Pyrkon’s Guests

Giancarlo Esposito is an American actor, director, and producer. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter and stagehand father from Naples, Italy, and an African American opera singer mother from Alabama.

He is well known by television audiences for his iconic portrayal of drug kingpin ‘Gustavo “Gus” Fring’ in AMC’s critically acclaimed BREAKING BAD, for which he won the 2012 Critics’ Choice Award and earned a 2012 Emmy nomination.

Esposito can be seen reprising his role of ‘Gus Fring’ on AMC’s BETTER CALL SAUL, which has earned him a 2019 and 2020 Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series as well as a 2023 Critics’ Choice Award win in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The show has been nominated in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022 for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Drama Series and for the 2019, 2021, and 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Award. The show was also nominated for a 2023 Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Television Series – Drama. The sixth and final season of the series concluded airing in 2022 and includes Esposito’s television directorial debut for episode 606 for which he won a 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.

Esposito can also be seen starring in Francis Ford Coppola’s alternate-history sci-fi epic MEGALOPOLIS, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. He will also be seen in the upcoming Netflix and Russo Brothers’ film THE ELECTRIC STATE as well as joining the Marvel Universe in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, out February 14, 2025.

In THE BOYS he plays “Stan Edgar”, one of the key figures at Vought.

Within the same brand, he also voices “Stan Edgar” in the animated spin-off The Boys Presents: Diabolical. As “Stan Edgar”, he also appears in Gen V.

He has also done voice work for the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, where he voiced “Faraday” in the English-language version.

In video games, he played “Antón Castillo” in Far Cry 6.

From Finnish Hall of Fame & frontwoman of the multi-platinum selling Nightwish to After Forever, one of the pioneers of symphonic metal, Floor Jansen has enjoyed major national and international success. Her voice transcends genres, allowing her to deliver passionate performances that resonate with audiences far beyond the metal scene.

Floor’s solo career took off explosively in 2019 when she captivated the Netherlands with her masterful rendition of “The Phantom of the Opera” on the TV show “Beste Zangers”. That same year, she was honoured with the prestigious Dutch Pop prize award, recognizing her significant contribution to Dutch pop music. The announcement of her first solo tour generated unprecedented excitement, with tickets (~18,000) selling out in less than 24 hours – a testament to her dedicated fanbase.

The release of her first solo single “Fire” in 2022 marked a new chapter in her musical journey. As the Dutch ambassador for Record Store Day, she championed the importance of physical music in the digital age. Floor also participated in the internationally acclaimed TV format “Sing Meinen Song Germany”, where she impressed viewers with her versatile renditions of songs by artists like SDP, Clueso, and ELIF.

In a moment of national pride, Floor performed the Dutch national anthem at the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix in September 2022, reaching hundreds of thousands in person and millions watching worldwide.

In October 2022, Floor was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a successful operation, she quickly returned to the stage with Nightwish for their European tour, performing two sold-out shows at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. This exemplifies her resilience and steadfast commitment to her craft.

March 2023 brought the release of Floor’s debut solo album “PARAGON”, followed by a successful, sold-out tour across the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Remarkably, Floor embarked on this tour while pregnant with her second daughter, Lucy.

2024 saw Nightwish release their album “Yesterwynde”, adding another milestone to Floor’s illustrious career. Looking ahead to 2025, Floor is set to embark on her first-ever theatre tour, where she’ll share her personal journey of overcoming breast cancer, experiencing pregnancy, and balancing her touring career.

With over 1.5 million followers across social media platforms and an avid fan club of more than 8,000 members, Floor continues to inspire and connect with her audience. Her ability to evoke deep emotions through her performances and her remarkable range across musical styles have established her as one of the most versatile and respected vocalists of her generation.
Personal: Born on February 21, 1981, in Goirle, she currently resides in Sweden with her husband Hannes van Dahl, drummer of the band Sabaton, and their two daughters, Freja and Lucy.

Photo by; Laura Zalenga

NASA astronaut Eileen Collins reveals encouraging perspective and insight on the leadership skills needed to break barriers and become a
successful pioneer in your field.

One of America’s most admired women, Col. Collins became the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft with the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995, and the first female commander on the 1999 Columbia shuttle flight. In 2005, NASA tapped Col. Collins to command the space shuttle Discovery’s historic “Return to Flight” mission, NASA’s first piloted flight following the loss of space shuttle Columbia in 2003.

While logging 872 hours in space, Col. Collins earned a reputation for coolness under pressure. With that same calm demeanor, she shares how her career as an astronaut took shape, from her early years in the U.S. Air Force to her ground-breaking experience with NASA. Her memoir, Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars, was published in 2021. In 2022, Col. Collins was awarded the National Aeronautic Association’s Wright Brothers Award for her inspirational career as an astronaut, teacher and leader. She is also honored as a 2025 inductee into the Living Legends of Aviation.

