Steelfest 2018 gathered yet again an impressive line-up with quite a few exclusive performances. This year it seems like there’s an even bigger focus on black metal than last time, which we definitely don’t regret looking at what we’re getting. So about halfway May, we geared up for what was going to be 2 days of black mass, heretics and pagan rituals…
| Overall | Day 1 – May 18th | Day 2 – May 19th |
Besides the amazing line-up, there were a few improvements again compared to last year considering the overall festival experience and lay-out. The stages stayed very much the same as always, one outdoor stage and an indoor stage (where often the bands more in need of darkness to create the right atmosphere were to be found). Also, there were 2 bars again (out- and indoors) with plenty of seating and more than just the regular festival beers, all for a cost that wasn’t higher than you’d find in any bar in Hyvinkää.
The food trucks and stalls were also there again with damn good burgers from Poppamies, the classic kebab or makkaraperunat (sausage and fries) and an ice cream/coffee truck to find some refreshment or much needed caffeine to get rid of your hangover of the day before. This year they moved the food stalls to one side and the merch vendors to another side, creating a much more open area and a feeling of space. The number of vendors increased quite a bit this time. Sadly, due to circumstances the normally ever-present KVLT shop wasn’t able to be there, but you could empty your wallet on several other, new merch vendors. Also new this year there was a signing booth right next to the official band merch stand where you could find your favorite artists at the scheduled time to sign your merch.
They also started a cooperation with the local craft beer and whisky bar Crafters, to facilitate pre- and after-parties to get the festival day started early or just don’t let it end yet if you didn’t want it to.
All in all, we had a damn sunny and pleasant 2 days, being swallowed up by the occult, darkness and underground music. This is simply a festival you have to visit once in your life if you’re a fan of extreme music and quality organisation. Go to the next page to read what we thought about the bands of day one…
