In addition to major ongoing festivals, it’s sometimes necessary to support small, up-and-coming festivals as well. One such festival is Březfest, which takes place at the Jihlava Amphitheater; this year, its second edition—a two-day event—was held on June 19–20, 2026. The first day was titled Kořeny Vysočiny, marking a collaboration with Fajtfest, and the second day was a full-fledged festival day packed with hard-hitting music—not just local acts.
Day 1 – Friday (The Roots of the Vysočina Region)
The Hungarian band Komodo, the seasoned band Extreme, and the hardcore band Furiosa
Friday’s opening act belonged to the winner of the fan contest, Komodo all the way from Hungary. Their unique style, dubbed “monitor lizard” metal, had its own charm and certainly brightened the day for the audience, just as it did for me. The musicians themselves really enjoyed the show and played their hearts out, even for just the handful of people in attendance.
Next to take the stage were Extreme, who’ve already got a lot under their belt. They’re known for their old-school death metal with thrash elements. They did a fantastic job supporting the festival with their presence. I love how several generations come together on stage, blending experience with youthful ferocity.
The band Furiosa is essentially a local band, and they came to showcase their hardcore style mixed with rap. I have to admit I didn’t expect much from them, but they know how to put on a fantastic show. The energy pouring off the stage was absolutely contagious, and you could see the fans in the crowd were universally enthusiastic.
Modern Stellvris with New Works
The first day wrapped up with the European band Stellvris, led by the very charismatic Nicol Hofman. Their show was truly full of energy and the perfect way to end the day. Their modern sound, full of growls and electronic elements, is very popular, especially among younger generations, and I can see why. Their live performances are incredibly catchy and really give you a boost of energy. I have to admit that I enjoy their newer songs more than some of the older ones, and hearing “Contra El Silencio” for the first time was well worth it. For the final song, they invited one of their young female fans onto the stage, and she definitely knew how to let loose.
I’m really sorry that more people didn’t come to support all the bands and experience it for themselves. On the other hand, it was a new experience for me to enjoy concerts in such a more private and intimate atmosphere.
Day 2 – Saturday
The second day didn't get off to the best start, as we found out at the last minute that one of the performing bands couldn't make it, and the scheduled start of the program had to be pushed back by an hour. At least that gave fans time to arrive just in time for the first act. Fortunately, the weather was on our side, and despite the occasional light rain, it was very pleasant.
A Czech opening with Palpitate, followed by Purnama
I hadn’t really prepared much in advance and had no idea what to expect, but that made me all the more pleasantly surprised. Palpitate is a trio of musicians from Šumperk who won me over with their technical guitar playing and frontman Milan’s very captivating voice. We couldn’t have asked for a better start, and right from the beginning we were treated to pleasant, high-quality music.
The band Purnama from Turnov wasn’t exactly new to me, but since the last time I saw them, there’s been a noticeable—and above all, audible—shift in their sound. This band definitely catches your eye right away with their costumes, makeup, and other props. But they’re definitely worth listening to as well. I wholeheartedly support the band’s new plan to switch to Czech lyrics, even though it’s not exactly easy. I’m no expert on this genre, but I definitely enjoyed the performance.
The German band In Sanity and local legend XIII. Století
The first international act to take the stage on Saturday was the German band In Sanity with their melodic death metal. Another band full of very likable and talented people who certainly deserve much more support than the number of people who showed up at this festival. This was my first time hearing them, but I hope it won’t be the last. I’d love to see them again and really take in their sharp melodies paired with frontman Erik’s charismatic stage presence.
On the other hand, XIII. Století is probably no stranger to anyone. This was supposed to be the local act that would draw the most attention from fans. It’s true that their performance drew the largest crowd, but it still wasn’t enough. Their biggest hits certainly caught the attention not only of the older generation but also of some of the younger attendees.
Polish star Moyra, the energetic Induction, and a finale with Dark Gamballe
Then it was time for the evening set featuring the best acts. The Polish band Moyra brought their best material and, finally, a singer with a powerful voice once again. They’re a band with great potential and a solid sound. I definitely recommend them to all fans of Arch Enemy and similar bands. There still wasn’t much of a crowd in front of the stage, but that certainly doesn’t reflect their quality.
I was probably most looking forward to the German band Induction, led by Tim Hansen. The lineup is now more international following the arrival of a new guitarist from Finland, Justus Sahlman, and an Italian vocalist, Gabriele Gozzi. In Jihlava, Michael Ehré joined the lineup on drums. The new lineup, which was introduced at the end of the year before last, allows them even greater diversity, and their latest album, “Love Kills,” is proof of that. The setlist was also composed primarily of tracks from this album—arguably the best they’ve ever written—though it was supplemented by older songs like “Medusa” and the closing track, “Queen of the Light.” This power metal band has a bright future ahead of it, and I recommend starting to follow them as soon as possible.
The rainy finale was handled by the band Dark Gamballe. This is a much more seasoned band with experience from much larger festivals, and here they delivered another solid performance that left the audience feeling fulfilled and satisfied.
Finally, of course, a big thank you goes to the organizers, who are working hard to turn this into a fantastic festival from scratch, and I wish them even better attendance in the years to come. For my part, I have to say that the preparations were excellent and the entire team put on a fantastic show, especially when it came to the lighting and sound—they were flawless. I also liked the overall diversity of the invited bands, and the program was really packed. As for what I’d improve in the future, I’d definitely try to shorten the breaks between bands. There were quite a few gaps in the schedule. The impressions of everyone who attended, including the band members, were overwhelmingly positive, which is why I want to encourage all of you to support events in your local area. It’s not just the big, popular bands that deserve support—younger, lesser-known groups like these need it too.
So we’ll look forward to seeing you again next year—and hopefully with an even bigger turnout!
Be sure to follow us in the future, because I conducted several interesting interviews—and not just at this festival.
Photos and report by Kerry Lynx