Nova Rock 2025: Electric Callboy Crowned Festival Finale

A few years ago, they were still heating up the audience in the afternoon, but now Electric Callboy has become a festival headliner: The German trancecore band concluded this year's Nova Rock in Nickelsdorf on Saturday night with massive mosh parts, pumping beats, and plenty of humor. Just before them, Wanda charmed the crowd with lots of Amore, with the audience confidently singing along to the hits. And so, under the best summer weather, a thoroughly successful festival came to an end.

Electric Callboy at Nova Rock 2025

Getting the masses to jump? Easy for Nico Sallach and Kevin Ratajczak, who provide the vocal duo for Electric Callboy. Right from the opening "Elevator Operator," the crowd in front of the Blue Stage exploded as cheesy synth parts were crossed with massive guitar walls. And in this manner, it continued for an hour and a half: audience animation, brutal metal rides, and gaga lyrics went hand in hand, drawing plenty of energy from the fans even on the fourth day of the festival.

That they now stand alongside greats like Korn, Linkin Park, or Slipknot in the lineup is still hard for the Callboys to understand. "It doesn't fit at all," laughed Ratajczak before the performance in an APA interview. "We know that too. But it's this leap of faith that was given to us." The project has simply exploded in recent years. Of course, not without reason. "We have always given a lot for our music," emphasized the shouter. His colleague Sallach added: "I always have the little man in my ear who says: Dude, now you show those out there that we belong right here and that we have earned it!" All that can be said is: Mission accomplished.

Wanda as a contrast program

Wanda also scored, albeit with completely different means: Marco Wanda and Co came on stage after the German rapper Alligatoah, who presented himself as a grinning messiah and smashed a PC screen with a casually swung baseball bat. The energy in the Wanda songs was, of course, different: A wave of Amore was sent through the audience by the Viennese. This is also necessary, as other times are coming, warned the singer, "but we will not be divided." True to this statement, they danced together to hits like "Bologna," "Ich will Schnaps," "Columbo," and "Bussi Baby." Wanda once again proved to be a perfectly coordinated team with a frontman who can also captivate even the toughest metal fans. With an exuberant "1, 2, 3, 4," the band set a furious final point. Oh yes, Wanda can do Nirvana too.

An event, as always, was Idles: With the British post-punk group, the audience turnout was relatively manageable, but that didn't stop the charismatic singer Joe Talbot and his equally eccentric colleagues from setting off fireworks. It was about love, energy, and the shared experience, as the intense "Mother" was shouted from countless throats, and Talbot personally distributed ear protection to a couple in the front row. "Safety First, Rock Second," was his motto. Towards the end, guitarist Mark Bowen, in his floral dress, even engaged in a chase with some security personnel as he stepped off the stage and ran far across the dusty festival grounds. As mentioned: Simply a sensation.

Taylor Swift on Speed

In contrast, Dragonforce played high-speed metal on the Red Stage, framed by inflatable dragons and video arcades. "My guitar partner Sam Totman built those himself," said the band's second guitarist, Herman Li, in an APA interview about the latter. After a cover version of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," Dragonforce took it up a notch with Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" at high speed. "That was a great show," laughed Li. "At first, I wasn't sure. But we got the audience going, and in the end, it was just crazy." Despite all the technical finesse praised by critics, a Dragonforce show is primarily meant to be fun, Li said. "If someone has never heard heavy metal, take them to one of our concerts, they'll have a great time."

High-Caliber Third Venue

Adept joined the again exciting lineup on the Red Bull Stage. "I was really looking forward to it. It's the smaller stage here, which takes a lot of pressure off us. It's our first festival appearance in six years," emphasized singer Robert Ljung. "Going out and giving it our all, that's what we were really looking forward to." The Swedish post-hardcore band recently returned after a long break with two new songs, their first in nine years. Whether an album can be expected soon, the Swedes did not want to reveal: "We are super happy with the two songs for now. Let's see what happens," guitarist Gustav Lithammer said, reserved but with a broad and meaningful smile.

"On fire" was how Halflives presented themselves before the Swedes on the Bull Stage. Singer and guitarist Linda Battilani, who stands behind this stage name, proved that not only Måneskin can rock in Italy. They offered alternative rock, with pop appeal when needed, sometimes modern, then again with old-school elements. "I was just overwhelmed on stage, but in a positive way," she said backstage. "My debut at such a big festival in Austria was a challenge because it was about convincing a new audience. Since so many metal acts play here, I was a bit worried. But people had fun, and I saw satisfied faces, that gave me energy," she laughed.

And headliner Danko Jones? The Canadian rock trio named after the bandleader has been around for almost 30 years and still stands for groovy, catchy hard rock. "I'm proud of this time span. People wrote us off in the first year," he nodded in the APA interview. "And that happened again with every new album. But we just do our thing. It's really a privilege." As long as such captivating songs as "Guess Who's Back" or "Good Time" from the latest output "Electric Sounds" emerge, nothing is likely to change.

Bring Me The Horizon Coming to Nova Rock 2026

Thus, the 2025 festival edition is history. But the next Nova Rock is sure to come, from June 11 to 14, 2026, featuring, among others, Bring Me The Horizon. The circumstances this year were very special due to the rampage in Graz. "You have to take your hat off," commented festival chief Ewald Tatar. "During the minute of silence (on Wednesday, note), you could hear a pin drop despite 50,000 people on the grounds. The absolute winner of this festival is the audience."

(By Christoph Griessner and Wolfgang Hauptmann/APA)

Nova Rock: Positive Assessment by Emergency Services

The Nova Rock in Nickelsdorf, Burgenland, left the emergency services completely satisfied. In summer weather, the Red Cross recorded around 3,000 medical treatments, mostly for minor injuries and complaints. The police also gave a positive assessment, with a spokesperson describing it as a "peaceful festival." From Wednesday to Saturday, Korn, Linkin Park, and Iggy Pop took turns at Austria's largest rock festival.

"The visitors took good care of themselves," said Manuel Komosny, the press spokesperson for the Red Cross Burgenland, in response to an APA inquiry. A total of 90 people were transferred to the hospital. The helpers mainly treated weather-related complaints such as sunstroke and circulatory problems. There were also typical festival injuries like bruises or fractures. "Thanks to the well-coordinated collaboration with the organizer, authorities, police, and fire department, the medical service ran smoothly - major incidents were avoided," Komosny added in a statement.

ÖAMTC to Handle Up to 400 Incidents

By Sunday noon, the departure from the festival grounds was in full swing. Accordingly, there were traffic jams and waiting times at the exits, reported ÖAMTC spokesperson Romana Schuster. The breakdown helpers were often required for jump-starts, but tire punctures were also frequently recorded. Overall, the Automobile, Motorcycle, and Touring Club is expected to handle 300 to 400 festival-related incidents this year - as in the previous year, Schuster predicted.

Lots of good mood and sunshine at the festival, which was musically concluded on Saturday evening by Wanda and Electric Callboy. However, the shooting spree at a school in Graz on Tuesday did not leave Nova Rock unaffected. On the opening day, a minute of silence was held in memory of the victims. According to festival director Ewald Tatar, "despite 50,000 people on the grounds, you could hear a pin drop." The director's assessment, given the 220,000 guests spread over four days - the second-largest number so far - was as positive as that of the emergency services: "The absolute winner of this festival is the audience."

(APA/Red)

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