Metalheads converging on Soča river for Tolminator

More than 60 bands from various metal sub-genres will perform across three stages at the festival, which runs through the end of the week.

The lineup features a mix of Slovenian and international acts, with metal enthusiasts eagerly anticipating performances by Harakiri for the Sky, Patroness, Sovrag, Behemoth, Primordial, Kamra, Suffocation, Asphyx, and Sinister.

The event is anticipated to draw around 3,000 visitors, aligning with the 5,000-person cap for festivals instituted last year by the municipality. This limit was introduced after Tolmin's pristine nature has had to deal with an influx of events, hosting approximately 12,000 metalheads annually during the peak years of MetalDays.

The Tolminator organising board includes Črt Batagelj and Matej Ahlin, who have mostly been active as organisers in Ljubljana. They were also in charge of one of the stages at MetalDays, the festival that started the metal festival scene in Tolmin in 2004, but which was moved to a different location last year and then terminated.

The pair feel that last year's event was already a success and expect that next year's edition will be sold out in advance.

The organisers are expecting even more international visitors this year compared to last year. Around 80% of the visitors this time are expected to come from 40 different countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and India.

Camping for visitors is provided, though Batagelj warned that contrary to original announcements, an extra charge will apply.

He explained that this was due to the organisers discovering, only after setting the ticket prices, a surge in the municipality's festival levies as part of the town's new rules on festival events.