Country Profile: Slovakia

Bordered by Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic, Slovakia suffers somewhat by its proximity to bigger music markets.

“There are very few arena or stadium tours happening in our market because Vienna is only 60km from Bratislava, and Budapest, Krakow, and Prague are also near,” says Michal Očovan of Pro Music. “So, lots of touring acts play mostly there, and our market is on the second run; the split is mostly on the side of local tours and shows.”

“So, lots of touring acts play mostly there, and our market is on the second run; the split is mostly on the side of local tours and shows.”

Pro Music is one of the key promoters in Slovakia – this year, it brought Korn, Fever 333, Judas Priest, and Saxon to the country. Vivian Agency, which tends towards pop and rock and works on shows with Live Nation, is the other main player and has recently worked with Sting, Slipknot, and Cirque du Soleil.

Other significant promoters include Octopus promotion (rock and metal), which had Sabaton and Avatar; Czechoslovak Music Factory (rock and metal), who did Sum 41 and Simple Plan; and Obscure, a Czech metal promoter who also works in Slovakia. Then there are the promoters of Slovakia’s big summer festivals, such as Pohoda, Grape, and Uprising, who also promote shows and tours during the year.

“Smaller promoters are usually bookers of venues, who are either multi-genre venues or focused on specific genres,” says Paula Poštolková, booker for acclaimed venue Nová Cvernovka and production manager of Pohoda Festival. “Especially the metal/rock/punk scene or jazz scene – they have their own promoters and/or venues.”

“Smaller promoters are usually bookers of venues, who are either multi-genre venues or focused on specific genres,”

One development that created a lot of buzz this year was Lovestream, a new city stadium festival in Bratislava that hosted Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, and Rival Sons, among others, promoted by Silvi Production in collaboration with Marcel Avram and Concerts East. Led by Silvia Nemčovičová, Silvi Production has a forthcoming show with Lucie at Ondrej Nepela Stadium in Bratislava, in March 2023.

But the market remains challenging – ticket sales are down 30-40%, and as Poštolková says, “Visitors are buying tickets last-minute, so selling out shows is hard. The war in Ukraine and the European economic crisis are key factors in this as well.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom. “We have a vital network of grassroots cultural centres and venues all around the country, that are key spots for local fans and communities and survive also because of various state and municipality funding,” adds Poštolková. “So, there are a lot of opportunities for international bands to come and build up their fanbase in our region.”