Castle Party is an event unlike any other. It is a wonderful musical feast for lovers of unconventional sounds—sounds virtually absent from mainstream media. It is the largest dark music festival in Central Europe, as demonstrated by the fact that such stars as Clan of Xymox, Diary of Dreams, Hocico, Closterkeller, Ataraxia, Sweet Noise, Cool Kids of Death, Lech Janerka, Renata Przemyk and even Armia have performed here.
This year's edition will run from 29 July to 1 August. “Many more bands will play at the seventeenth Castle Party than last year,” says Bolesławiec resident Krzysztof Rakowski, the festival's main organiser. Fans of dark music will have no reason to complain of boredom. This year, artists who are not necessarily associated with broadly understood gothic music have once again been invited. Suffice it to mention that Bolków will host death metal band Behemoth, the brilliant post-industrial group Job Karma, outstanding figure of the electronic scene Alec Empire, industrial act Christblood and folk metal band Żywiołak. “The music will be diverse. That has been our aim since the festival's beginnings,” Rakowski stresses. “There is no point putting this event into musical categories. It is simply our summer carnival.”
Asked whether it had been difficult to bring Behemoth to Bolków, the festival organiser replies: “Nergal is a very friendly guy. I've known him for years, and Behemoth has already played at Castle Party. In fact, one phone call was enough.”
It is worth adding that during this year's event, Nergal and the band will play, among other things, covers of Fields of the Nephilim and Killing Joke. “It will be an exceptional Behemoth concert,” Rakowski announces.
One of the biggest stars of this year's festival will be gothic music legend—Clan of Xymox. Fans of Depeche Mode will certainly be pleased that the German trio And One will perform in Bolków. “This group is very popular in our country,” the CP organiser points out. “At virtually every Depeche Mode fan gathering, people listen to this trio's songs.”
“We are also planning several shows and happenings in the town,” Krzysztof Rakowski continues. On Thursday, audiences will already be able to see a performance by Bolesławiec group Infinity Pain. This is not the event's only local element. In the festival clubs—there will be as many as three this year—the audience will be able to listen to sets by DJs from our town. It will also be possible to attend a unique concert by Bacio di Tosca, which will take place… in the Bolków church.
Advance tickets sold out very quickly (from 28 July, they will be available at the castle). “This is already the seventeenth edition of Castle Party,” Rakowski says with a smile. “We are working to make this event increasingly well known. And it is producing results.”
You can read more about the festival's history in the article Krzysztof Rakowski organises Castle Party for the fourteenth time. You can find our report from the fourteenth CP edition in the article titled The 14th edition of Castle Party has ended.