Mystic Festival has firmly found its home in Gdańsk, Poland, anchoring itself by the Baltic Sea with growing confidence. This year’s edition, running from June 4th to June 7th, 2025, proved just how international the event has become. While Polish metal fans turned out in force, the so-called “Danish Invasion,” as dubbed by promoter Mystic Coalition, was hard to miss. Danish and other Nordic languages filled the air, making it clear that Mystic is no longer just a local celebration but an increasingly global gathering.
Day two of Mystic Festival 2025 unfolded with the same curious mix of heaviness, weirdness, and joy that makes the event such a unique gathering point for music fans from around Europe and beyond.
TOTENMESSE had a second chance to show their power after last year’s performance was cut short due to a power outage. The Polish black metal group made up for lost time with an intense, unrelenting set. Their frontman, Mold, channeled a near-possessed energy, pushing the band’s grim atmosphere to cathartic heights. With tracks from 2023’s “Fiktionlust,” they carved out a sonic ritual that set the tone early in the day.
IMMINENCE offered contrast with a sweeping, modern metalcore sound full of emotion and elegance. The Swedish group doesn’t stay inside the usual genre walls; their use of classical instrumentation—especially frontman Eddie Berg’s violin—added cinematic drama to the chaos. The audience responded with open arms (and open pits), especially to tracks from “The Return of The Black,” released last year.
Offstage, Mystic Festival experimented with something new: wrestling. The promoters brought in PpW Ewenement Federation for some in-ring chaos, and to everyone’s surprise, it worked brilliantly. It wasn’t quite WWE, and it didn’t need to be. The crowd packed around the ring, laughing, yelling, and cheering through the acrobatics and body slams with the same fervor they showed the bands.
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL shifted the mood with their upbeat, garage-infused rock’n’roll. Jesse Hughes and the band brought undeniable warmth and charm to the wet evening, turning the stage into a feel-good rock club. A decade since “Zipper Down” and nearly ten years after the Bataclan tragedy, the band’s resilience and optimism shone through, offering more than just a setlist—it felt like a statement of joy.
Back in darker territory, THAW delivered a sound that was part metal, part noise, part ambient anxiety. Their music is suffocating and immersive, and their live set felt more like a confrontation than entertainment. Drawing from 2024’s “Fading Backwards,” they crafted a tension that left many dazed—in the best way.
NILE followed, and as always, the American death metal titans showed no mercy. Their precision and speed were on full display, wrapped in mythological grandeur. Songs from “The Underworld Awaits Us All” kept the crowd on edge. With no room for rest or relief, NILE blasted through their set like an ancient storm reawakened.
TURBONEGRO then delivered a whiplash of a shift. Equal parts chaos and charisma, the Norwegian death punk icons offered a break from intensity by turning up the weird. Their tongue-in-cheek lyrics, wild energy, and sleazy swagger reminded everyone that metal doesn’t always have to be deadly serious. The crowd absolutely ate it up.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE arrived with the force of a band that’s been in the spotlight for nearly two decades and still refuses to coast. Their blend of emotional melodies and crushing riffs turned the stage into a frenzy. Even those who came skeptical found themselves pulled into the sheer momentum of it all. They sounded tight, unrelenting, and hungry.
Then came SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, and everything descended (or maybe ascended?) into beautiful chaos. The crossover thrash legends made the stage feel like a war zone of joy—basslines running wild, vocals slamming every direction, and the crowd doing the same. From old hits to recent singles like “Adrenaline Addict,” they reminded everyone why they’re still one of the most unpredictable and electrifying acts around.
Finnish alternative metal outfit LUNA KILLS brought a different kind of energy. Their polished sound and confident delivery connected with many in the audience. Their set leaned into modern alt-rock sensibilities, with catchy choruses and emotional textures that broke up the night’s heaviness nicely, and vocalist Lotta Ruutiainen made sure to keep the audience entertained with her infectious energy.
IN FLAMES followed, refusing to stick to anyone’s expectations. Known for pioneering melodic death metal, they now blend that foundation with whatever suits them—from electronics to clean choruses—and it works. Their set included cuts from 2023’s “Foregone,” and no matter the sonic palette, their performance stayed sharp and commanding.
Closing the night, DRAB MAJESTY took things somewhere ethereal. Their dreamy, synth-laced set felt like the end of a strange journey. Drawing on the best of 80s darkwave and shoegaze, their shimmering soundscapes floated through the mist and rain, offering something intimate and otherworldly. With songs from “Modern Mirror” and their recent single “Photograph,” they lulled the crowd into a reflective calm to close a long, intense day.
Day two was a testament to Mystic Festival’s ability to blend heaviness with heart, tradition with experimentation, and always keep the crowd guessing what might come next.
