SPAtanism, a photo zone with coffins, and wrestling. How I attended Mystic Fest in Gdansk | by Dmitry Titov | Jun, 2026 | MediumSitemapOpen in appSign up<br>Sign in
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SPAtanism, a photo zone with coffins, and wrestling. How I attended Mystic Fest in Gdansk
Dmitry Titov
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Dmitry Titov at Mystic Fest 2026Rock festivals have long since become not just performances by bands, but also a kind of Disneyland for adults. I looked at this fest not only through the eyes of a big heavy music fan, but also as a PR person and journalist.<br>I came for 3 main days to the industrial jungle of an old seaport, which was fitted out for metalheads’ entertainment.<br>Special attention to merch. T-shirts, hoodies, baseball caps, on which not only the organizers themselves earn, but the bands too. As the guitarist of Slayer and simultaneously Exodus once said in an interview (approximate quote):<br>“We turned into T-shirt sellers, since nowadays it brings even more income than the performances themselves.”
Chill Out zones and food courts everywhere. From soft armchairs under the roof of an old factory to sun loungers out in the open air with the ability to watch concerts currently taking place, as if in a cinema.<br>Food for every taste: from fast food and Portuguese cuisine to a simple canteen in a separate hall. On drinks: from hard alcohol to non-alcoholic beer. The latter was swept off the shelves even faster than the boozy stuff.<br>The venue itself is like one big photo zone. Here’s a big backlit skull for you, here are coffins you can take a selfie in.<br>Press enter or click to view image in full size
Mystic Fest 2026There are even children’s zones and a cinema where you can watch VHS.<br>In a separate van, celebrity guitars were on display, which you could even play.<br>Where would metal be without wrestling. On the sagging ring they clashed every day. Sometimes even women against men. Well, you know, it’s all a big show.<br>The festival has a dedicated app where you can track activities across the venues in real time.<br>The event’s social media SMM guys also worked promptly, regularly dropping reviews of band performances and making joint posts with them on Instagram.<br>On the last day of the festival I walked through the fair in more detail and found SPAtanist cosmetics, a presentation of books around the mystical genre, and even a local West Coast Customs.<br>Press enter or click to view image in full size
Mystic Fest 2026It was great to recharge with the energy of my favourite bands: Megadeth, Down, Black Label Society, Mastodon, and also to be reminded once again of what an interesting business segment this is. I don’t know whether the Mystic Fest organizers are turning a good profit, but the festival is annual, which means there’s a chance I’ll be back here next year.<br>If you want to shine on the headlines of the world’s music media and in industry outlets in your field, and also report promptly on newsworthy events, just like the rock fest’s SMM guys, then grab my paid recorded lecture + guide “How to Get into Top Media” (Currently available only in the Russian language).<br>Let’s Rock!
Mystic Fest 2026
Dmitry Titov
Ititov Agency
Written by Dmitry Titov<br>2 followers<br>·3 following
Founder and CEO at ITitov Agency. 📰 Featured in Forbes within 24 hours 🔍 Top results in LLM search engines thanks to Reddit 🏅10x Product Hunt award winners
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