In central Romania, surrounded by dense Transylvanian forest and overlooked by the imposing Rasnov fortress, lies the setting for the tenth year of Rockstadt Extreme Festival (REF). Rasnov, a town of around 15,000 people, saw its population nearly double during the 2024 edition, with up to 12,000 attendees daily for six days. They filled the picturesque town square and made the short uphill walk toward Dino Park and the grounds of Romanian Liga 3 series 5 club Rasnov FC.
While this influx inevitably strained certain aspects of the local infrastructure, it didn’t detract from the ancient beauty of the town or the warm welcome from its people.
Traveling from the UK, we flew directly to Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport from Luton on an early morning Wizz Air flight, making for an easy passage to Rasnov. An Uber ride to our accommodation cost £15, including a tip, or 85 RON (Lei). The country’s capital, Bucharest, is about 140km south, with its own international airport and transportation links to Brasov.
Our journey was smooth, despite minor delays. However, others weren’t as fortunate. Serena Cherry of the British band Svalbard shared on social media about being held for 8 hours on the runway on their way to Brutal Assault festival in the Czech Republic after performing on day two at REF.
Public transportation can be limited, as our Uber driver pointed out while we waited for a “post-war looking train” to pass. He mentioned that locals pay their taxes but see little investment in infrastructure, hinting at some discontent. Despite this, he got us to our rented room without issue, wished us a fun time at the festival, and we were excited to be there!
The arena itself is set on a mix of asphalt and stony overflow. The footprint is relatively small, but the space is well-utilized. After passing through the entrance gates and some concession stands, you reach the arena, home to three large stages—two side by side and one a short walk away. The side-by-side stages work incredibly well, reducing the time between performances and minimizing fatigue from moving between stages.
A six-day festival can be overwhelming, especially in the heat, so it’s great that there are plenty of nearby attractions, including the bear sanctuary and the legendary Bran Castle, fictional home of Count Dracula. During a visit before their Monday night headlining performance at REF, Nergal (Adam Darski) of Behemoth was reportedly overheard saying, “I hope they killed Christians in here” when visiting the castle’s torture rooms.
Music
I’m still amazed at how a festival with such a relatively small daily capacity can host such a stellar lineup of international bands. The roster was as good as, if not better than, any other European festival and at a price point that puts others to shame.
The music leaned toward heavier styles, which is expected for a festival with “Extreme” in the title, though there were a few lighter rock performances. “Something for everybody” would be an apt description.
The volume was loud—very loud! I enjoyed it, but some attendees found it excessive. But again, it’s called “Rockstadt Extreme.” Lemmy would’ve approved, and earplugs were available.
Having two stages in parallel allowed for a seamless flow between performances. You could even watch the stages from the covered seating areas in the drinks tents, which offered respite from the sun, though seating and shade were limited.
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Food & Drink
REF had the best food I’ve ever experienced at any festival. Everything was cooked fresh, from local Romanian dishes to pizza, pasta, kebabs, and more. A festival-goer from Naples, Italy—the home of pizza—commented on Facebook that the pizza was as good, if not better, than what they have back home. High praise indeed.
I tried to sample as much local food as possible and wasn’t disappointed. Everything was fantastic, with generous portions, and the most expensive item was just 45 lei (£7.73), about the same as a McDonald’s meal in the UK.
Drinks were equally impressive in value. Ciuc, a Romanian lager, was refreshing, perfectly drinkable, and at 8.5 lei (£1.46) for 400ml, cheaper than a can of Pepsi! The only criticism was the lack of free water points on-site; bottled water had to be purchased for 6 lei (£1.03), and water bottles weren’t allowed into the festival.
It seems the site lacks a drinking water supply, relying instead on storage tanks topped up by trucks. Queues for food, drinks, and topping up payment cards could be lengthy, but staff worked tirelessly to keep things moving, and I noticed improvement as the festival went on.
Facilities
The toilets ran out of water by nightfall, which could be due to inadequate initial supply or vandalism. It’s unfortunate, but there’s only so much organizers can do once damage is done. However, improvements are needed, and hopefully, with local government support, they can be made.
Camping reports varied, with some attendees struggling to find pitches due to a lack of supervision. We were fortunate to have excellent accommodation in Rasnov, about a 15-minute walk from the festival site. Our host was exceptional, and after hearing about bear sightings, we opted to take an Uber back at night, which, at 14 lei (£2.41), seemed far safer than risking an encounter with wildlife.
Conclusion
Rockstadt Extreme Festival has been the highlight of my year. It’s a truly international and wonderfully friendly event, built with passion and held in a stunning location. Yes, the 24-hour facilities need improvement, and hopefully, the wasps will stay away next year (apparently it’s cyclical). But other than that, I have no complaints.
Our accommodation is already booked for next year, more friends are joining us from the UK, and I look forward to reconnecting with the new friends we made this year and making even more next time.
– Ben Zagorski
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