Does it make sense to scrub your boots after a muddy first day of a festival? Of course not. After the mud comes the dust, a few stubborn puddles linger, and there’s always that “you never know” factor.
So why do the job twice? But does it make sense to bring camping chairs into a crowd of tens of thousands? Absolutely. Along with every other earthly item imaginable. At Rockstadt, everything is “extreme”— both genres and audience.
Joel Eklöf, the frontman of Soen, took his Transylvanian performance quite seriously. As long as the heat allowed, he wore a cloak that may very well have belonged to Dracula. If day one was under the reign of “rain spirits,” Soen brought their own “spirits of the water.” Not that any more summoning was needed after the first day.
Definitely no need for “let the sky fall down on me”. There’d been more than enough water.
On the other hand, there’s never enough beer. And while someone in the crowd is looking for the nearest beer stand, the band will want a photo from the stage. Luckily, a thoughtful girl is always there to tap the daydreamers on the shoulder just in time to turn them toward the camera.
Meanwhile, in the beer queue, a tapestry of European festivals on T-shirts—last year’s Rockstadt, then Hellfest (by far the most popular, it seems like everyone went there), Rock Am Ring, Graspop Metal Meeting… A never-ending lineup of bands, and a never-ending wishlist for next year.
There’s no dress code. Especially not for Lawrence Taylor, frontman of While She Sleeps. The metalcore singer looked like a long-lost Gallagher brother.
He may have spent part of the set sitting down, but the audience was flying.
– We are While She Sleeps…
– We know that – someone cut in from the crowd.
And yes, if you remember the banana guy from day one—he was back. One of the festival’s main characters.
Loz wanted to set a new record for the number of crowd surfers. I don’t know what the stats say, but it sure looked like a record to me—at least for that stage.
– Make some noise for Obituary. Make some noise for Madball… (stumble)
– Make some noise for me tripping over this sh*t!—followed by a wave of applause.
The crowd surfing got so extreme, Loz had to join in himself. Apparently unsatisfied with the regular moshing, he stayed in the pit to show how it’s done.
Props escalated quickly once the crowd started tossing around inflatable whales in anticipation of Gojira. The famous “Flying Whales.”
– I feel bad for you. Full day of metal. You should sleep, said Joe.
Apparently, the 15,000 people in front of him weren’t giving off enough energy.
– You must be kidding. Make some noise!
And since records were being broken, Mario might as well be crowned the best drummer of the festival—possibly beyond.
It was indeed a full day of metal. Three more to go.
By day three, even the shy ones had shed their fashion inhibitions. The banana costume was no longer outrageous—it became a spatial landmark: “Let’s meet near the banana dude.”
Is black metal a genre for 4 PM? At Rockstadt, absolutely. Harakiri for the Sky had no issue playing in broad daylight.
No more rain in sight. Just blazing sun—perfect for Alestorm’s pirate antics. The inflatable whales were soon joined by swim rings and rubber duckies. Water guns were spraying in every direction (some possibly filled with beer). No room for a pirate ship on stage? No problem—an inflatable boat surfing the crowd will do.
And so it stayed until Kerry King’s set.
Electric Callboy kicked things off with “Elevator Operator,” checked for the essentials: confetti, fire, fireworks, streamers. First time in Romania—and they set Transylvania on fire, in every sense of the word.
– Do you want up? – asked a large, slightly intimidating guy, offering to hoist anyone onto his shoulders. He was ready to launch people into the crowd and make sure they landed back safely.
The moshpit never stopped. No zone was “safe.” At one point, it turned into a lost-and-found mission for someone’s wallet. A successful one. Imagine those hugs.
The band launched merch from a stage cannon. Two grown men nearly fought over a T-shirt. The shirt may not have survived.
Metal Echoes in Dracula’s Courtyard, Guided by Rain Spirits… Headliner on the First Day of Rockstadt Extreme Festival
“Vamos a la playa” blasted over the PA, and a conga line formed—stretching from the stage all the way to the festival exit. Metalheads aren’t quite what the mainstream thinks they are.
By day four, the boat was still going strong.
Fleshgod Apocalypse set the bar high with the most theatrical costumes and stage presence.
Want a birthday shoutout from the stage? Easy—just bring a sign. That’s how Ensiferum gave one lucky fan a proper birthday greeting.
At this point, the circle pit had become routine. So Lord Of The Lost introduced a twist: the “one-person circle pit.” Everyone for themselves. Spin until you drop.
Rockstadt 2026 has been announced. Screams. Tears. Fainting. In Flames, Alcest, Helloween, Igorrr. A new location. Even bigger bands. Let it be extreme.
Apocalyptica played Metallica. Because what else would you play at a metal festival, if not Metallica? Honestly, they don’t even need a vocalist—the crowd’s got it covered.
And let’s face it—most of us started with Metallica. The extremes came later. But the classics remain.
Carpenter Brut closed day four. The moshpit turned into a giant dark synth nightclub, and the metalheads proved they know more than just how to headbang and surf.
Metal fans are everything the stereotypes are not. Beneath the Viking costumes and corpse paint are people carrying plush toys in their backpacks. And they’ll encourage you to dress as eccentrically as possible—because what is festival spirit, if not a bit weird?
J. Ilić for HL
