Festival Pohoda - tragic 13th annual

Last weekend in Slovakia was the 13th annual of Bazant Pohoda. Music program was rich. On Thursday started British electronic formation Basement Jaxx and next Royal Choral Society. During next days there was legendary american poet Patti Smith and famous Czech interpret Marta Kubisova.

People saw Lou Rhodes and Andy Barlow with their project Lamb, headliner music band Travis, Klaxons, The Ting Tings, Hadouken. Also English-Sweeden formation Razorlight.

Slovak scene was represented by Collegium Musicum with Marian Varga, Richard Muller, Andrej Seban and Hudba z Marsu, Noisecut, traditional bands Zive Kvety, Hex, Tomas Sloboda Sounds Like This, Slobodna Europa, Para and Karol Miklos.

As you can see, this fest is full of good music and this year was not exception.

But, ...
Unfortunately this annual was different.

This annual has number 13th and somebody believes that this number is unlucky.

Bazant Pohoda is traditional organized on Trencin airport. By agency report, there were about 100 casualty people and 1 man died. Very strong wind detach O2 Arena. This accident was during concert of AMO and United Flavours. In that time there were more than one hundreds people.

What's happened?

Official news by TA3:
Police Investigation Into Tragedy at Pohoda Underway

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - Police continue to investigate the tragic accident that occurred at the Pohoda music festival on Saturday afternoon and claimed the life of a 29-year-old man from Piestany (Trnava region), spokesman for Police Corps Presidium Martin Korch said on Sunday.

There have been no new findings concerning the accident at Slovakia's largest open-air music festival, he added.

A severe storm accompanied by gusts of wind hit the area at around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, bringing down a large tent covering the O2 Arena. Crowds of people were underneath the canopy at the time.

According to an eye-witness, the O2 Arena acted as a kind of "flytrap", as "it was the only place at Pohoda where a gig was underway at the time of the accident, so thousands of festival-goers pushed their way in there."

He added that the organisers warned people that they should gather at the edges of the tent, so that they could leave quickly if advised to do so. "Unfortunately, the gusts of wind rushed in so quickly that they didn't manage to warn the people under the tent."

In addition to the death of the young man, three more young people sustained severe injuries and were operated on in hospitals in Trencin, Zilina and Martin (Zilina region). Another 18 people remain in the Trencin Hospital's trauma ward. A total of 40 people were admitted into nine hospitals. Another 52 festival-goers were given first aid.

The 13th annual Pohoda festival was called off after the accident, and the festival participants were evacuated.

"We took some 10,000 people from the airport to Trencin railway station, to the Druzba culture house and to Opatovce (Trencin region)," said spokesperson the Trencin branch of Slovak Bus Transport (SAD) Ivana Strelcova. All the public-transport buses from the town and neighbouring area were used to evacuate the festival-goers, she stressed.

tf/df

Bazant Pohoda Festival 2009 TV Spots


Pohoda 2009 Trencin last seconds before the accident


Pohoda 2009 O2 arena breakdown


Pohoda 2009 O2 arena breakdown


Pohoda 2009 Trencin (exkluzivni zabery cele tragedie)

Festival Pohoda

Summer is here and many people only wait for a weekend, when they can go to dance or to listen music on some summer festivals.

From history of this the greatest festival in Slovakia:

Michal Kascak is musician and progenitor of this fest. He was a member of music band Bez ladu a skladu. During 90-teen he had established his own festival and kept his dream.

Everything began in 1997, when started the 1-st annual of Bažant Pohoda festival. It was only small fest, only about 2000 guests, one main stage and show of some Slovak and Czech music bands. Nothing special. Place of fest - town station.

Next year brought some changes, one of them was changing of place - to Areál Pod Sokolicami, the other was dance stage. The 2-nd annual and 3000 guests, 9 music bands.

