Dark River moves its metal festival to Kyminlinna fortress

The Dark River metal festival will move to a new venue next summer, taking place at the old barracks area of Kyminlinna fortress in Kotka on July 16 and 17, Yle reports. The two-day event has previously been held at the Honkala biathlon stadium in Kotka.

Organisers say the festival has grown too large to stage at Honkala. Power lines above the grounds pose challenges for meeting current safety requirements, while Fingrid’s plans to build a power line in the near future have created uncertainty over the venue’s use, said Ville Siikamäki, chair of the board of organiser After Dark Live.

Festival producer Tanja Buska said the team was excited about the new venue, which organisers hope will become the event’s home for years to come. Kyminlinna is more accessible by public transport than the previous location, she said.

Dark River is one of Finland’s best-known metal festivals and was first held in 2004. Kyminlinna has significant cultural and landscape value and is protected under the Building Heritage Act. Its oldest sections date from the late 18th century.

Kotka bought the former fortress grounds from state-owned Senate Properties for one euro in 2025, as the state had no use for them. City liaison officer Kari Makkonen said next summer’s festival would support plans to develop Kyminlinna and serve as a pilot for its future use and opening to the public.