The inaugural Pohoda Festival took place on June 29, 1997 at the Trenčín city stadium under the name Kráľovská Pohoda (Royal Pohoda). It featured four bands from Slovakia, three from the Czech Republic and one from Russia. The event attracted about 2,000 attendees. The next year, the festival moved to a new venue and had two stages, the main stage and the dance stage. The second Pohoda featured artists from Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland and Austria and drew about 3,000 people.
The popularity of the Pohoda Festival began to grow in the 2000s when the organizers expanded it to two days and began to invite world-class musicians. For example, in 2000 about 20,000 people came to the festival to see the performances by Bomfunk MC’s and Will White of Propellerheads. Over the years, Pohoda has welcomed notable performers from around the world including Stereo MCs, The Cardigans, Kosheen, Chumbawamba, The Prodigy, Garbage, Gogol Bordello, Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx, Travis, Moby, Scissor Sisters, Kasabian, Björk, Sigur Rós, Lou Reed, PJ Harvey, and more.
The Pohoda Festival has a record attendance of 33,000, set in 2009. Since 2010 the event capacity is limited to 30,000 attendees because it is the maximum capacity that the current venue, Trenčín Airport, can provide. The festival features over 160 concerts over three days, showcasing performers from more than 30 counties.
Pohoda is a multi-genre music festival. It encompasses different styles of music including alternative rock, classic rock, pop, electronic dance music (EDM), world music, house, techno, indie rock, punk rock, drum’n’bass, hip-hop, and even classical music. Besides, the festival showcases other forms of art such as dance, theater, film, literature and visual art. Alongside concerts, the program of the festival includes workshops and masterclasses, discussions, literary readings, and other exciting events and activities.
Photo: pohodafestival.sk
