We Don’t Lose Momentum! Dymytry and Arakain kick off the first open-air show of the Best Rock Tour in Plzeň.

We're not losing momentum! – that's the motto of the entire Best Rock Tour 2026, which brings together two legendary forces of Czech metal, Dymytry and Arakain, for the first time in ten years. And on Friday afternoon, April 17, 2026, they proved it at the Plochá dráha venue in Plzeň during their first open-air show of the year.

The gates opened as early as 4 PM, and right from the start, visitors were drawn to the massive stage with an extended runway reaching into the crowd. Although the entrance is located by the road, the stage itself sits at the end of a valley, giving the venue a natural amphitheater feel. Even those standing further back on the grass had a clear view of the show.

At 4:30 PM sharp, the first support act, Prague-based rockers CheckPoint, kicked things off and warmed up the early crowd. They got one of the biggest reactions with their cover of the global hit Gangnam Style, but also showcased their own material, including songs like Málo se to ví, Víkendovej bojovník, Tak se mi líbíš, Pade na pade, and their new single Zase v tom lítám.

They were followed by the second support band, Corona from Klatovy, who smoothly continued the momentum. Their set included tracks like Zodiac, Cesta, Noc vlků, Padlej anděl, and Pekelná jízda, during which they paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. They also introduced their new song Hadí oči, released alongside a music video just that same weekend. The singer also made sure to greet his family and neighbors, joking that "the Hujers have arrived," and invited everyone present to the local club Divadlo pod Lampou, where they will perform on May 15 alongside Toxic Paradise. With a smile, he added that even if every twentieth attendee showed up, the club would be packed. He also invited fans to the autumn stop of the tour in Klatovy, where they will once again appear as a supporting act. They wrapped up their set with the song Šílenej svět.

After Corona left the stage, a black curtain was drawn across it to build anticipation for the evening's highlight. At 7 PM, it dropped - and Arakain stormed the stage, joined right from the start by Václav Noid Bárta from Dymytry. They kicked off the entire set together with the song Jedna krev. 

Behind the performers stood a metal projection structure used for lighting effects and, at times, even displaying fragments of lyrics. Throughout the show, the band occasionally used smoke and fire effects, which subtly enhanced the atmosphere rather than overwhelming it. In the background, a shared logo for both bands was digitally projected, reinforcing the unity of the performance.

Since guitarist Jiří Urban had injured his hand and unfortunately couldn't attend in person, a cardboard cutout of him was placed on stage - keeping an eye on everything. But that's not Arakain's style to give up. His role was covered by reinforcements from Dymytry - his son Jiří Urban Jr. (Dymo) and Jan Görgel (Gorgy), while for two songs even the band's longtime sound engineer Ondřej Martínek stepped in. Singer Honza Toužimský even joked in rhyme that "they've got quite a few guests on guitar tonight." 

The set featured classics like Rány, Amadeus, K zemi přibitej, Chtěl bych ti říct, and Metalománie. They even played Klub rváčů by Dymytry, while Václav Noid Bárta joined again for Strom života. After more songs like Sedm hříchů, Princess, and Ďábelská hra, Arakain left the stage, leaving drummer Lukáš Doksanský alone - soon joined by Miloš Meier for an impressive drum duet.

As soon as the drum solo ended, Dymytry smoothly took over the stage and continued without a break. They opened their set with My ještě nechcem jít, followed by tracks like Digitální tráva, Revolter, and Zůstaň stejná. The band also introduced a new "weapon" – a T-shirt cannon meant to shoot merch deep into the crowd. Unfortunately, the first attempt didn't quite work out, with Václav Noid Bárta joking that they must have bought it on AliExpress. But they gave it another try - this time with S nadějí.

It was followed by Dej Bůh štěstí, which was played together with Honza Toužimský, who joined the band on stage for the performance. Afterwards, it was apparently time to switch roles - since Arakain had previously played a cover of a Dymytry song, the tables were turned. Dymytry chose a heavy track titled Promiňte slečno (as Noid jokingly couldn't remember the name on the spot). 

This was followed by Všechno v dobrým i zlým. Then Jiří Urban Jr. (Dymo) took the microphone for an emotional speech about his father, the connection between the two bands, and the unity within the metal scene. He also shared personal memories, recalling how he once "brought" Honza Toužimský to his father over two decades ago, and how history later repeated itself when both bands once again found themselves in need of a vocalist. He also mentioned his childhood friend and now "Zlatý slavík" Václav Noid Bárta, thanks to whom Dymytry continue to thrive.

To lighten the intense atmosphere, the band delivered Ocelová parta (complete with an attempt at synchronized marching), followed by Černá je metal, Cheronbyl, and Strážná věž. The stage went dark, the band left—but the crowd refused to let them go and demanded an encore.

For the finale, both Arakain and Dymytry returned together for a shared set. All musicians joined forces to perform Neztrácíme náboj, Žít svůj sen, Slečna Závist, Adieu, and finally closed the night with Apage Satanas.

The three-hour show was intense, energetic, and flew by in no time. Huge thanks to Arakain and Dymytry for bringing this tour to Plzeň and kicking off the open-air season here. Fans will remember this night for a long time. Thanks also go to CheckPoint and Corona for setting the tone, and to ZL Production for making it all happen.

Šári

Here's a small selection of photos in the article - the rest, as always, can be found on our ZONERAMA.