Mystic Festival came into being a quarter century ago in Kraków, Poland – Emperor was the headliner, the conditions were spartan, and the local government were hostile. Yet, we made it happen then and we continue to make it happen now. Mystic Festival wandered across Poland, from Katowice, through Chorzów and Wrocław, then back to Kraków, to finally find a safe harbour in Gdańsk. The biggest stars of metal and beyond have performed on our festival stage, such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, King Diamond, Slipknot, Ghost, Nightwish, and Celtic Frost. We host both living legends and the hottest names of the moment.
The festival line-up is largely handpicked by the festival founders, but the Road to Mystic contest co-organised with Antyradio also opens the gates to fresh blood from the underground. In the 2024 edition, almost 400 artists participated in the contest, with over 11,000 fans casting their votes. Mystic Festival is also the unique space of the Gdańsk Shipyard. We have five stages, both indoor and outdoor, the VHS Hell cinema (screening films so monstrously bad that they’re good), exhibitions, and the Mystic Talks meeting and debate space.
There’s also space to unwind – music fans can enjoy the designated zone for food trucks, bars, and entertainment, where they can kick back and relax between concerts, as well as enjoy themselves during the afterparty. During this long June weekend, festival participants can be found all across the Tricity area, but the biggest community accumulates around Plac Zebrań Ludowych in Gdańsk, where the Mystic Camp, i.e. the official festival campsite, is located.
The very first edition of Mystic Festival that was organised in Gdańsk earned the Sztorm Kulturalny distinction in the Pomorskie Sztormy contest organised by the Gazeta Wyborcza Trójmiasto newspaper, beating such outstanding events as the “1989” musical and the “Fangor. Beyond the painting” exhibition.
Mystic Festival is organised by Mystic Coalition, an alliance of companies with rich experience in the concert, festival and publishing industries, comprising Knock Out Productions, Mystic Production, and B90.
