Festival
2019 · XX
- THE HU
- HELLHAMMER - Triumph Of Death
- KORPIKLAANI
- PRIMORDIAL
- ROTTING CHRIST
- GAAHLS WYRD
- LEGION OF THE DAMNED
- DESTRÖYER 666
- SKYFORGER
- FORNDOM
- OTAVA YO
- SULPHUR AEON
- DEBAUCHERY VS. BALGEROTH
- METSATÖLL
- WORMWOOD
- BELZEBONG
- KATEDRA
- UGNIAVIJAS
- IRDORATH
- LUCTUS
- MERKFOLK
- ROSK
- CONCRETE AGE
- RĀVA
- GLOSSARIUM
- ORB
- LIETIS
- ŪKANOSE
- BESTIA
- TERROR ACTIVATOR
- MOTÖRIZER
- VĖLIŲ NAMAI
- WALHALLA
- JOTVOS SŪNŪS
- PILSOTS
- HEILIGENBERG
- EXERCITUS RIGENSIS
- VARINGIS
- DIANA BASTET
- MIGRENA
On 21–23 June 2019, we celebrated the twentieth Kilkim Žaibu beside Lake Lūkstas in Varniai. The anniversary programme brought together Mongolia’s The Hu, Tom Gabriel Fischer’s Triumph of Death project performing Hellhammer material, and longstanding friends of the festival. Katedra prepared a farewell performance, while Metsatöll celebrated their own twentieth anniversary alongside ours.
Both professional stages earned praise from the performers, and we were particularly pleased with the sound and lighting on the Perkūnas stage. Yet the strongest impression of the anniversary came from its people: a friendly, considerate audience, performers who approached their shows professionally and a team committed to a shared purpose. There were almost no incidents, and even the local community in Varniai noticed the audience’s tolerance towards others.
Still, we had not prepared adequately for such an influx of visitors. A long entrance queue formed on the first day, and we ran short of wristbands, cups, toilets and merchandise. These mistakes gave us clear lessons for the future. Despite them, the anniversary left us with the feeling of a “festival of good people” and reminded us why working without pay was worthwhile. The twentieth edition was no farewell: we still had ideas and the desire to meet again.