Drawing from her career experiences, Eileen reveals valuable insights learned from both her successes and her failures. From the importance of working with others to achieve lofty goals, to successful leadership in dynamic environments, her perspective inspires you to embark on your own original journey. For audiences interested in space exploration, she can also provide insight into the future of space travel as the world turns to exciting new space frontiers.

Born in Glasgow, Gomez is the daughter of a photographer from Montserrat (of Portuguese descent) and a mother who ran a modelling agency. Inspired by theatre from an early age, she trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Her portrayal of Missy earned major acclaim, including nominations at the BAFTA Scotland Awards and the BAFTA TV Awards.

From the moment she saw a production of “Kiss Me, Kate” at the age of seven, Gomez wanted to be an actress, which her parents encouraged. She attended Shawlands Academy from 1978 to 1983 and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Michelle Gomez became widely recognised as Missy in “Doctor Who”, a bold, unpredictable incarnation of the Doctor’s longtime nemesis, the Master – equal parts menace, wit, and charisma. She then joined “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” as Mary Wardwell and Lilith / Madam Satan, shifting effortlessly between a seemingly ordinary teacher and a commanding, supernatural presence at the heart of the series’ darker mythology. In “Doom Patrol”, she brought sharp energy and emotional nuance to Madame Rouge, a complex figure whose shifting loyalties and evolving identity made her one of the season’s most striking additions.

SKÁLD is a French band founded in 2018 that produces music inspired by Norse mythology. The project is headed by producer and composer Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet, who gathered together a group of incredibly talented musicians, thus restoring the spirit of skalds – old poets of the Scandinavian and Icelandic courts. On stage you will see Steeve Petit, Marie Potosniak, Marti Ilmara Uibo, Guillaume Levy i Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet. Together, their voices and instruments create a hypnotic vortex of sound, within which tradition comes alive. The band sings their songs in Old Norse, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish, and Faroese, capturing the atmosphere of ancient music with remarkable authenticity.

Andrew Wincott is an award-winning actor with an extensive body of work across video games, audiobooks, radio, and theatre. He is best known for his BAFTA-winning performance as Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3, where he also voiced four other characters, including Haarlep and the Kuo-Toa tribe. In addition to narrating hundreds of audiobooks—such as 1984 and The Wind in the Willows—he is a frequent collaborator on Warhammer 40k projects, including the Night Lords trilogy and the video game Space Marine 2. His other video game credits include Metaphor: ReFantazio, The Witcher, Sherlock Holmes, Dying Light 2, and Divinity: Original Sin. He has audio drama credits ranging from The Archers, the world’s longest running radio serial, to Doctor Who, David Copperfield and Shakespeare’s Cymbeline.

Anton Lesser is an actor best known for his role as Thomas More in the series Wolf Hall, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His most notable screen appearances include productions such as Andor (Disney+), 1899 (Netflix), Better (BBC), Endeavour (ITV), The Crown (Netflix), and Game of Thrones (HBO). He is also a highly respected stage actor, having appeared in numerous productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Romeo and Juliet, The Plantagenets, Cymbeline, and The Winter’s Tale.

A four-person rock band consisting of YOSUKE (vocals) / UZ (guitar & programming) / MOMIKEN (bass guitar) / KENTA (drums).
Formed in 2005 by the original members, the band has gained popularity for its aggressive releases and overwhelming live performances since its major label debut in 2010.
In April 2023, YOSUKE joined the band as a new vocalist.
SPYAIR have performed theme songs for many popular anime such as “BLEACH,” “Mobile Suit Gundam,” “Gintama,” and “Haikyu!” and many other popular anime theme songs.Releasedin
2024, “Orange,” the theme song for HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle has surpassed 200 million streams, becoming the biggest hit in the band’s history.
The song continues to be loved by music and anime fans around the world.

In Japan, the band has successfully held hall- and arena-scale tours, and since 2015 has hosted the annual midsummer solo outdoor show “JUST LIKE THIS,” drawing up to 15,000 attendees.
Internationally, following their first world tour in 2018, which visited 23 cities worldwide, the band has gone on to headline tours across Asia and perform at major festivals and large-scale events in countries including the United States and Canada, building an impressive track record of live performances overseas.

