After a sold out event in 2023, Fortress Festival is aiming higher in 2024. Their first announcements have certainly whetted the appetite.

The First of June. 2024… Under the watchful gaze of the carrion crows that beset the castle’s crumbling battlements…the hordes of darkness will stir. The mournful bells of the woebegone church will ring out upon the hillside: soon to be lost amid the ravenous battery of an ancient warlord. And from the ashes of the past, a new stronghold will arise… “Fortress…”

Fortress Festival will return in June 2024 following a successful sold-out first edition. Taking place across two stages at Scarbrough’s iconic Scarborough Spa, and with a capacity of 1,800, 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’, Panopticon with a ‘Roads to the North’ anniversary full album set. Furia give an exclusive UK show promoting the yet-unreleased new album ‘Huta Luna’, Obsidian Kingdom with 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. 

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 our 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!”

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 1st June we’ll be in North Yorkshire, going through those fourteen 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.”

Festival 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.”

It really is an exciting prospect, and Reaper Agency UK know how to put on events. We were at their last show in Manchester where Stormkeep made their UK debut. Veterans like Winterfylleth and Saor played anniversary and exclusive sets (our review here). Naturally, it sold out. It is pretty clear that Fortress Festival 2024 will be going the same way. Do not sleep on getting your tickets for this one.

You can buy tickets for Fortress Festival 2024 here.

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Fortress Festival: Facebook / Facebook Forum