Our Diary – 17-20 April 2025
I have been going to festivals and writing reviews for a while now. They are mostly personal and sincere journals that I want to share with fellow festival goers. I try to exclude bands and performances from my experience as I want to highlight the ambiance, organization, flow, and overall experience of a festival. Below is written as a journal, just to share our feelings about Inferno Metal Festival. All photos by @livemetalshots / Burak Baban
Day 1 – Arrival and First Steps into Inferno
We arrived from Berlin on the first day of the festival. Just like last time, we checked into Clarion Hotel The Hub, which is the official festival hotel. The moment we entered, we already felt the special energy. The lobby was full of black-clad metalheads, Black Metal was playing in the background, and everywhere you looked, people were greeting each other, laughing, and preparing for the long weekend. It is not just a hotel, it is part of the festival itself. You feel like you belong immediately.
After check-in we received our wristbands and walked over to the venue, which is only about ten minutes away. The first evening always feels like a reunion. We already met some friends from last year, and it felt great to catch up before the first shows started.
When the performances began, I went straight into the photo pit, while my friends grabbed a nice spot upstairs with a perfect view. The first bands set the tone with high energy, strong sound, and powerful stage lights. The opening day line up was like a slap in the face. Batushka, Abbath, Necrophobic, Tiamat all in one day? Too good to be true. Everything worked smoothly, and the festival started with the same quality we remembered.
Day 2 – The Festival in Full Swing
This year we did not take the Black Metal Bus Tour. It was a great experience last year where we cruised to locations that mattered for the history of black metal. It is a must experience at least for once. Anyway we started the morning early, because the breakfast buffet at the hotel is simply too good to miss. Sitting there with other festival visitors, everyone dressed in black and already talking about the shows, makes breakfast feel like part of the program.
As a part of the festival smaller acts are scattered through various stages at bars throughout Oslo. We visited Kniven and Rock In, two popular bars. If you want to see any acts at these bars, you should be a bit early as they get packed very quickly. These bars are full of atmosphere, and they give you the chance to discover bands you maybe wouldn’t see otherwise.
Back at the main venue, the second day really showed how strong the lineup was.1349, Septic Flesh, Blood Incantation, Gaerea, Non Est Deus were amongst the bands that we really enjoyed. Their shows were dark, intense, and felt like rituals. Each band had its own sound and style, but the whole day flowed together perfectly.
Day 3 – Art, Friends, and Heavy Music
By now we were in a routine: breakfast, a little rest, maybe a quick walk, and then straight to the festival. During the day, Oslo itself feels like part of Inferno. Everywhere in the city you see metalheads walking around, filling bars and restaurants. Even though the festival is indoors, the whole city looks and feels like a giant open-air metal gathering.
At the venue, we checked out the exhibition area. The artworks there were amazing—dark, creative, and very connected to the spirit of the festival. As a photographer, I stood there for a long time, thinking how special it would be to one day have my own work hanging in that space.
The third day’s lineup was strong again. It was a privilege to see Satyricon for the first time. Cadaver, Rotting Christ, Aura Noir…. The music does not stop and we feel mesmerized by the joy of seeing such an amazing line up. Between shows, we walked up and down between John Dee and Rockefeller, always catching something different.
Day 4 – The Grand Finale
The last day of a festival always feels mixed: you are excited for the final shows, but already sad that it will soon be over. Again, we started with the famous hotel breakfast, met some new people at the table, and shared stories from the last nights.
We arrived early at the venue because we didn’t want to miss a single moment of the last day. I think I am still under the rawness of Tsjuder. Wow what a performance it was. The highlight of course was Behemoth, who closed the festival with a massive performance. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd gave everything, and the lights, pyro and sound were perfect. It was a grand ending to four days of music and community.
When the last note faded, we stood there for a moment, tired but completely happy. It is hard to describe, but Inferno has something very unique: it is not only about the bands, it is about the community, the feeling of being part of something precious and rare. You meet old friends, you make new ones, and the whole city becomes part of it.
Final Thoughts
For us, Inferno 2025 was everything we hoped for and more. From the moment we arrived in Oslo, through the hotel lobby full of metalheads, the powerful shows, the exhibitions, the small bar concerts, and the endless walks between venues—everything felt right.
I wanted to write this diary for anyone who might be thinking about going for the first time. If you come, you will feel it too: Inferno is more than a festival—it is a gathering, a ritual, and a family. That is why we return every year, and why we are already looking forward to the next one