Brutal Assault

Brutal Assault

Heavy Metal Island in Central Europe.

August 7 2024 - August 10 2024
Brutal Assault
Every August, thousands of heavy metal fans descend upon the military fort of Josefov in Eastern Bohemia. And not just those from the area. The Brutal Assault Festival has a great reputation and is well known outside the Czech Republic, with fans coming from as far away as Venezuela.

Great music, great backdrop

The heavy metal festival is not one that you would expect to take place in a historical military fortress. But the result makes the Brutal Assault experience all the better. The genius loci of the Josefov fortress – built at the end of the 18th century to protect the northern border of the Austrian Empire from the Prussian Empire and served as an armoury, storehouse and shelter for soldiers and civilians – certainly plays an important role in creating the atmosphere of the entire festival. The excellent acoustics of the grounds are appreciated by both the audience and the musicians themselves. For example, the Canadian artists Gorguts described the show in the small town near Hradec Králové as the best in their entire career. Other bands – such as Ministry, Mastodon and Motörhead – also performed at the festival.

Twenty years of success

What is behind the festival’s more than twenty years of success? The hard work of the organisers, who try each year to keep pace with the best in heavy metal music. The distinctive atmosphere of East Bohemia also plays an important role. The attitude of the locals is also exemplary. Whereas elsewhere most residents would tend to be more or less against such events, in Josefov, the locals do their utmost to ensure that metal music fans and musicians attending the Brutal Assault festival have the best experience they can. The locals’ attitude is simply excellent, as is the entire event.