Country Profile: Slovakia

Severe weather meant that the Pohoda Festival in Trenčín in June had to close a day early, but organisers promised it would return in 2025. It has such loyalty that it has now sold 500 Pohoda Forever passes, retailing for €1,000 each, offering lifetime entry to the festival.

Beyond this major festival, the live market in Slovakia is both challenged and challenging. Michal Očovan, MD & CEO of ProMusic, says the sector is still recovering from the pandemic and is now navigating inflation, rising operational costs and, as a result, increasing ticket prices.

“Despite these obstacles, there is a strong appetite for live music, with audiences eager to attend both local and international acts,” he says. “However, we see that fans are attending events less, or they are choosing which ones to attend.”

“Despite these obstacles, there is a strong appetite for live music, with audiences eager to attend both local and international acts”

Alongside ProMusic, other key promoters include Agency Vivien and Silvi Production (who brought AC/DC to Bratislava in July 2024 and also run Lovestream Festival).

Touring is crucial for acts to establish a fanbase in Slovakia, but it is a tough sell to foreign acts for a number of reasons. “International artists often face issues related to the smaller market size, which can affect profitability,” says Očovan. “This is also influenced by the fact that many performers prefer Vienna, which is only a few kilometres away from Bratislava, where the market is larger and the economy more powerful, and they can attract more visitors. Also, logistics can be a hurdle due to limited venue options in Slovakia that cannot accommodate larger events.”

This lack of suitable venues is perhaps the biggest barrier to growing Slovakia as a key stop. “However, this also presents an opportunity for niche markets and underground genres to thrive,” suggests Očovan.

“Considering the size of the country and the limited number of venues, we do not expect an extreme increase in live events in the near future”

Jana Mudrikova, owner of Agency Vivien, calls the current Slovakian market “vibrant and diverse,” but agrees the dearth of suitable venues is shackling its potential.

“Considering the size of the country and the limited number of venues, we do not expect an extreme increase in live events in the near future,” she says.

Even so, she has still managed to bring acts like Depeche Mode, Rammstein, Brian May, Rod Stewart, Sting, Thirty Seconds To Mars, and Jean-Michel Jarre to the country.