In a five-page statement, organizers for Slovenia’s MetalDays have announced the demise of the festival. Read below...
"With this statement, we would like to inform you that the decision has been made to not organize another MetalDays edition. We want to extend a huge thank you and heartfelt appreciation to all the artists, partners, media, good people of Tolmin and Velenje and staff who have been loyal to MetalDays. And to you, our fans, MetalDays wouldn’t have existed without you. Thank you for making it special. We feel incredibly privileged that so many of you chose to party with us each summer. We are proud to have created a second family for many visitors. Seeing your happy faces year after year filled our hearts with joy. The festival aftermovies and photos speak more than words. We have been privileged to watch children growing up visiting MetalDays with their parents, who met at MetalDays or even got married at the festival beach. We made friends and enemies for life, and we’re equally grateful for both. All of them taught us valuable lessons. For us, this is the end of a period in life, and we feel blessed to carry such memories forward.
"When we set out on this journey in 2013, our mission was to create a unique experience. With your support, we became a beacon for heavy metal enthusiasts, known for our unique blend of intense metal performances and the breathtaking natural backdrop of the rivers Soča and Tolminka and Lake Velenje in Slovenia. This combination created an unforgettable experience for our dedicated attendees and made MetalDays the finest metal festival on the planet. For all involved, it was an opportunity once a year to explore new and unique metal holidays and to be among like-minded metalheads.
"MetalDays was a pioneer in blending holidays with music, a concept that has been embraced by almost every festival since. With a full week of festival activities including beaches, outdoor adventures, cinema, yoga, sports competitions, workshops, and art exhibitions, and advanced festival-ecology initiatives, MetalDays set the standards that have become the norm today. Despite all this, we have reached the end of the road. This decision has not been made lightly. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves impacted by the financial losses caused by Covid-19 and the flooding in 2023, as well as the cost-of-living crisis and significant operational cost increases associated with running a festival like MetalDays. We offered our company and brand to all major players (Live Nation, Festival Republic, Superstruct Entertainment) and even approached many major festivals to take us over to fulfill all our obligations that remained unfulfilled due to these reasons. Regrettably, despite our best efforts, this did not happen, and it is just not economically feasible to continue.
"We don’t want to pretend that everything was great. We can’t ignore the infamous refund situation sparked by Covid-19-related cancellations, nor can we overlook the unpaid artists and partners affected by the 2023 cancellation due to flooding. But we also can’t let lies about us spread without presenting the truth. It’s our moral duty. Here’s our honest take on these matters.
Trust us, this is the truth. This is going to be a lengthy text, but we advise you to read it until the end."
Continue reading the statement here.
