This summer, the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 will once again bring a proper dose of cultural experience to Pohoda Festival!
You can look forward to concerts by the band Oulun_keskusta from the Finnish city of Oulu – which, like us, holds the title of European Capital of Culture 2026 – and the Slovak band Neha!, selected by Pohoda from candidates of our project Garage 2025. Both bands will enrich the festival’s music program with their unique energy and international context.
In addition to music, we invite you to an inspiring discussion titled “Curiosity, Care and Disobedience”, presented by Trenčín 2026 in collaboration with international partners and artists.
Discussion: Trenčín 2026 – Curiosity, Care and Disobedience
When: July 11th, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Where: Pohoda Festival, Cafe Kušnierik
Guests:
- Stanislav Krajči, Director of Creative Institute TrenčínI
- lona Németh, artist and curator
- Fero Király and Eva Vozárová, association OOO
- Opening remarks: Michal Kaščák (Director of Pohoda Festival) and Marco Scotini (founder of the Archive of Disobedience)
Come join us for a discussion on how art can enter public space, support active citizenship, and open up topics of solidarity and care. The artistic program of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 will be discussed by Stanislav Krajči (Director of Creative Institute Trenčín), Ilona Németh (artist and curator), and the duo Fero Király and Eva Vozárová from the OOO association. The work Archive of Disobedience, which is part of the Visual Stage, will be introduced by its founder Marco Scotini, with opening remarks by Michal Kaščák, Director of Pohoda Festival.
You are warmly invited!
Visual Stage – Disobedience Archive
Disobedience Archive is a multi-phase, mobile, and constantly evolving video archive focusing on the relationship between artistic practices and political action. It has been presented fifteen times in different countries, transforming with each iteration without ever adopting a final form. Whether as a parliament, a school, or a community garden, the project turns the archive — typically static and taxonomic — into a dynamic and generative medium. (Marco Scotini)
This site-specific exhibition project will be presented in Slovakia for the very first time at the Pohoda Festival 2025. It is a collaboration between the Pohoda Festival and the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 project. The exhibition is divided into two phases.
The first phase is the festival version. The installation, along with its architectural and curatorial concept, is being prepared by a joint team consisting of Marco Scotini, Ilona Németh, Edit András, and Zbyněk Baladrán — for both phases, at Pohoda and in Trenčín 2026.
At Pohoda, a selection of 20 videos will be presented, divided into three thematic areas:
- Gender Disobedience
- Rebellious Communities
- Radical Ecologie
In 2024, the Disobedience Archive was part of the Venice Biennale, where it was showcased in its full forty-film version. It is precisely this more extensive format that will be presented in 2026 in the city of Trenčín as part of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 project.
Trenčín 2026 Bands
Neha! (SK)
When: Friday – June 11, 2025, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
Where: Pohoda Festival, Cafe Kušnierik
Neha! – The album Svetu (To the World) reflects the ensemble’s work so far, with 10 traditional songs from 6 different countries. The multilayered vocal performances intertwine with contributions from several guest musicians – on harp, beatbox, percussion, and cello. Together they create a colorful musical experience full of both melancholic moments and passionate bursts. The group Neha! was selected within the Garage project, in cooperation with the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026.
Web
Spotify
YouTube
Oulun_keskusta (FI)
When: Saturday – June 12, 2025, 8:15 PM – 9:45 PM
Where: Pohoda Festival, Cafe Kušnierik
Oulun_keskusta is an extremely centrist saxophone-drums trio from Toppila in Oulu, Finland, blending punk and jazz into a style they call PÄTS. The band creates original music as well as its own arrangements and has released two EPs, including the latest one titled Pihlajakatu. Their performance at Pohoda is made possible thanks to the collaboration between the European Capitals of Culture Oulu 2026 and Trenčín 2026.
Instagram
SpotifyYouTube
