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 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. A visit means that you can leave your items once upon arrival and pick them up once upon departure for a fee 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.

The following items are prohibited on the festival grounds: 
hand sanitizer bottles over 70ml, bicycles, scooters, camping chairs, glass bottles, alcoholic beverages, narcotics, firearms and bladed weapons, multitools, explosives, fireworks, torches, lasers, blunt weapons, animals, banners, umbrellas, and any items 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, on Wednesday, July 9th, a wristband exchange pre-party will be held at Restaurant Kairo. More information about the pre-party will be provided later.  
Tickets can also be exchanged for wristbands at the gate. With the wristband on your wrist, you are free to leave and re-enter the festival area at any time during the event.

Physical and/or visual activity:

An escort (1 person) is admitted free of charge with a wheelchair user or visually impaired ticket holder. An example of proof is the EU disability card. Please note that there is no wheelchair platform at the venue, and the area is not fully accessible, although there is an accessible toilet available.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

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

CIRCULATION:

The festival has organized a bottle collection on the grounds. Mixed waste is also collected on the site.  

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. The application form for media accreditation is here. 

The press pass will be notified to the applicant personally, and instructions and additional information will be sent before the festival. Filming without a press pass and proper authorisation, as well as failure to follow the instructions given, may in the worst case lead to expulsion from the festival area.

PARKING:

Our parking spaces are very limited, and we recommend arriving to the venue for example by festival bus.

Next to the festival grounds, there is a small paid parking area for day visitors. The opening hours will be published later. The parking fee is 20 euros, which allows you to park your car in the parking area during the venue’s opening hours. Vehicles are not allowed to remain on the premises 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 stay at parking lot is 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: