Pyrkon’s Guests

Mighty warriors of the galaxy! Gloryhammer returns from its legendary battles, along with more epic tales captured within a power metal saga. Founded in 2010, the band has released four albums full of heroic struggles between good and evil. The formation is in partnership with Napalm Records, and Christopher Bowes, leader of the Scottish group Alestorm, is the one responsible for its creation. Their latest album, Return to the Kingdom of Fife, tells the story of Angus McFife II and his faithful companions: Hootsman, Ralathor and Proletius, who face the merciless sorcerer Zargothrax.
Gloryhammer’s work draws on the rich heritage of power metal bands that drew inspiration for their music from fantasy. Playing around with convention, the band combines high fantasy and sci-fi themes to create its unique, distinctive style.

British actress who began her career at the age of nine.
She made her film debut in the film adaptation of the book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in the role of Ginny Weasley, and subsequent films of the series brought her increasing recognition. She also starred in the productions “Stranded” and “Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures”.

Mark Sheppard is an actor whose acting career is a real gold mine full of exceptional roles and performances. Sheppard quickly gained notoriety, appearing in many different productions. His career gained momentum with guest and recurring roles in series such as “The Practice”, “The Invisible Man”, “Special Unit 2”, “JAG”, “Star Trek: Voyager”, “The Chronicle”, “Las Vegas”, “Monk”, “CSI: New York”, or “Chuck”. Mark won the hearts of fans as James Sterling in “Leverage” or as Crowley, the King of Hell in “Supernatural.” He is also loved as the character of Romo Lampkin from “Battlestar Galactica”, a complicated and enigmatic lawyer or in the role of Badger, a cunning and ruthless criminal who conquered the hearts of viewers in the production of “Firefly”.

Patricia is the #1 New York Times best selling author of both the Mercy Thompson series and the Alpha and Omega series; she has written thirty books to date and has no intention of stopping! In addition to her two urban fantasy series, she has written fantasy novels, short stories in several anthologies, and also a series of comic books and graphic novels based on her Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series.
Patty was born in Butte, Montana, back in 1965. If you’re good at math, you’ll have deduced that she’s currently twenty-nine. In fact, she’s been twenty-nine for a while and has no intention of getting any older. Fiction authors don’t obey the laws of space and time, they invent them.
Patty is a prevarication professional. She lies for a living, telling whoppers and fibs so outrageous that people pay her to fib some more. Her only concession to honesty is that she tells people she’s lying to them, which is what separates a fiction author from a politician. She loves to play with her imaginary friends, and meeting with readers who know her imaginary friends is a treat. Her biggest complaint with writing is that she has far more ideas for stories than time to write them. It is her gift and her curse!

Patty began her career writing traditional high fantasy novels in 1993, and shifted gears in 2006 to write urban fantasy. Moon Called was the first of her signature series about Mercy; the non-stop adventure left readers wanting more, and word of this exciting new urban fantasy series about a shape-shifting mechanic spread quickly. The series has continued to grow in popularity with the release of each book, including the spin-off Alpha and Omega series, which are set in the same world as the Mercy Thompson novels.

Amazon has recently optioned the rights to the Mercy Thompson series. An option is not a promise to make the project happen, so Patty is patiently waiting to hear if and when it will be green lit. Many fingers and toes may still be crossed at this time.
Patty resides in Eastern Washington near Tri-Cities, home of Mercy Thompson; yes, it’s a real place! When not working on the next book, she can be found playing truant out in her horse pastures, playing with the newest babies. For more information about Patricia Briggs, visit the author on the web at www.patriciabriggs.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPatriciaBriggs/

He first read the works of J.R.R. Tolkien over forty years ago. For many years, he taught the only university course in the UK dedicated to Tolkien’s work. In addition, he has published numerous important studies on Tolkien. Beyond his research into Tolkien’s life and writing, he is best known for his work on cultural environmentalism and the Gothic – the latter earning him the media nickname “The Professor of Gothic.” He currently holds a professorship in English literature at the University of Macau. Previously, he held academic positions in Bristol, Chicago, Stanford, and Exeter, where he was awarded an honorary professorial title.

Kevin J. Anderson is the author of nearly 100 books, including novels set in universes beloved by readers such as Diuna, Star Wars, X-Files, Star Trek, StarCraft and Superman. He continues to expand his literary output, providing fans with further fascinating stories.

Dan Jones is a beloved British historian, journalist and television presenter. He has hosted dozens of TV shows, including the Netflix series Secrets of Great British Castles, of which he is the co-creator and main character. He is also the creator and runner of the This is History podcast.

He is also a bestselling non-fiction author. Dan’s literary output includes historical novels, horror films, biographies, and, above all, historical works such as: “Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages”, “Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands”, “The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors”. His acclaimed trilogy, started with the Essex Dogs, tells the story of ordinary soldiers in the early years of the Hundred Years’ War.
He is a member of the Royal Historical Society.

Dan Jones graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and History at one of the best universities in the world – the University of Cambridge. Dan Jones has been working with the London Evening Standard for years, where he writes columns on various sports.

Tim Downie is an actor, writer and podcaster who has worked on such films as the award-winning The King’s Speech, Paddington and Les Miserable. He’s currently appearing in Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose opposite Simon Pegg and Minnie Driver, and How To Date Billy Walsh with Sebastian Croft and Charithra Chandran.
TV work includes the multi-award-winning Peep Show, Upstart Crow, Chewing Gum, Toast of London, Toast of Tinseltown, Plebs, and Outlander. He can currently be seen on Amazon Prime’s Good Omens 2, Big Mood with Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West for Channel 4 and Geek Girl, a brand-new series for Netflix based on the best-selling books.

