On the second day of the festival, Friday, July 17, Masters of Rock 2026 picked up where Thursday’s successful kickoff left off and brought another dose of hard rock, excellent performances, and intense emotions to Vizovice. From early in the morning, the festival grounds once again filled with fans looking forward to a mix of established acts and new discoveries. The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was great, and the lineup once again offered everything a metal fan could wish for.
The morning symphony band transitioned to Nordic metal
The second day kicked off at 10 a.m. with the Slovak symphonic band Symfobia. This band is nothing new to regular festivalgoers, as they take every opportunity to perform at various festivals. I have to admit that with their new, rejuvenated lineup, they’re constantly improving, and their overall chemistry is really showing. They even premiered their new single “Broke Your Pride” for the first time, alongside some of their older songs.
Next to take the already heated stage were the Norwegian band Chontaraz, who fired up the crowd even more—and not just with their pyro effects. I hadn’t heard of the band before, but their performance had its own charm. I hope this wasn’t their last visit.
We stayed with the Nordic bands for a while longer, moving on to the industrial King Satan, who put on their typical—albeit very unconventional—show. Although this was the second time I’d seen them, I’m still a bit confused by them. I enjoyed some songs more than others, but I can’t say that the performers themselves weren’t having a great time on stage.
The Unstoppable Arctis and the Return of Brainstorm
Arctis stepped for the first time at the Masters of Rock’s stage that day. If it was clear that the Finns were suffering from the heat, they still delivered a great performance. Even a few technical issues didn’t stop them and their energy was contagious! They played their new single “Unstoppable” for the first time live and it was a perfect anthem for their show.
If their genre might not be the favourite one of the people of this festival, I am pretty sure they gained some fans after what they delivered.
Then the stage darkened a bit—albeit only in atmosphere—with the Greek band W.E.B.. Again, this genre isn’t exactly my favorite, and listening to their dark, melancholic music on a sunny day was quite strange, but they certainly found their fans.
Then it was time for another classic and very well-known heavy metal band, Brainstorm. Once again, it was clear that the classics draw the biggest crowds to the main area of the festival grounds, despite the intense heat. The band returned to the Ronnie James Dio Stage after a full four years, and they certainly didn’t disappoint the crowd. The setlist definitely had to include classic hits like “Glory Disappears,” “Highs Without Lows,” and the closing track “Ravenous Minds.”
From the world of fantasy, through a pirate voyage to Sepultura
The next band, on the other hand, was anything but traditional. Angus McSix is a band from another world—literally. Not only does each musician wear a distinctive costume, but behind each one lies a very well-thought-out character from a fantasy world. Their songs are essentially a narrative of their story, and with each song, we are drawn deeper into their world. They bring all of this to life brilliantly on stage, and their energy captivates virtually every audience member. If you haven’t seen them, you won’t understand.
Four years after their last show at Masters of Rock, Vision of Atlantis was once again on this stage. They were first announced with an orchestra, but lifes has its own plans. It didn’t stop the band from performing an amazing show, taking the crowd on the boat with them. Beginning with “To Those Who Choose to Fight” as an introduction, followed by “The Land of The Free”, Vision of Atlantis set up the tone. They embarked everyone on an epic pirate journey!
But then things took a more serious turn with the two Cavaler brothers and their Cavalera Conspiracy. They filled almost the entire show with songs by Sepultura, from back when they were still part of the band. Again, it’s not exactly my favorite genre, so I found something else to do. However, the large crowd standing in front of the stage clearly felt differently.
A Final block full of diversity
The final evening set began with a heavy downpour, but that didn’t stop The Rasmus and their fans from fully enjoying their performance. I’ll admit that I was really looking forward to this concert just for the nostalgia it would bring. And from that perspective, they definitely didn’t disappoint me. They played just about every song I wanted to hear, including “No Fear,” “Livin’ in a World Without You,” and “F-F-F-Falling.” They wrapped up the entire set with their most popular and best-known song, “In the Shadows.”
The main headliner on the second day was the Swedish band In Flames, who finally showed up at Masters of Rock and were able to make their debut. It was a real treat for a large number of fans, including me. For me, this was perhaps the most anticipated concert of the entire festival this year, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setlist featured a mix of older and newer tracks, and even though I’m not as familiar with some of the albums, I really enjoyed the live performance. Anders sounds almost exactly the same on stage as he does on the recordings, and his various vocal ranges never fail to amaze me, even after all these years of listening to him. After singing—or rather, screaming—along to songs like “Meet Your Maker,” “Only for the Weak,” or “I Am Above,” I completely lost my voice, but I definitely don’t regret it one bit.
The closing band was once again scheduled to play from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., but that certainly didn’t discourage their audience. During Orden Ogan, the area in front of the stage was almost as packed as it had been for the previous headliners. Their energetic and catchy songs kept everyone awake. The performance also featured some humorous moments, such as when the crowd chanted “Order of Pivo (Czech word for beer)” instead of “Order of Fear.” They simply provided the perfect finale to a fantastic day.
That’s all from us for the second day, but be sure not to miss our reports from the coming days, and follow us on social media for more photos and videos—not just from this festival. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment telling us what you liked best—or, conversely, what disappointed you.
Report by Kerry Lynx, Céline Fetel
Photos by Adrien Hextall, Vasilis Tiropolis (W.E.B.), Smudge (Chontaraz, Orden Ogan)