All black metal roads will lead to Scarborough next June when Fortress Festival returns to north Yorkshire following a successful sold-out first edition. Taking place across two stages on June 1-2 at the iconic Scarborough Spa, a devastating line-up comprising some of the world’s finest and most highly-regarded black metal acts will unleash their carnage.
The first wave of confirmed bands includes a host of UK exclusive shows, including Blackbraid with a debut and exclusive UK show following the recent release of the phenomenal Blackbraid II.
Jon Krieger of Blackbraid said, “It’s official! Blackbraid will be coming to the UK next year, for the mighty Fortress Fest. I can’t express how excited I am to not only bring Blackbraid to the UK for the first time, but to be doing it at such a unique festival, surrounded by some of the best black metal artists in the world. This will be our only UK appearance next year so we wanted to do or best to make sure it was truly one to remember. A big thank you to Fortress Fest for making this one possible, see you next summer!”
Also performing at Scarborough Spa, with a capacity of 1,800, are Panopticon performing a Roads to the North anniversary full album set, and Furia with an exclusive UK show promoting the yet-unreleased new album Huta Luna. Obsidian Kingdom will bring a Mantiis full album set, Fellwarden with its worldwide live debut, Lamp of Murmuur with a UK exclusive performance and Falls of Rauros with their first ever UK show.
Joining this line-up of exclusive shows, will be Danish atmospheric black metal band Sunken and UK black-death-doom act Abyssal.
Austin Lunn, the sole member of Panopticon, said, “Roads to the North was the sound of a young man, only 31 years old at the time reflecting on changes and growth in life, as the symphony of life plays on regardless of mistakes and broken strings. 2024 will be ten years since its release, and it feels like the right time to bring this album in its entirety to the stage for yet another time of reflection on the simultaneous, incredible beauty and horror of this time we have on earth.”
Frank Allain of Fellwarden said, “Whilst Fellwarden was always conceived as a studio project first and foremost, I’ve always stated from the get-go that I wouldn’t rule out the prospect of performing live should the right opportunity arise. Fortress Festival 2024 is that opportunity. Nevertheless, Fellwarden will not be an entity that performs for the sake of it, that plays shows regularly as a ‘gigging band’.
As a musical outlet steeped in narrative and atmosphere, it is imperative for us that anything we engage with aligns with this philosophy. So, as it currently stands, Fortress Festival 2024 is all that is in the calendar – and it may very well stay this way in perpetuity, who knows. It therefore promises to be a special performance and quite possibly the only opportunity to witness this material in the live environment.”
Obsidian Kingdom said, “We’re going to bring Mantiis to the stage this one time. And Fortress Festival seems the perfect place to do it, since the members of its organisation are so very keen on the album, and the UK being one of the first countries which would ask us to perform it back in the day. Next 1 June we’ll be in North Yorkshire, going through those 14 bites one after the other, and celebrating that there is some beauty – or at least some sense of humour – to be found in the most vile things on Earth. And we sure hope to see you there.”
Fortress organiser and Reaper Agency UK owner, Gary Stephenson, said, “The festival follows the immeasurable success of 2023’s Fortress, a sold-out event which has rightly taken its place within the glorious pantheon of UK black metal history. Fortress 2023 joins Reaper Agency’s impressive track record so far, which consists of nine sold-out UK festival shows in just three years of activity.
“Fortress 2024 is set to snatch that mantle and wield it a ruinous blow with bigger crowds, more merch stands, more ferocious bands and even greater infamy in its wake… all taking place upon the sun-scorched coastline of this historic North Yorkshire town.”
The first set of early bird weekend tickets for Fortress Festival are on sale now for £109 and can be purchased here. Two more sets of early bird tickets are planned, rising in price each time. Standard tickets and day tickets to be released later. Standard tickets will also be available via Scarborough Spa Box Office