The 3-rd annual and 8000 guest, 22 famous bands as Skulpey (USA), Werk (A), Másfél (H), Ole lukkoye (RUS), Auktyon (RUS), Jaroslav Filip (SK) Varga + Šeban+ Rózsa + Buntaj (SK) and others.

Year 2000 brought other changes. The4th annual had name Topvar Pohoda fest and it impel to change place. Again. There was main stage (alternative, rock, pop, world music, dance music), rock stage (rock, punk, alternative, pop) and two dance stages. Music bands : Bomfunk MCS (FIN), Vinx (USA), ISM (GB), Zóna A (SK), Homage and Jaro Filip (SK), Will White – Propellerheads (GB), Lol Hammond – Girl eats boy (GB), 808 state (GB) etc. Total 19 bands on main stage. Rock stage and 19 bands (Twinkles (ITA)). The first time there were escort actions: vernisage of photograhy from Pohoda 99, happenings, performance, graffiti; cinema in areal, tatoo, piercing, literatúre, CD shop, tea-room, internet cafe, adrenalin sports, competitions, exhibitions, bungee jumping, tandem jumps, hot-flue balon, motocars, bungee running, skate park, air castle. 20 000 guests per day. General partner was Topvar company (that' s why name Topvar Pohoda).

In 2001 festival grew up, they added other stage (there were now main stage, dance stage 1, dance stage 2, dance stage 3, rock/hip hop stage and rock open-air stage).

From 6-th annual to these days the name of festival is Bažant Pohoda, because general partner became Zlatý Bažant company (producer of bier). Stages: main stage: alternative, rock, pop, ska, dance music; Kofola stage: world music, rock, punk, alternatíve, pop, ska; Smint stage: techno; Durex stage: house, drum´n´bass, techhouse; Kenvelo stage: experiment, chill out, nu jazz, minimal, Blaupunkt stage: live acts, alternatíve, hip-hop, rock; Jah Jam stage: reggae, dance hall, dub, ska - 20000 guests per day.

The 7th was similar as 6th. But on 8th people met on new place - airport. From that time, festival is still on airport. More place, more guests, more fun, more music, more attractions.

• Stages: Bažant stage: alternative, rock, pop, ska, dance music;
• Kofola stage: world music, reggae;
• Chio stage: rock, punk, alternative;
• Aréna TB: theatre, literature, discusions, chamber music;
• Durex stage: drum´n´bass, hip hop;
• Kenvelo stage: techno, techhouse;
• Rock FM oáza: reggae, indies, rock;
• Algidance chillout tent : chill out, live acts

There were Chumbawamba (GB), Rescate (ARG), Tata bojs (CZ), Amparanoia (E/Cuba), Dan Bárta + Illustratosphere (CZ), I am X (GB), Asian Dub foundation sound system (GB), Zóna A (SK), Vypsaná fixa (CZ), Štefan Hríb, Juraj Kušnierik + Radovan Kazda, Marián Huba, Misha, Jana Belišová, Petr Fiala, Jozef Lupták, Ladislav Snopko, Vladimír Palko, Fedor Gál, Valerij Kupka, Marian Milčák, Primož Repar, Stanislava Chrobáková-Repar, Marek Vadas, Eman Erdélyi, Monika Kompaníková, Vlado Janček, Michal Hvorecký, Zuzana Šeršeňová, Tibor Holoda, Joachim Dvořák, Jaroslav Rudiš.
You was able to listen music, to watch theatre, photography, bažant cinematograph.
Escort actions: Liga za duševné zdravie: chalk-talks and discussion about brainwork.
Easy park: adrenalín sports, competitions, exhibitions, atractions, paintball, volejball, football, spinball duo, cobweb, rent of sportng goods.
Total in word - 127 music bands.

I don t want to repeat words about perfect atmosphere on next annuals. You can see photos and ask people, who were there. Always there was much fun, good music and each annuals had left a lot of unforgoten memorries in everybody, who was there.

Joan Baez @ Bazant Pohoda 08


Utah Saints - Something Good


Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat (Bazant Pohoda 2008)