To Be Punk Festival
The 18th edition of the To Be Punk Festival, organized by the Student Cultural Center Novi Sad, will take place at SKCNS Fabrika on November 14 and 15, starting at 8 PM. The festival, which has so far hosted over two hundred punk bands from Serbia and around the world, will present 12 performers in its latest edition.
On both nights, the box office and doors of Fabrika will open at 7:30 PM, and the first bands will start performing at 8 PM.
The first night will feature: Mučin, Peripetija, Crustalno jasno, Analena, Cuir, and Slapshot, while Saturday’s lineup includes Lopoč, Messer, Los Flixs, Indikator B, Coupe Gorge, and Prisonnier du Temps.
Tickets can be purchased online and at Gigstix sales points. Only a two-day ticket package will be available in presale. The early bird package costs 2,000 RSD, while the regular presale price will be 2,500 RSD. Daily tickets will be available at the entrance of Fabrika on the day of the event, at a price of 1,500 RSD per night.
Slapshot – hardcore veterans from Boston – will perform their farewell European tour in November. One of the stops will be at the To Be Punk Festival, where they were originally scheduled to play in 2020 before the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Slapshot has already performed in Novi Sad, has a loyal fan base here, and is considered one of the most influential bands in the region.
Analena – celebrating 25 years since its founding, Analena holds a cult status as one of the most important post-punk screamo bands in the region. Although they have released only three studio albums, they’ve played hundreds of shows across Europe, building a large and devoted fan base. In recent years, due to the members being spread across Zagreb, Ljubljana, and the UK, the band performs rarely, making this concert in Novi Sad a unique opportunity to see them live again.
Cuir – a new sound from France, blending modern synth-punk Oi! with masked performance energy, perfect for dancing. This will be their first performance in the Balkans.
Coupe Gorge – a French hardcore punk band based in Brest, the capital of melancholic vibes. This will also be their first visit to the region, although some members previously played To Be Punk with Syndrome 81.
Prisonnier du Temps – another representative of the melodic, slightly melancholic Oi punk school from Brest. In the past decade, France has undoubtedly taken the lead on Europe’s punk map with its distinctive bands.
Indikator B – although their mix of rawness and melancholy recalls Yugoslav HC/punk bands of the 1980s, Indikator B’s music is filled with freshness and drive. Last year, they released a 7” record via Doomtown Records, and this spring and summer, they toured extensively across Europe – from Granada, through Brest and London, all the way to Tampere.
Crustalno jasno – a crust punk duo from Mostar, active since 2013, will perform for the first time in Novi Sad this November at To Be Punk. Besides playing in the band, they also organize concerts in Mostar under the name Balkan Eksces and recently launched their own label, Eksces Records, with their latest EP Jedan minut bijesa (One Minute of Rage) as its first release.
Lopoč – another band from Mostar, sharing members with Crustalno jasno, recently toured Finland and will now debut in Novi Sad. Known for their energetic live performances, they’re praised for finding unusual guitar solutions to classic hardcore/punk challenges.
Messer – a hardcore/punk band from Budapest, founded in 2023, known for sharp riffs, raw energy, and a no-frills sound. They will present their debut EP at the Novi Sad festival.
Los Flixs – an upbeat, melodic Latin punk-rock trio led by tireless Chilean frontwoman Karolina, active since 2017. She’s already performed in Novi Sad with her other bands, Ruidosa Inmundicia and Demenzia Kolektiva. With Spanish lyrics, this Vienna-based band sounds as if it came straight from the Iberian Peninsula.
Mučin – a band from Podgorica that has existed for only a year but has already made a strong impression across the Balkans. Their dark Oi! sound, inspired by French and British punk schools and blended with a touch of moody post-punk, leaves no one indifferent.
Peripetija – the only domestic act at this year’s To Be Punk Festival. A socially engaged straight edge band with members from Belgrade and Novi Sad, they recently released their debut vinyl record through the German label Refuse Records.