When looking for a new metal festival experience, most metalheads have a few specific pieces of criteria in mind. Firstly, they want a kickass lineup stacked with both legendary and exciting, cutting edge metal bands from right across the spectrum. Secondly, they want it to be somewhere unique and interesting. And thirdly, if possible, they don't want to have to break the bank to achieve wishes one and two.
If those three things all apply to you, then look no further than next year's Mystic Festival. Taking place in the historic Shipyard in Gdansk, Poland - the very same place where the seeds of worker solidarity that helped to push back against the Communist dictatorship of eastern Europe were sewn - Mystic features a dazzling lineup of metal veterans, modern heavyweights and underground favourites across four packed days.
Next year's edition features Brazilian metal legends Sepultura performing one of their final ever shows, plus living metal royalty King Diamond, Swedish melodic death metal heroes In Flames, British metal favourites Bullet For My Valentine and and progressive death metal mainstays Opeth, who put out a career-best album this year with the incredible The Last Will And Testament.
Want more? Mystic Festival 2025 will also feature sets from W.A.S.P., Apocalyptica, Suicidal Tendencies, Cradle Of Filth, Jerry Cantrell, Exodus, Perturbator, Jinjer, Eagles Of Death Metal, I Am Morbid, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Health, Dark Tranquility and many, many more. All this within one of the friendliest and safest festivals in Europe, with 2024's edition going by without a single recorded incident of violence or abuse.
If the music alone was not enough (and how could it not be?!), then the festival's location in one of Poland's most historically important cities might add even more intrigue; Gdansk was the site at which World War 2 officially began, and the World War II museum just a short distance from the festival site is an essential visit for any history buff. If history isn't your thing, you could always take a stroll into the beautiful Gdansk Old Town to visit a lovely array of bars, eateries and local shops.
Best of all? You can access all this great music - five whole stages of it! - plus bonus horror movie screenings, an art gallery and talk panels at the festival itself, and all that bonus culture and history of Gdansk, for just €194.63 (around £160) for a full four-day pass.
Flights to Gdansk are available from right across Europe with nine airports serving the city in the UK alone, so if you fancy booking yourself one of the most exciting, unique and unforgettable festival experiences in all of metal, head to the official Mystic Festival website to buy your ticket now. Early bird passes are still available, so get in there quickly!