Anime tie-ins
“Last Moment” TV anime “BLEACH” ending theme song (2010)
“Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot!!)” TV anime “Gintama” ending theme song (2011)
“My World” TV anime “Mobile Suit Gundam AGE” ending theme song (2012)
“Sakuramitsutsuki” TV anime “Gintama” opening theme song (2013)
“Genjou Destruction” Anime movie “Gintama” theme song (2013)
“JUST ONE LIFE” TV anime “Samurai Flamenco” opening theme Song (2013)
“Imagination” TV anime “Haikyu!!” opening theme song (2014)
“I’m a Believer” TV anime “Haikyu!!” opening theme song (2015)
“RAGE OF DUST” TV anime “Mobile Suit Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans” opening theme song (2016)
“I Wanna Be… ” TV anime “Gintama” opening theme song (2018)
“One Day” TV anime “Haikyu!!” ending theme song (2021)
“Wadachi” Anime movie “Gintama The Final” theme song (2022)
“Orange” Anime movie “Haikyu! The Dumpster Battle” theme song (2024)
“AO” TV anime “Blue Miburo” opening theme song (2024)
“Kill the Noise” TV anime “Sentenced to Be a Hero” theme song (2026)

Maggie Stiefvater is an American creator. She is much more than a (phenomenal) writer – she sings, draws, does calligraphy and plays several instruments. She’s known best for her best selling book series ‘The Wolves of Mercy Falls’ and ‘The Raven Cycle,’ as well as ‘The Scorpio Races,’ but she’s also written several YA fantasy novels. Her books sold over 5 million copies worldwide!

Currently she lives in Virginia with her husband, their two children, and seven dogs. When not writing, she illustrates her book trailers and composes music for them with her sister.

Twilight Force has become both a staple and a guiding light in symphonic power metal; revitalizing the genre and pushing it to new, cinematic heights with their signature blend of fantasy storytelling and musical virtuosity. With soaring melodies, bombastic orchestral arrangements, and lightning-fast performances, they conjure epic tales and fantastical realms from their mythical world – The Twilight Kingdoms. Their musical adventures transport the listener to a land of dragons, magic, and ancient prophecies. Whether on stage or on record, Twilight Force delivers a full-scale fantasy experience; equal parts concert and quest. So, sharpen your swords, dust off your magic tomes, and brew your strongest potions. It is time to join Twilight Force on their quest for the eternal glory of the Twilight Kingdoms.

Artist and illustrator from Naples. He studied in Rome at the International School of Comics, specializing in foreign comics. He has worked for publishing houses such as Kodansha, Marvel, Delcourt, Clair de Lune, Narratives and HB Editions. In his career, he also designed game characters for the N.E.M.O. 360° studio, and together with Maria Migna Riccio, he released his own webtoon Inarime. Currently, he works in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics, working on titles such as The Witcher: The Edge of the World, Cyberpunk 2077: Kickdown and Cyberpunk 2077: Chrome. His works received awards at the LANCIANO Comics Festival 2006, NEW SUPER HERO CONTEST 2014 and Saone en Bulles 2023.

Goran Sudžuka was born in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1969. After years of publishing comics in Croatia and Germany, in 1999, he started working for the American market. His first work was “Outlaw Nation” with writer Jamie Delano, for which he won the “Russ Manning” award for the most promising newcomer at the Eisner awards of 2001. He stayed with Vertigo for ten years, working on some of their flagship titles like “Y – the Last Man” and “Hellblazer”. Later on, he worked on superhero comics, most notably on Brian Azzarello’s “Wonder Woman” and Charles Soule’s “Daredevil”.
Later, he moved on to work with Garth Ennis on creator-owned books “A Walk Through Hell” and “Marjorie Finnegan – Temporal Criminal”. Most recently, he co-created “Red Before Black” with Stephanie Phillips.

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

Dominic McDowall co-founded and leads Cubicle 7 Entertainment, best known for their award-winning Warhammer, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who and 5e roleplaying games. He heads-up game and narrative design for the studio, and was lead designer on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition, Warhammer 40,000 Imperium Maledictum, Adventures in Middle-earth and many more.

He is delighted to be coming to Pyrkon 2026 – “I’ve heard many great things about Pyrkon so I’m very excited to experience it for myself and meet you all next year!”

Taran Matharu is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author. Born in London, he discovered a passion for books early, completing his first novel at the age of nine.

At twenty-two, he began posting his debut teen fantasy series, Summoner, on Wattpad.com, where it went viral — amassing over three million reads in under six months and attracting coverage from NBC News.

That breakout success launched his professional career, and his stories have since become a worldwide phenomenon, selling millions of copies and being translated into seventeen languages. Taran has written eleven books, including the sci-fi Contender series and his adult fantasy debut Dragon Rider, the first in The Soulbound Saga.

An award-winning writer, he has received honours including Japan’s Sakura Medal and France’s Journal de Mickey award. Deeply committed to promoting literacy — particularly among teenage boys — Taran has worked with the National Literacy Trust and served as BookTrust’s writer-in-residence.

John Gwynne is the author of epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, Of Blood and Bone and most recently, The Bloodsworn Saga. Before becoming a writer, he studied and lectured at Brighton University. He’s played double bass in a rock ‘n’ roll band, packed soap in a soap factory and dug ditches for a landscaping crew.

