Santurtzi is gearing up to attract metal music fans on June 12 and 13 with a new edition of the Kabiefest festival. This free event, now a fixture on the town's cultural calendar, will take place near the Agurtza museum ship. This year's lineup boasts a luxurious array of bands, including the iconic Crimson Glory, with over 40 years of history, who will perform their first concert in Spain at Kabiefest.
According to Markos Hernández, one of the organizers, "it is a great honor and luxury to have a band like Crimson Glory." The concert in Santurtzi will mark the North American band's first performance on their European tour. "We are seeing more movement than in previous editions; several hotels in Santurtzi and surrounding areas are already fully booked for those dates. We expect over 5,000 people to attend," stated Hernández, who also hopes "the weather will be kind" and avoid rain, a factor that has impacted previous editions.
The lineup for June 12, in addition to Crimson Glory, will feature a performance by the Bilbao-based band Rise to Fall, as well as Ms. Missery and Evil Seeds, concluding the opening day of Kabiefest's fifth edition.
The musical offerings for June 13 also promise to be highly appealing. Headlining the bill are the Greek band Firewind, formed in 1998 by Gus G., former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. Their performance in Santurtzi will be their third on their summer tour. Additionally, the American progressive metal band Jolly is expected to draw a significant crowd. Rounding out the festival programming will be performances by the veteran band Vhäldemar from Barakaldo, with a quarter-century of experience, and Evilact from Murcia.
Markos Hernández describes Kabiefest as "a raw gem" and emphasizes that "if we all take care of it, polish it, and promote it, it can continue to grow and become an even better event." The festival is steadily gaining recognition in the metal scene, attracting interest from several nearby municipalities to host it, although the priority remains Santurtzi. "Kabiefest is no longer just our festival; it's an event for Santurtzi, for the entire town," he concludes.