His game debut was playing Gale of Waterdeep in Larian’s worldwide smash, Baldur’s Gate III.
He also co-hosts and co-writes the hit podcast FolkLands which is listened to in over 120 countries worldwide.

One of the four authors who, in the years 2003–2017, adopted the pseudonym Erin Hunter. Editor of several dozen books from the iconic Warriors series. She was responsible, among others, for coming up with titles and making sure consistency of the series stays intact.
Privately, a horse lover and a happy owner of one steed. If she were a cat, she would belong to the Wind Clan and be called Mouse Paw.

Łydka Grubasa is a band from Olsztyn that has been very active on the rock scene in Poland and abroad for over twenty years. They have released five studio albums, performed at all the major festivals—including multiple appearances on the Main Stage at Pol’and’Rock—and played hundreds of club gigs. The band is also a recipient of the Złoty Bączek (Golden Buzzard) award at the aforementioned Pol’and’Rock Festival, as well as a double platinum certification awarded by SPAV for the single “Rapapara.” Their songs have garnered millions of streams and views.

The group performs a highly diverse blend of rock music, interwoven with borrowings from virtually every musical genre. The lyrical content is a satire on the surrounding reality, enriched with sharp and pointed punchlines. Łydka is a band known for its high-energy live shows and strong focus on the audience, making every effort to engage and involve the crowd during concerts. Some of their performances include a brass section, which adds even more richness to the sonic and visual experience.

The band members are:

Bartosz Krusznicki – vocals

Maciej Charytoniak – guitar

Artur Wszeborowski – bass guitar

Dominik Skwarczyński – keyboards

Maciej Matuszczyk – drums

Fan of comics since childhood, it is after working for the Spanish animation studio Disney that Rafa Sandoval joins Marvel for which he works on many titles such as Ultimate Spider-Man, X-Men, Hercules, etc.

In 2013, he left for DC Comics to draw Catwoman, before trying his hand at the European comic with «Les Prométhéens» (Le Lombard).

After a quick run on the titles Harbinger and X-O Manowar (Valiant/Bliss Comics), the Catalan cartoonist returns to DC Comics for which he will illustrate for 2 years the new series Green Lantern of the Rebirth era, «Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps», followed by a year on Flash.

He’s currently working on the brand new line of DC Comics Absolute, with Absolute Superman.

Sara Pichelli began her artistic path in animation, but it was drawing comics that proved to be her greatest passion. She started in the industry at Cut-Up publishing house, co-creating her first comic book Sesso col coltello. She then worked with IDW Comics, illustrating the Star Trekseries, among others.
Her greatest fame came from her work on the Ultimate Comics:. Spider-Man series with Miles Morales, but her portfolio also includes such titles as Runaways, Iron Man, Avengers, Captain America, Scarlet Witch and many others.
During Pyrkon, attendees will have a chance to get an autograph, a special drawing in their favorite comic book, as well as talk to Sara and ask her some nagging questions. This is a unique opportunity for any comic books fan – whether you are a long-time fan of the genre or just discovering your love for illustration.

Julie Kagawa was born and raised in Sacramento, California, where she spent the first nine years of her life. However, it was not in California that her love of literature was born. The biggest turning point in her life came after she moved to Hawaii. There she discovered two of her greatest passions – her love of the ocean and books. She began dealing with books professionally by working in various bookstores. It wasn’t a straight path to writing books full-time – she had some more adventures along the way.

Loczniki is a Polish dance duo consisting of Loczek and Nicki. They are primarily known for their presence on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. On TikTok, they have gained significant popularity, with over 3 million followers and 121.1 million likes. They also have a substantial presence on Instagram, with over 901,000 followers.

This duo specializes in a dance style called popping, which is a form of street dance. They have gained recognition not just in Poland but also on the international dance scene. Additionally, their unique hallmark is imitating characters from video games and anime movies, which has contributed to their internet popularity.

Besides their dance performances, Loczniki also offer dance courses, which can be found on their website. Their creativity and dance skills attract fans from various backgrounds, making them some of the more recognizable figures in Polish dance culture and in social media.

Shirak is an acclaimed cosplayer and a professional makeup artist specialising in special effects prosthetics. She has been honing her craft and performing on the cosplay scene for over twenty years, appearing at national and international events. Her work has been featured in music videos for bands such as Bring Me The Horizon and Enter Shikari, as well as in films and TV series, including Gladiator 2, Aquaman 2, Willow, and Doctor Who. In 2015, she represented the United Kingdom at the European Cosplay Gathering Championships, where she was awarded the “Arda Wigs – Best Wig” prize. She has also been a multiple-time finalist in The Next Level of Cosplay competition organized by the Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles, and in 2019, she won Ve Neill’s Legends of Makeup Contest. Shirak has been a guest at many events as a judge and panelist.
At Pyrkon, she will join us as a jury member for the Masquerade and lead SFX makeup workshops.

After leaving art college, Peter worked in forests and garden centres before setting up a business sculpting models for RPG and tabletop wargames. For fifteen years he sculpted fantasy and sci-fi models before pursuing his main passion of writing. As a self-published author, Peter’s first novel became an Amazon bestseller and was adapted into a film called Dark Sense. In 2017 he published the epic fantasy novel Battle Mage, a book that has been translated into seven languages and is now loved by readers all over the world. Following the success of Battle Mage, Peter began work on a new fantasy series called Decimus Fate before returning to the world of Battle Mage to write a prequel called AQUILA, which will soon be translated into Polish.

Participant of LEGO® Masters Poland, promoter of workshops using LEGO® bricks. A woman in the world of LEGO®, who runs the largest profile in Poland on this subject on the TikTok platform (more than 700 thousand followers) and YouTube (more than 300 thousand followers). Co-author of a book dedicated to LEGO® bricks.
Ciocia od Klocków – because that’s the nickname the community has come to know and love her under – proves in a fun and sometimes educational way that LEGO® is not just a toy for children. She has been conducting workshops with bricks for 11 years, and has been operating full time and on her own account since 2022.
She owns Zabawownia, a place where you can enjoy her impressive collection of LEGO® sets. Every day she inspires her followers by showing how fascinating life can be when accompanied by bricks!

Atsushi is a multi-talented artist behind the solo project – Centimillimental – writing lyrics, composing, arranging, singing, playing piano and guitar, and handling all aspects of music programming. Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers, workstations, hardware synthesizers, and samplers, to generate sounds of musical instruments.

In September 2019, he made his debut with the single “Kizuato”, released under EPIC Records. The song was selected as the opening theme for the anime “Given” and has amassed over 26 million plays on Spotify.

Since then, Atsushi has performed the theme song for the “Given” movie, as well as the opening theme for the anime Bakuten!.

In 2021, he held a solo tour, culminating in a sold-out final performance at Zepp Tokyo!

With his exceptional songwriting skills, Atsushi has been involved in producing a band featured in the anime “Bakuten!”, and he is responsible for the lyrics, composition, and sound production for the band “Given”, which appears in the anime. The song he produced for “Given” has surpassed 140 million plays on Spotify.

Music group coming from Japan. In Latin, the name ClariS means “bright, pure, and brilliant”. To date, they have released 28 singles, 4 mini albums, 1 EP, 7 original albums, as well as the Best album release, while having many of their songs selected as anime tie-ins. On October 26th, 2024, the live tour “ClariS AUTUMN TOUR 2024 ~Via Fortuna ~” started, which spanned over 3 cities (5 performances in total), and one of the members, Karen graduated from ClariS with this tour. On January 25, 2025, at the event “Lisani! LIVE 2025” (held at Nippon Budokan), ClariS performed for the first time as their newly formed identity, welcoming Elly and Anna as new members. And so, the 3rd chapter of ClariS officially started as a three-person unit of Clara, Elly and Anna.

Studio Accantus is a team of creators and artists whose mission is to spread the love for musical theatre and film music in Poland, and to do this exclusively in Polish. In the twelve years that they have been active, they have already produced several hundred songs, which you can find on their public YouTube channel. Among other things, they became famous for their Polish versions of musicals such as “Hamilton,” “SIX” and “The Greatest Showman”.

Performing for you will be: Małgorzata Chruściel, Dominik Fijałkowski, Aleksandra Gotowicka, Kuba Jurzyk, Aleksandra Lewicka, Patrycja Mizerska, Sylwia Przetak, Paulina Stekla and the Accantus Live Band with Kasia Kessling

Talon has been a cosplayer for nearly ten years and has specialized in creating impressive armor, realistic props and daring stage performances practically from the very beginning. He has numerous victories in national competitions to his credit and has repeatedly represented Poland at international events, winning, among others, first place at the Cosplay World Masters. This year, together with Bish, he will represent Poland at the Extreme Cosplay Gathering World Championships in Paris and at the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya. He himself says that he is not afraid of summer temperatures, inconvenience, limited movement, or even the TikTok algorithm!

Anhyra is a professional cosplayer from A Coruña, Spain. She began her cosplaying journey in 2013, and since then, she has become a true specialist in creating high-quality armour, props, and FX makeup. She has extensive experience in the video game industry, having worked with companies like Activision Blizzard and PlayStation Spain. She has also worked at booths in significant events like Gamescom, TwitchCon, and PAX East. In recent years, Anhyra has won awards such as Best Armor at BlizzCon Online and Best Cosplay at Dreamhack Beyond International. She has been invited as a professional and cosplay judge to numerous events across Spain and Europe, where she also holds workshops and panels about cosplay creation. During Pyrkon, she will be judging the Own Character Contest at the Cosplay Zon

Bish is a recognized Polish cosplayer who has been creating costumes for almost a decade. A specialist when it comes to competitions, both local and international. She represented Poland at such events as the Cosplay World Masters and the International Cosplay League. This year, together with Talon, they will form the national team at the World Cosplay Summit in Japan and during the Extreme Cosplay Gathering World Championship with the final in Paris. During the Pyrkon, she will evaluate the competition for her Own Design. As a juror, she attaches the most importance to the finishing of the outfit and the variety of techniques.

Trine is a Danish, full-time cosplayer who started her cosplay journey in 2016.

Her big love of dark fantasy has inspired her to create cosplays from video games such as Dark Souls, Monster Hunter, Elden Ring etc.

She has competed in and judged many international cosplay contests. Her achievements include winning first place in the Solo category at the International Cosplay League 2024, the title of Grand Champion at the Tournament of Champions 2023, and representing Denmark at Extreme Cosplay Gathering 2022. She has also worked with video game companies such as Bandai Namco, Hoyoverse and Bethesda.

As the owner of Oak Stall since 2019, he specializes in creating authentic custom-made costumes, mainly in a fantasy style. His company has worked with Polish and foreign film productions, including the Korean studio Pearl Abyss, the creators of Black Desert. The Oak Stall team participated in projects such as Misja – Kosmiczna seria Darwina, led workshops for CD Projekt RED and created costumes for the premiere of The Witcher. Kuba’s portfolio also includes projects outside the fantasy genre, such as costumes for the film KOS and the opera “The Flying Dutchman”. Currently, he is involved in the LarpSpace project — a comprehensive space for LARP games in the style of science fiction. One of his recent achievements is creating over 40 costumes for the HOST — Viking LARP event. In his career, he combines his passion for fantasy worlds with the pursuit of perfection in the design and execution of costumes and set design.

Justin Alexander is the best-selling author of So You Want To Be A Game Master and the RPG Developer at Atlas Games. He’s the co-creator of the Infinity roleplaying game, the deluxe edition of Magical Kitties Save the Day, and he has previously worked with Fantasy Flight Games, Modiphius, Goodman Games, Steve Jackson Games, Dream Pod 9, Realms of Fantasy magazine, Game Trader Magazine, and many others. The Alexandrian, his Ennie Award-winning website, is a huge online resource for players and game masters alike.

Echo Rodu was born in the depths of mountain wilderness, where harmonious vibrations carry the sounds of organic melodies. It is a fusion of traditional Slavic folklore and tribal rhythms with modern influences—diverse electronic sounds inspired by the voices of wild forests. Accompanying this are atmospheric vocals and rare instruments from a long-gone era, such as the Slavic harp (gusli), hurdy-gurdy, and many others.

Drawing from genres like organic downtempo, neotribal, psytrance, and folktronica, the band’s music immerses listeners in ancient rituals and sweeps them into trance-like dances.

In 2023, the group released their debut album, Gorej. Currently, its members are working on a new record in collaboration with Paprodziad. Recently, they released the single Rodu Root, heralding the upcoming album.

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Chant Evans is a producer at Rowan, Rook & Decard, looking after the DIE RPG, Hollows, Voidheart Symphony, and occasionally other things. He’s also an experienced freelance TTRPG writer, having worked for studios like Helmgast, Cubicle 7, Onyx Path Publishing, Renegade Games Studios and more. Please talk to him about your favourite horror and dark fantasy RPGs, but be aware it’s hard to shut him up on the subject.

Thomas Fryxelius is a versatile game developer who, together with his twin brother Daniel, designed “Wilderness,” the first published game from FryxGames Publishing House. Since then, Thomas has actively supported the development of more projects, providing valuable feedback and ideas at every stage of the creative process.
In addition to designing games, Thomas also handles the FryxGames online store, bringing games to fans all around the world.

Together with his wife Rita, he founded the board game publishing house Modiphius Entertainment in London in 2013. Modiphius has grown rapidly thanks to a series of hugely successful crowdfunding projects and large premieres of its own games such as Achtung! Cthulhu, as well as licensed projects including Matt Leacock’s Thunderbirds, Dune, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls Skyrim, and Homeworld: Fleet Command.
Prior to Modiphius, Chris founded and for 13 years was the creative director of Joystick Junkies – a fashion brand that was the first to launch high-quality streetwear based on the properties of video games such as Atari and Space Invaders in the mass market and in fashion boutiques. Before that, he led Cruise Control, one of the UK’s first online PR agencies, after spending 10 years in the music industry, including at the EDM Universe Tribal Gathering music festival and at Impact Talent as an international music booking agent.
Chris will appear at Pyrkon to talk about creating and working on the latest projects, such as “Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Adventures in Ankh-Morpork” or “Heroes of Might and Magic”. Maybe this year he will manage to surprise Pyrkon-goers with some fresh news once again?

A versatile creator based in Sheffield, England. Known for his collaborations with Chris Taylor, he is recognized as a prominent figure in the role-playing game community.
He co-creates thrilling worlds and narratives that have gained universal recognition. Together with Chris, he created many significant projects, including “Heart: the City Beneath”, “Spire: the City Must Fall”, “Honey Heist”, “DIE: the RPG” and “Eat the Reich”. Their upcoming venture, “Hollows”, raises huge expectations in the RPG community, while they recently announced another, smaller project – Voidheart Symphony.
He finds solace in lonely moments, enjoying the silence in his home after a day of creative cooperation. His contribution to the world of role-playing games remains indelible, delighting enthusiasts with his unlimited imagination and creative talent.

Maz Hamilton is one of the founders of Rowan, Rook and Decard, and has brought a signature brand of high-speed pedantry to bear on their products and business since 2017. They make sure the games go from being feral Google Docs to beautiful, high-quality, and, above all, real books in people’s hands.

He is a creative game designer and a veteran of the board games world who has played a key role in developing the gaming passion of his large family. Raised in Sweden, among 10 brothers and 6 sisters, Jacob was exposed to games from an early age, and they became a central part of his relatives’ lives.
For the moment, his work is focused on designing card games – in this field Jacob combines his imagination with years of experience to create titles that attract players from all over the world. In 2011, he and his siblings founded FryxGames, a family-owned board game publishing company. However, many of Jacob’s designs and ideas date back decades, to a time before the company was formally founded.

Sandra Recka – better known on Instagram as retzka.photobricks, where she shows the results of combining her two greatest passions – LEGO® bricks and photography. A graduate of journalism, she has won many photo contests, including DEBUTS 2016 – a review for the best emerging photographers of the young generation.

She has been taking photos continuously for 20 years in a variety of fields – from sports, to weddings, to concerts, until 2023, when she completed a photo assignment for The LEGO® Group itself.

As part of her activity, she presents original scenes inspired by everyday life, which she invents and builds herself. While working on each photo, she takes care of the smallest details and tries to make each photo look like a frame ripped straight out of a movie!

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Elaine Lithgow is a Scottish TTRPG designer and producer working at Rowan, Rook, and Decard. She’s been working full time in games for over a decade, including videogames (inc Angry Birds), boardgames (inc Adventure Mart), and tabletop roleplaying games (inc various Warhammer TTRPGs and Heart: The City Beneath).

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Matt Sanders is Rowan, Rook & Decard’s Professional Friendly Person. That covers a few things like organising and running our convention presence, working with retailers and distributors to get our books on shelves, and working with our production folks to make our games work at every step from factory to your shelf.

Come visit the Veritas Roleplay booth at Pyrkon 2025, where you’ll step into a unique world inspired by the Gothic saga. Veritas offers a one-of-a-kind chance to try a special playtest session using a custom script edition developed exclusively for the festival. Take on the role of a resident of the Duchy of Veritas—a feudal vassal of the Kingdom of Myrtana—and explore its rich traditions, complex intrigues, and breathtaking landscapes.
With original mechanics, maps, and music created by a team of enthusiasts with over 13 years of role-play experience, Veritas promises full immersion in a world where players shape both history and their characters’ destinies.
Whether you’re a seasoned RPG veteran or just starting your journey, there’s something here for everyone!

Step into a zone packed with 64 nostalgia-fueled stations. This isn’t your typical “do not touch” museum. Here, everything is fully interactive—every device is powered on and ready to play! Pyrkon-goers will have the opportunity to dive into classics like PONG clones, the Commodore 64, Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Sega Master System, and networked PCs running Windows XP.
The area will also host 10 tournaments—check out the Pyrkon program for more details!

Poznań’s esports initiative, YOMI, returns to Pyrkon with tournaments in Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, and Street Fighter 6! Sony PlayStation 5 consoles will be available, featuring a wide variety of fighting games—and more! This year, you’ll also find a dedicated photo space specially for cosplayers!
Throughout these fantastic 3 days, you’ll get the chance to meet the YOMI team, learn about their regular offline sparring sessions, and find out more about the tournaments they organize for Poland’s Fighting Games Community.

Michał, known in the LEGO fan community as @dziad_custom_minifigs, has been passionate about creating custom minifigures for years – always using only original LEGO parts. At his booth, every fan of all things fantasy will find something to enjoy – from Castle-style knights to samurai warriors!

CHRUST is a Polish music group that blends modern ethnic sounds.
Three distinct personalities, each passionate about their favorite music style (folk, electro, rock), come together to create a unique and contemporary sound for the band. The group’s creativity is rooted in Polish traditional and Slavic music, drawing inspiration from renowned acts and figures such as Percival Schuttenbach, Wardruna, Trent Reznor, Tool, and Igor Herbut.
Formed in Gdańsk in 2021, CHRUST released their debut single, “Hen za Rzeką”, marking the beginning of their musical journey. A year later, in May 2022, they unveiled their first fully original album, titled “Chrust”. Despite the band’s relatively short existence, they have already accumulated an impressive record of concerts, competition victories, festival performances, and recognitions.

Pull The Wire is a band that has been shaping its unique style since 2005, and the current line-up and sound were established with the release of the album “Życie to Western” four years ago. The group has gained recognition thanks to energetic concerts and catchy melodies that attract crowds of fans. The band regularly performs at the largest Polish festivals, such as Pol’and’Rock Festival, Rockowizna, Jarocin or Zew się Budzi, and has also had the opportunity to share the stage with international stars such as Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard or Rise Against. In 2023, during a performance at the Pol’and’Rock Festival, Pull The Wire was honored with the audience award – the Złoty Bączek, which was a confirmation of their stage success. The band has recorded four studio albums, and their singles regularly appear on the charts, strengthening their position on the Polish rock scene.

Do you remember light gun shooters? Ever heard of the GunCon or the Zapper? Do you recall blasting ducks, outlaws in the Wild West, or hordes of zombies? If so, don’t forget to check out the brand-new themed exhibition by Flashback Konsole, titled Shooting Gallery. You’ll find 12 incredible stations waiting for you — spanning from the Nintendo NES to the PlayStation 3!
Aim for classic titles like Duck Hunt on the NES, Lethal Enforcers II on the Sega Mega Drive, or Yoshi’s Safari on the Super Nintendo… and many, many more!

An Egyptologist who, on a daily basis, uncovers the secrets of the land of the pharaohs. Author of numerous publications, including the book Tales from the Nile: Egyptian Stories from the Middle Kingdom (Warsaw 2017), and the first Polish translation of “The Letter to Monsieur Dacier” (Kraków 2022), in which Jean-François Champollion, the father of Egyptology, announced the principles for deciphering hieroglyphs.

When not studying ancient texts, he tries to keep up with the latest trends in Polish and global science fiction so as not to sound like an idiot at Pyrkon. In his spare time, he does puzzles—the more pieces, the better.

Kaliane Bradley is a British writer and editor who has taken the literary world by storm. However, before her name began to appear on bestseller lists, she had gained recognition as a short story writer, as evidenced by her awards: Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize and V.S.. Pritchett Short Story Prize (both in 2022). Her novel debut, The Ministry of Time, published in 2024, delighted readers and critics, earning her the title of one of the year’s greatest literary discoveries.

Photo author: Robin Christian

Life in plastic? It’s fantastic!

Can minifigures tell big stories? Tom Lasek or Tom Skog on Instagram proves that they can! He has been taking photos of LEGO minifigures for more than a decade, taking them to extraordinary settings and giving them life in frames full of emotion and humor. Tom’s photographs are not only playing with scale, perspective and light, but also stories that transport the viewer to distant worlds, although sometimes the minifigures themselves do not leave the apartment or even the kitchen table.

Osmotically soaking up influences from pop culture, literature and science in the broadest sense, Tomek creates a kind of amalgam in the recesses of his brain, which then ferments into ideas, sometimes surprising to the author himself. The fruits of these ideas are usually facetious portrayals, although he sometimes smuggles in insights or reflections on the reality around us [or simulacrum, if you will].
As an active member of the Toy Photographers community, Tomek not only shares his passion on the blog, but also contributes to this international community. He serves as a “community manager” for this community, as well as a “community ambassador” for LEGO, as part of the LEGO Ambassador Network program, which was created for adult fans of the Danish bricks – AFOLs*.
In 2019, his work briefly burst outside the fandom bubble when one of his photos – depicting a minifigure version of Olga Tokarczuk, created to celebrate her receiving the Nobel Prize – caught the attention of the mainstream media.

Tomek’s exhibition in the LEGO Fan Zone is a unique opportunity to see the world made of plastic bricks in a whole new light – full of detail, emotion and artistic vision. Visit the exhibition and see for yourself how you can use your camera to change your perspective and rediscover the world!

Mateusz Zawadzki, known in the world of LEGO® creators as Mattheo33, is a brick photography enthusiast who devotes himself to his greatest passion – building LEGO® sets and creating unique photos – after hours of working in e-commerce. Although he is an amateur photographer, he is constantly evolving, learning from his mistakes and experimenting with new techniques. He is also the originator and founder of #AFOLSQUAD, a group of LEGO Photography enthusiasts.

His fascination with bricks began as a child, but he rekindled his love for them in 2018 when his wife showed him how to take interesting shots with his camera. He has since combined the two passions, and his collection already includes more than 500 minifigures, the oldest of which date back to the 1990s.

His first exhibition of his work was held at a local library, and he made his debut on the LEGO® fan scene during KLOCKON in Będzin in 2018, where he first presented his photos to the general public. Since then, he has been constantly developing his skills and taking on more and more ambitious projects.

During Pyrkon 2025, you will be able to see his work at the LEGO Photographers’ Corner, where he will present his photographs alongside other artists. His motto – “Lego is passion – photo is attraction” – perfectly captures an approach to creativity that not only unites two passions, but also inspires others to discover the magic of the brick world.

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Debuting in 2017, the charismatic duo has performed on the stages of festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, Pol’and’Rock, and Germany’s Fusion Festival, while playing nearly 200 concerts from Slovakia to Japan. They have released three albums under the Karrot Kommando label: Stypa komedianta (2019), Się (2021), and Rave macabre (2024).

Kirszenbaum is a collaborative project of Kacper Szpyrka (a bookseller and violinist) and Jakub Wiśniewski (a guitarist and lyricist), who are also active in the literary field. Szpyrka’s translations have been published in Literatura na Świecie and by the Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy (How to Make a Novel by Miguel de Unamuno, 2021), while Wiśniewski has authored two novels: Myja (Biuro Literackie, 2022) and Robak (Filtry, 2022), the latter of which earned him the Kraków UNESCO City of Literature Award.

Perły i Łotry is one of the most well-known Polish bands performing sea shanties. It was founded in 1992 in Katowice and has since had a significant influence on the local folk scene. Over the years, the group has undergone numerous lineup and name changes, releasing many albums, including Sail-Ho!, Kanał lewy, kanał prawy, and Missa. The band has achieved success not only in Poland but also abroad, performing in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA. They are the organizers of the Sea Song Festival Port Pieśni Pracy, which combines music with charity work. Perły i Łotry actively develop their creativity, engaging in new projects and collaborating with artists from various genres, as exemplified by their remix of My Mother Told Me with French DJ LB One.

LEt’s GO Build was established in 2015 as one of the first nationwide, publicly accessible spaces for enthusiasts of building with Lego bricks.
What started as a small group suddenly began attracting more people eager to contribute to the forum. Initially, members could be counted in the hundreds, and later, in the thousands. For a long time, Let’s Go Build remained the largest and most active Polish forum dedicated to Lego bricks.
Today, LEt’s GO Build expands beyond the online world, appearing at events such as Klockon in Będzin and klockoMANIA in Wrocław, distributing souvenirs during the opening of LEGO Stores, and supporting the Lego Fan Zone at Pyrkon in Poznań.
Over the years, the Let’s Go Build forum has helped forge new friendships and laid the foundation for many builders’ projects. While much has changed during this time, as the team celebrates the forum’s tenth anniversary, they promise to continue adding their own “brick” to building the community of Lego fans in Poland.

Radek began his YouTube journey in 2012, initially focusing on Rubik’s Cube-related videos. Even today, speedcubing remains a key theme in his content and an important part of his life—in August 2023, he even participated in the world rubik’s cube solving championship. Radek has also worked with Ekipa Friza as a cameraman. In recent years, LEGO content has increasingly appeared on his channel, and he once served as an ambassador for the Bricks & Figs museum in Krakow.

Zenek Kupatasa (Grabowski) is an artist who began his musical career as the leader of the band Kabanos, of which he was the frontman for 21 years. His creative workshop, combining the energy of punk rock with an alternative approach to music, resulted in numerous albums, including iconic titles such as “Kiełbie we Łbie” Zęby w ścianę”, “Dramat Współczesny” “Flaki z olejem” or “Balonowy Album”, for which he received the Antyradio award in the “Album of the Year 2015” category. After starting his solo career in 2016, the artist released, among others, the albums “Grubo albo wcale”, “Płachta na byka”, “Darmowe przytulasy”, “O!”. and “Rezyliencja I. Tak 3mać!” . His latest album, “Rezyliencja II: Jakie to jest piękne”, was released in 2023. Zenek is known for his direct contact with the audience during concerts, which makes his performances full of energy and interaction. In addition to music, he also has experience as a music journalist and education in the field of media psychology.

Mariusz Goli is a Polish guitarist, busker, and composer who has been developing his passion for playing the guitar since the age of fifteen. His music resonates both on the streets of European cities and at street art festivals, as well as on concert stages – from intimate clubs to large venues. For him, busking is not only a way of life but above all a source of great satisfaction. He values direct contact with the audience, and his performances attract crowds and enjoy millions of views online.

Mariusz’s style is a blend of guitar improvisation, fingerstyle technique, and dynamic rhythm, enriched with percussive sounds produced directly from the guitar. In his compositions, he uses devices such as loop stations and stomp boxes, and his inspirations reach into flamenco music as well as various folk genres. His work is a continuous exploration of new sounds and techniques, allowing him to constantly evolve his unique style.

He has been fascinated by film music since childhood, which led to his compositions for the movie I Will Find You (2018) and the VR game The Wizards – Dark Times (2020).
He is an endorser of the guitar brand Ortega Guitars.

The All Fine Choir is a group that brings together graduates of choirs from various music schools in Poznań, among others. It is formed by a group of singing enthusiasts from high school and college age, and the glue of the group is conductor Laura Stieler, who not only takes care of the artistic side and igniting the passion for singing but also fosters a good atmosphere, creating an environment of friendship and support. The recent successes of the choir include: the Golden Diploma and the Golden Angel Statue at the 11th Krakow Festival of Advent and Christmas Songs (2022), the Golden Diploma and Medal at the 11th Gdańsk International Choir Festival (2023), as well as the 1st place and Golden Diploma at the 12th Festival of Marian Choral Songs 2023 in Częstochowa – Koziegłowy (2023).
In addition to participating in competitions and concerts, the group has also taken part in festivals such as the Christmas Festival “Poznań Caroling”, the Cabaret Festival “Christmas Eve with Smoleń” organized by the “Become a Cabaret Star” association, and the choir has also participated in concerts accompanying the Grand Prix of Polish Choral Music.
In its repertoire, you can find the most important works of choral music, sacred music, entertainment, and film music. In the concert, they will perform pieces from productions such as “My Neighbor Totoro”, “Laputa – Castle in the Sky”, “Spirited Away”, “Suzume”, and “Elfen Lied”. The group reaches for unique arrangements, and a significant part of the repertoire consists of arrangements made by the conductor herself.

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inba☆style is a collective of DJs fascinated by the Japanese club scene and underground electronic music sounds. Their sets are an explosive mix of j-core, hardcore techno, hardstyle and hard dance that transports listeners straight to the neon heart of Akihabara. Behind the decks you will be able to see Kyuko, Pixa Galaxy and DJ Chrapnel, serving up energetic remixes of songs from anime, Vocaloids and j-pop.

Viking C, or Patryk S. Covers, is a Polish performer of anime covers, mostly known on YouTube, where his interpretations have garnered hundreds of thousands of listens. A former singer of rock and metal bands, he is a self-taught musician who has been passionate about music and anime since childhood. His adventure began with “Dragon Ball” and continues to this day – it is the songs from this series, along with “Attack on Titan”, that have become the basis for his most popular covers.

Milky Way Heroes is a cosplay-dance group that has been active for 7 years! They’ve performed at numerous conventions and have built a loyal fanbase along the way. No challenge is too big for them—they captivate with the unique charisma and mystery of zombie idols from the anime Zombieland Saga, while also enchanting audiences with the charm, sweetness, and stunning femininity of characters from the Love Live! series.

The girls are thrilled to be performing at Pyrkon, where they’ll be cosplaying MORE MORE JUMP! from the game Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage (Japanese: PROJECT SEKAI) and showcasing their full range of talents. Get your lightsticks ready and save your voices—you’ll need them for their show!

WANDAL is a Polish-Norwegian band playing heavy/dark/acoustic/folk metal.

The first plans to create the band began to take shape seven years ago when Marcin Dzięcioł, its founder, became a collector of ancient instruments. Joining forces with his brother Adrian, the creator of the band LIVERUM, Marcin set out in search of a unique sound. Drawing from their experience in metal music, the brothers added an acoustic touch to their compositions, shaping the current identity of the project—the band WANDAL.
The lyrics and atmosphere of their songs bring to life the spirits of the ancient and wild North, as well as Slavic heritage. As the band’s founder describes it:
“We grew up in Norway, where we moved as teenagers with our entire family. Our inspiration came from the monumental nature and the ancient European and Scandinavian culture and its legacy.”

The band’s debut album was released in the summer of 2024, showcasing WANDAL’s style and musical vision. Nearly every track on the album was accompanied by a music video, created in collaboration with the AceOfArt group.

Cronica was formed in 2014 in Jaworzno, and its style can be described as a fusion of traditional melodies with heavy, metal-driven sound, accompanied by a wide range of vocal techniques—from classical and operatic singing to growling and screaming.

The band’s songs are deeply rooted in Slavic mythology but also draw inspiration from Greek, Norse, and Jewish legends. Beyond myths and ancient beliefs, Cronica explores philosophy, the human condition, and contemporary issues, giving some of their songs a more reflective character.

Their discography includes three releases: the debut album Świt Historii (2015), Na Tej Ziemi (2016), and their latest record, Ukony (2022), which presents a heavier, more heavy-metal-oriented side of the band.

Cronica is also known for its energetic live performances and passion for touring. The band regularly plays across Poland and beyond, sharing the stage with some of Europe’s top folk-metal acts. They have appeared at major festivals such as Pol’and’Rock Festival and Słowiańska Noc Folk Metalowa.

“Zdemaskowani” is a musical ensemble affiliated with the Fryderyk Chopin School of Music in Legnica. The group consists of students from the school: Antoni Galusiński, Pola Grondys, Maja Sierpina, Julia Wańkowicz, Helena Wańkowicz, Ewa Krężel, and Gabriel Świder. The ensemble is led by double bass teacher Paweł Stuczyński, with Mikołaj Potoczak accompanying the students on piano.

From the very beginning, Zdemaskowani has maintained an active concert schedule, performing at numerous school concerts as well as cultural events both in Legnica and beyond. Their achievements include performances at the Sudeten Philharmonic in Wałbrzych in June 2023 and October 2024.

The ensemble’s members have also earned numerous individual awards in competitions held in cities such as London, Prague, Berlin, Ostrava, Dolný Kubín, Częstochowa, Elbląg, Lublin, and many others.

The group continues to grow and is currently preparing for their next performance — a concert of film music at the Sudeten Philharmonic.

Viimaheim is a solo project that began in 2022 as a fusion of a love for medieval/folk music and the beauty of nature. The core of its distinctive sound is built around the tones of the Irish bouzouki, supported by a rhythmic section (cajón, tambourine). Despite its instrumental-acoustic arrangements, the bard’s music contains an element of aggressive heavy metal riffs. Viimaheim is also a troubadour at the Witcher Village during Pyrkon, organized by the Wiedźmiński Kasztel.

The band Lor is made up of four members: Jagoda Kudlińska, who provides vocals; Julia Skiba on piano; violinist Julia Błachuta; and Paulina Sumera, who writes the band’s lyrics and plays bass guitar. Interestingly, at the time the band was formed, the youngest of the girls was only fourteen years old.

Lor has performed on some of the most prestigious stages in Poland and abroad, including Open’er Festival, OFF Festival, and Orange Warsaw Festival. They even had the honor of playing at the European Parliament. Their music has also been featured in TV series and programs on major networks such as TVN (in the series Pod Powierzchnią and Nieobecni) and Netflix (in the series Open Your Eyes). The band also had the opportunity to contribute to a film soundtrack, collaborating on a single for the project.

Initially, their music was primarily in English, but with their latest album, they returned to their native Polish, giving their sound a powerful new dimension. Their work represents the voice of a younger generation, addressing topics that often remain hidden or unspoken.

HER OWN WORLD is nothing less than an explosive blend of industrial rock and electro straight out of Szczecin, Poland. This quartet’s live show is more than just electronics fused with guitar riffs — it’s also a visual performance featuring a dancer wielding live fire, all enhanced by Yu’s distinctive vocal tone.

The band has released a series of singles and, in June 2023, their debut album titled Tales from Another Life.

They’ve been touring non-stop since their formation in 2020, performing multiple times at Poland’s Castle Party Festival in Bolków, Prague Gothic Treffen in the Czech Republic, Schattenwelt Festival in Austria, and the European Dark Dance Treffen in Germany. Last year, they also appeared at Pyrkon.
Following their performance at Pyrkon, the band was awarded second place in the “Czasozmieniacz 2024” competition, as voted by festival attendees.

MegaSpaceFighter is a Warsaw-based studio specializing in stop-motion and CG animation.
For over 3 years now, its team has been continuously creating film productions, on which they have worked with brands such as Tongal, Walmart, Disney, LucasFilm and Tremolo Productions, as well as the LEGO Group.

Among their works, for example, an exclusive commercial for Walmart to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the LEGO Star Wars franchise, or the “Back to school with LEGO bricks” video commissioned by the Danish bricks manufacturer are worth mentioning. They also collaborated on “Piece by Piece,” a biography of Pharell Williams, depicted with bricks.

Agnieszka was introduced to music at the age of 4, when her grandmother showed her the piano. Even in her youth, she showed a strong interest in visual arts and acting.

Her musical journey began with composing pieces for her school choir, followed by involvement in Teatr Spójnik (formerly Bogdan Żyłkowski’s Próby Theatre Studio in Poznań), the band Desdemona (one studio album, a concert tour with Artrosis, performances at Castle Party 2012 and 2014 in Poland, Made of Metal 2013 in the Czech Republic, and M’era Luna 2013 in Germany), and then her own band RED STORM (one studio album, a tour with Closterkeller), culminating in signing a contract with the German music label darkTunes Music Group under the name AGNIS.

Her first solo album, mystically titled ONENESS, was accompanied by 8 music videos, produced solely with the help of her husband (Krzysztof Kubiak–Visionathor), which have collectively gathered over a million views on YouTube.

Leśne Licho is a folk metal band founded in 2007 in Podkowa Leśna by Mikołaj “Miki” Flis. The band has released two full-length albums, Songs of the Ancient Forest and Yellow Flowers, while their third album, The Dyed Fox, is set to be released later this year. Leśne Licho has performed at many concerts, with notable events including Castle Party, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP), numerous fantasy fan gatherings, and conventions. In their music, they combine metal sounds with folk melodies, blending Slavic and Norse cultures.

The idea dawned in the head of a certain Szuwar from Wrocław, when around 2014, he wandered around tournaments and rallies with a group of early medieval performers. Several musicians, brave enough to give up their modern habits, answered his call. And so the metal guitarist switched to the 3 string panduri, his bandmate got the saz, the jazzbassist critically looked at the wooden flute, the rock drummer learned that he was to play the baraban, the classical violinist uncertainly took kemenche bow, and the experienced singer was sent back to the first white singing lessons. Oh, it was not easy. Especially, if you mention that in the selection of repertoires they still had to work tediously through historical sources and the depths of the Internet. The whole undertaking rightly deserves the name “Dziwoludy”. Now in their Middle Ages, they found their own sound, which they would like to share.

Hiroto Idols is a group inspired by the Love Live! series, active for over two years now. They specialize in dance covers and stage performances, constantly seeking new experiences and opportunities for growth. They’ve already performed at events such as Nekon in Kraków, Mizukon in Szczecin, AnimeCon in Poznań, and have taken part in two editions of the Hikari Idol Contest—winning the main prize for best idol energy in the second edition!

Their journey began in 2022, when, after watching a series about Japanese idols, they decided to create a group of their own. They started by recruiting members, designing their logo, choosing a central theme, and recording their first dance cover. Their official stage debut took place during the first edition of the Hikari Idol Contest, where the nine-member lineup performed two choreographed routines.

Although most of the members were only 14 years old at the time, their passion and determination helped them grow and gain recognition. Today, their goal is to inspire others to follow their dreams—regardless of age! Every performance is filled with positive energy, smiles, music, and dance.