Award for excellence and passion was presented to Michal by the last year's winner of this award, Fruzsina Szép. We admit that the director of the Lollapalooza Berlin festival and the former Sziget artistic director is a great Pohoda fan and our team’s friend. It was all the lovelier that Michal could accept this prestigious award from her hands. Before presenting him the award itself, she dedicated him very nice words. Subsequently she sent us the speech, so that you’re now able to read as well… → read more

LONG STORY SHORT "About the garage that turned into a legend right after its casting". We bought an authentic concrete garage weighing seven tons in Topoľčany, put it on a truck, moved it to Groningen through half of Europe, equipped it with sound equipment and acoustic components (meaning egg cartons), built a small stage from pallets, fixed real garage lights, decorated it both on the outside and the inside, eight gigs within the CZSK focus took place in it, it witnessed the first foreign booking of a Slovak band from ESNS 2019, we cleared it out, put it on a truck and moved it home with an accompanying vehicle – back to Trenčín. During the majority of the year it will serve as a warehouse near the airport. However, on July 11th - 13th it will turn into one of Pohoda 2019 stages together with the original Garage.   → read more

Pohoda also won another exceptional award at ESNS 2019 – A Greener Festival Award. Along with other award winning festivals, the members of our production crew accepted the award from the founders of A Greener Festival – Ben Challis, Claire O'Neill and Teresa Moore. Claire said about the award: "This year we noticed unprecedented efforts and awareness of the need for our work and our lives to be more in harmony with nature. Festivals and events, which we had the honour to judge and award, contribute to the formation of this shift, which has positive consequences for the events themselves, and at the same time, they are an example for the world." Eurosonic Noorderslag 2019 was, therefore, undoubtedly the most successful one for Pohoda and Slovakia in history. → read more

Slovak artists in Groningen have done marvellous work for the whole scene. Together, they played 22 concerts, each with excellent attendance and strong response. The Ills, Tittingur, Thisnis, Möbius, Nvmeri, Our Stories, Autumnist, Katka Máliková & Ensemble, Vojdi, The Wilderness and Raptor Koch together with DJs and producers B-complex and Isama Zing showed different forms of our music and each performance met the strictest world criteria. "Every year I'm happy to find 3-4 interesting bands. Now we have seen all the concerts of our artists and I can say that each of them was far above average and was received with enthusiasm. It was obvious how responsibly the bands prepared themselves. This is good news for the whole scene, the impression that the thirteen of our representatives managed to make opens door for other musicians from Slovakia, too" says Michal Kaščák, Pohoda’s CEO (the partner of the Slovak focus together with Lala Slovak Music Export) and added: "It was also amazing to see the mutual support and respect. The event filled me with pride in our art and great joy from exceptional selflessness and togetherness. I think we've experienced a turning point." "Honour to have done that with you all. Huge compliments. Deeply impressed. Safe travels and be proud!" – this is a short message from the head of ESNS delivered before the departure of two buses with more than 120 delegates from Groningen. → read more

Slovak expedition's partner at ESNS 2019 is also Budiš which ensures the water intake for over 120 musicians, journalists and other musical professionals. They headed to Dutch Groningen together with Vec, who covers the biggest showcase festival in Europe for Budiš. → read more

After last year's premiere victory in the most prestigious festival awards, the European Festival Awards, Pohoda turned both nominations in its categories into victories this year. We won the most awards at the EFA 2018 together with the Roskilde festival. From Groningen to Slovakia, we’re taking the Take a Stand Award as well as the Award for Excellence and Passion, which the EFA jury awarded to Michal Kaščák for the contribution to the scene in Slovakia and Europe. "Both awards are symbolic, both of them bring together art and freedom. I consider a free festival a miracle and I think it is natural that we want to use its power to spread tolerance and freedom. It’s also good to see that people in Europe are interested in what is happening in Slovakia," Michal Kaščák said about the awards. Thank you to our attenders, all of our colleagues, and friends. After a great concert delivered by The Ills, keep your fingers crossed for  other artists who will be performing within the Czech and Slovak Focus at ESNS 2019 these days. → read more

Pohoda turned both nominations into victory at the European Festival Awards. We are taking back home with us the Take a Stand Award, as well as the Award for Excellence and Passion granted to Michal Kaščák for his contribution within the Slovak scene and in Europe. We would like to express our gratitude to our visitors, all colleagues and friends! Please keep your fingers crossed for our bands who are right at this moment beginning with their performances within the Czech and Slovak focus at ESNS 2019. → read more

Slovenská Sporiteľňa is the partner of the Slovak expedition at ESNS 2019. Thanks to SLSP, we have set up a "Slovak fleet" in Groningen – accommodation on ships for all of the artists and music professionals. The fleet comprises four beautiful sailboats: Poseidon, Ideaal, Willem Jakob and Dy abt fan starum. SLSP therefore brings innovations not only to banking access, but also to Slovak crew accommodation . The stay will be even more comfortable thanks to an accommodation package that each of the participants gets. Its contents will help the expedition members to be rested, fresh and ready for their grand performance…  → read more

The main part of the Slovak expedition set out from Bratislava for ESNS 2019 today at 4 a.m. in two buses. We crossed the German border a while ago and we’re headed for Groningen. Our production crew has already been working there hard, they placed the Garage in the morning and continue with the preparation of Grandstand 6: Greetings from Groningen to Bruce Nauman by Ilona Németh. You can follow their working achievements in short videos released on our instastories. You can get more information at Czech & Slovak Focus at ESNS event and at www.czskfocus.com. → read more

Czech and Slovak focus has partnered with renowned music magazines—Czech Fullmoon and British DIY—as media partners. Both have prepared magazines about our scenes, and all ESNS 2019 delegates will receive an issue in their festival bags. The magazines contain information about Czech and Slovak artists, our installations and activities in Groningen, interviews with heads of festivals, publishers, clubs, and radio stations, various attractions, and contact information of the delegates from our countries. You can browse the magazines before they get to music professionals from all around the world: they are available at the official website of the focus: www.czskfocus.com/magazines → read more