Dark River Festival 2025 Info:

Dark River Festival will be held at 21. time 10.-12.7.2025 at Honkala, Kotka.

FESTIVAL ETIQUETTE:

We want all Dark River Festival participants to have a comfortable and safe festival experience and a positive festival atmosphere. Celebrate the festival by taking care of yourself, your friends and the festival environment. No racism, discrimination or harassment of any kind will be accepted at Dark River Festival. If you find that kind of activities during the festival, please contact the festival staff.

AGE LIMIT:

Dark River Festival is an age-restricted event (18+). Be prepared to show proof of your age if requested at the gate.

SECURITY CHECK

Security personnel will conduct a security check on all entrants at the gate.

CLOAK ROOM:

Backpacks and other larger items are recommended to be left on the sling. Price for cloakroom is 3€ / visit. The term “visit” means that you can drop off your items once upon arrival and pick them up once at the price of €3.

FORBIDDEN THINGS:

Festival attire is encouraged, but please consider other festival-goers when choosing your outfit. For example, sharp studs can cause harm if you push into the front row. Security personnel have the right to remove decorations they deem hazardous at their discretion. Let’s use that traditional common sense here.

Not allowed on festival area: Glove bottles over 70ml, bicycles, scooters, camping chairs, glass bottles, alcohol products, drugs, firearms and blades, multi-tools, explosives, fireworks, flares, lasers, percussion weapons, animals, banners, umbrellas and all objects classified as dangerous.

Empty water bottle is allowed on the festival grounds. Security personnel have the right to use their discretion and prohibit the entry of unclear or suspicious drink bottles/containers.

Pets are not allowed in the festival area or camping.

Open fires are prohibited on the festival grounds, and as a result, bringing disposable grills to the area is also forbidden.

WRISTBAND REPLACEMENT:

Before the festival, there will be an advance wristband exchange. Tickets can also be exchanged for wristbands at the gate upon arrival at the festival. With the wristband on your wrist, you are free to leave and re-enter the festival area at any time during the event.

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND VISUALLYIMPAIRED PERSONS:

An assistant (1 person) may enter free of charge with a customer who has a disability and requires assistance. Proof such as an EU Disability Card with an A marking is accepted.
Please note that the area is not fully accessible for people with mobility impairments, those using wheelchairs, or visually impaired visitors. There are no wheelchair platforms or designated seating areas, although there is an accessible toilet (inva-wc) on site.
We kindly ask that guide dogs are not brought to the festival, as animals are not allowed on the grounds due to animal welfare reasons.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

All forms of card and cash payment are generally accepted in the area.

CIRCULATION:

There is an organized bottle collection on the festival grounds. Mixed waste and cardboard are also collected in the area.

LOCATION:

The festival grounds are located in the heart of nature’s tranquility in Laajakoski, Kotka. The centre of Karhula is about 5 km away.

CAMERAS, PHOTOGRAPHY, PRESS, MEDIA:

Dark River Festival is committed to respecting artists’ copyrights, so the use of professional system cameras, video cameras and other recording devices is prohibited.

Media accreditation is done through a separate call for applications.

Acceptance will be informed to the applicant personally and he/she will receive festival inf o before the festival. Photography without a press pass and proper permission, as well as failure to follow given instructions, may result in removal from the festival area.

PARKING:

Parking space in our area is very limited, so we recommend arriving by carpool or the designated festival bus if available.

Next to the festival area, there is a small paid parking lot for day visitors.. Cars may not be left in the area overnight.

If you leave the parking lot during the day and return, the parking fee must be paid again. Please also note that the parking lot may be full. Parking cannot be reserved in advance, and parking along the roads leading to the festival grounds is prohibited.

Overnight stays in the parking areas are prohibited for safety reasons.

ACCOMMODATION:

You can find the local accommodation options here.: Visit Kotka-Hamina – majoitus

We recommend that our festival visitors stay at our partner hotels: