis O'Neill (ex-Pipes and Pints), Maťo Mišík (ex-Tata Bojs), Joshua Stewart (Gaia Mesiah), and Tomáš Hajíček Jr. (Krucipüsk). Their sound is rooted in heavy guitar riffs, raw, instinctive energy, and a strong rebellious streak, blending everything from classic rock to indie and punk influences.

They tore through singles like Snake Eyes, No Ratz, Walk Alone, Neon California, and the newer Fallen. The performance was explosive, and the crowd soaked up every second. It hit even harder when the frontman stepped off the stage during slower moments - like the ballad Dancing on Ashes - and sang right among the fans in the pit. They closed with their best-known track Hold Me, Hurt Me, even pulling a dancer from the crowd onto the stage. The audience wasn't done, though - they demanded an encore, which came in the form of Death of Wolves.

Right after that, before the final act, the band drew a lucky winner for a stunning acoustic guitar. Festival sponsor Henry's provided the instrument, and all attendees had to do to enter was show up—everyone received a raffle number along with their wristband at the door. The winning ticket? The iconic number 99.

Between the main stage changeovers, the crowd was entertained off to the side on a makeshift "acoustic stage" set among the speaker stacks. During the first and third breaks, Prague-based singer-songwriter Coubey performed, joined by a guitarist. The second break featured a short set by Prostě Vojta, armed with nothing but his guitar and a looper.

Closing out the night were Imodium. Despite a recent lineup change - guitarist Daniel Franc stepping away and being replaced by Dawe Gates - the band's rock vibe remained intact. If anything, the fresh blood injected a sharper edge of energy, even if fans might need a moment to get used to that striking blonde mohawk. The setlist featured bangers like Divoká řeka, Tajný lásky, Kluci nepláčou, and Příběhy o synovi, along with newer tracks like Tuláci and Severnské mosty. During Deset životů, frontman Thom jumped into the crowd, where fans formed a circle around him, turning the atmosphere deeply intimate. They wrapped up the night with Valerie.

Huge thanks go out to Reflections of Karma for bringing this killer traveling festival to life, as well as to Post-It, Imodium, Bára Zemanová, singer-songwriters Coubey and Prostě Vojta, sponsor Henry's, all the organizers who made it happen, and of course the club Buena Vista for hosting the event. Hopefully, we'll meet again next year for round two.

Here's just a small glimpse of photos from the night - check out the full gallery over on ZONERAMA.

Šári