Eight years in and somehow the Acoustic Stage at Punk Rock Holiday still finds a way to outdo itself. Tolmin, Slovenia is already the kind of place that feels unreal, with mountains, rivers, and thousands of people there for the same reason. But this year, 2025, the acoustic side of the festival hit another level.
From day one it was packed. Authority Zero opened up on Monday with a full house, and that pretty much set the tone for the week. No barriers, no rules, just bands and fans crammed together in one space where anything could happen.
And it did.
Barstool Preachers came through and absolutely destroyed the stage. The amount of stage diving was insane, like everyone forgot it was supposed to be the “chill” stage. Then there was CF98, who have practically made the Acoustic Stage their home. They played tracks from their latest singles and the crowd went wild—people had clearly been waiting for that moment. GOB brought the nostalgia with songs like “Oh Ellin,” and it felt like every single person in the audience was singing along. Yotam Ben Horin also jumped in with a solo set that reminded everyone why Useless ID still has such a loyal following in Europe.
But maybe the wildest part was when Co-Defendants appeared out of nowhere for a surprise, unannounced set. Nobody saw it coming, and once word spread, the place just exploded. That’s the kind of chaos that makes PRH special.
Outside of the stage, we got to hang out with Urethane backstage, and honestly, meeting Steve Caballero was surreal. A legend on a skateboard, but also one of the most down-to-earth people you could ever talk to. Same goes for Tim Frog, who’s already part of the American Socks family. His energy is just infectious, and having him around made the whole thing even better.
And of course, Kiddo, our inflatable mascot, was holding it down in the back like always. Add in the Player Song sessions every afternoon—where festival-goers could jump up, grab a guitar, and play their own songs—and the whole week felt like the most punk version of an open house. We even went off-script with DJ sessions at the beach stage, including a silent disco and one chaotic Thursday night disco set that turned into pure madness.
Honestly, this has been the craziest Acoustic Stage we’ve ever hosted. Bands, fans, surprise sets, stage dives, secret jams—it had everything. We’re leaving Tolmin with sore throats, bruises, and the best memories, already counting down the days until we get to do it all over again.
