Pohoda: ‘We leave with a strong sense of hope’

Pohoda festival organisers have offered an update after the 2024 event was curtailed by a thunderstorm that caused a large tent stage to collapse and left 29 people injured.

The 30,000-cap festival was due to run at Slovakia’s Trenčín airport from 11-13 July, but was suspended on its second night amid extreme weather, before the decision was made to cancel the remainder of the event.

According to the festival’s chief physician Jaroslav Vidan, 28 of the injuries were minor while one was of “moderate severity”.

In a statement almost two weeks on, promoters thank fans for a “wonderful opening day”, and say they are confident the decision to end the event a day earlier than planned was the correct one.

“The safety of everyone at Pohoda is our priority, so we believe ending the festival on Friday was the right decision, and we stand by it,” they say. “We missed the usual feedback we receive after smooth-running editions, but we received another, equally powerful kind in the form of solidarity, support, and encouragement.

“We are grateful for the way our visitors handled the Friday storm, and we know of many powerful stories where the Pohoda community showed its resilience.”

Artists booked for the event included Peggy Gou, James Blake, Skepta, Pendulum, Black Pumas, Thievery Corporation, Arlo Parks, Ezra Collective, Nia Archives, Royal Blood and Morcheeba. Evacuation buses were arranged to transport people from the site.

“We will soon inform you about the next steps following the packing up of Pohoda 2024”

“We are proud of the rescuers, security personnel, inspection team members, firefighters, and all other units involved in managing the situation,” add organisers. “We especially appreciate the dedication of our part-time workers, volunteers, and the extensive Pohoda team.

“We also thank Trenčín Airport for their excellent cooperation, which reinforces our belief that Trenčín Airport is the best festival venue in the world.”

The independent music and arts festival was launched in 1997 and has featured acts such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Pulp, Kraftwerk, The xx, Liam Gallagher, Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, PJ Harvey, The Prodigy, M.I.A. and The Libertines.

In closing, the festival thanks its supporters and pledges to give an update on the future of the festival as soon as possible.

“We will soon inform you about the next steps following the packing up of Pohoda 2024,” conclude the team. “It is easier for us to leave thanks to the unwavering support from those who attended Pohoda, as well as from many who have never visited it. We value every form of help and support, from concerts and fundraisers to encouraging words. Thanks to this, we leave with a strong sense of hope.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Read More Like This

News|13 Jul 2024

Pohoda cancels after 29 injured in extreme weather

The 30,000-cap festival in Slovakia was brought to an end a day early after one of its large tents collapsed due to severe weather

News|14 Jun 2024

Rock am Ring & Rock im Park score strong presales

The twin German festivals sold a combined 50,000 tickets for 2025 in the first 24 hours of the presale, report organisers