He is married with four children, five goats, five sheep, three dogs, two horses and four ducks and lives in East Sussex, where he is part of a Viking re-enactment group. When not writing or running around after his wife and her crazy animals he can be found standing in a shield wall with his three sons about him.

His animals think he is their slave.

Malice, his debut novel, was published by Pan Macmillan in 2012 and went on to win the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Debut of 2012. It was a truly wonderful moment for John, as David Gemmell was a hero of his and one of the reasons he writes.

The following three books in the series – Valour, Ruin and Wrath, were all shortlisted for the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novels of 2014, 2015 and 2016, with Wrath winning the 2017 BookNest Awards for Best Traditionally Published Novel.

His second series, of Blood and Bone, is set in the Banished Lands, the same world as the first series. Book 1, A Time of Dread, begins 130 years after the events of the first series. A Time of Courage, book 3 of Of Blood and Bone, made the Spiegel Bestseller’s List in Germany.

His latest trilogy is set in an entirely new world. The Bloodsworn Saga is inspired by Norse mythology, Beowulf and Ragnarök. We follow a grim world of mercenary bands, monsters, and fallen gods. The Shadow of the Gods won the 2021 Stabby Award for Best Novel of 2021. The second instalment, The Hunger of the Gods, won the publicly voted FanFiAddict Award for Best Traditional Book of 2022. The third instalment, The Fury of the Gods, was an instant New York Times Bestseller.

Kamil Lemieszewski is an actor, stunt performer, and film producer associated with major international productions, including Game of Thrones, James Bond: Spectre, Star Wars, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Aladdin. His feature-length debut, Last Man Down, achieved international success on Amazon Prime and Netflix. He is the only Polish actor and stunt performer to appear in the second season of the Netflix series Barbarians, and was among the candidates considered for the role of James Bond for several years. He is currently working on further international film projects.

Piotrovscy are a duo of Internet creators, dancers and influencers who have been combining dance, lifestyle and pop culture in dynamic video formats for years. In their social media, they present viral choreographies, current trends and the backstage of everyday life, focusing on humor, authenticity and high energy. Their content regularly reaches hundreds of thousands of views, and their expressive style and natural ability to hit it off with the viewers mean they thrive in spaces dedicated to pop-culture as well.

They have been doing dance for over 15 years. They developed their skills during numerous workshops in Poland and abroad, training with world’s leading choreographers, including those working with artists such as Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and BTS. Their experience combines a solid dance foundation with a modern approach to choreography and forms of entertainment, inspired by pop and street dance culture.

At the same time, they also developed their media skills. They worked on the latest edition of You Can Dance, where they were responsible for social media activities, live performances and interaction with the audience during live episodes. As choreographers, they have also collaborated with artists from the Polish music industry, including Dawid Kwiatkowski, Sylwia Grzeszczak, Zakopower or Kamil Bednarek.

Currently, Piotrovscy combine stage experience with online creativity, doing projects that bring together dance, pop culture and modern media.

Rustica is a band from Wrocław, formed in autumn of 2019. They play music they themselves describe as medieval fantasy folk. They are particularly fond of fantasy with a large dose of old ages. In their repertoire, you can hear both songs you know from computer games or films, as well as traditional medieval melodies from various corners of Europe. They also have several of their own, original compositions inspired by the culture of the Slavs. They perform all over the country and abroad, you can hear them both at the largest Polish historical events and at intimate club concerts. On stage, they perform in costumes to take listeners on a musical journey to the magical worlds of legends and fairy tales.

The band consists of:
Dorota Karlińska – vocals, tambourine
Aleksandra Socewicz – violin, choirs
Ewa Butrym – flutes, choruses
Krzysztof Amanowicz – guitar lute
Adam Koniuszewski – drums, percussion instruments

Dvarga is a Polish band that combines heavy fantasy with elements of folk music (Slavic, Celtic and Nordic), symphonic, film, rock music as well as metal, operating since 2021. The project is based on the original fantasy universe in which the musicians take on the role of a dwarven party from the Argnav-yal fortress. Dvarga’s stage setting includes costumes, make-up and props. The repertoire includes both dynamic festive pieces and atmospheric ballads inspired by fantasy literature and RPG worlds.

Singer, dancer and choreographer with many years of stage experience in Poland and abroad. Wiktor had the opportunity to work on a musical repertoire in such theatres as the Studio Buffo Theatre (Metro directed by Janusz Józefowicz), Gliwicki Teatr Muzyczny (Tarzan, directed by Tomasz Dutkiewicz) playing the titular Tarzan in one of the largest Disney musicals staged in Poland; as well as in the Rozrywka Theatre in Chorzów (Our House by T. Firth and Madness by Michał Znaniecki).

Wiktor has worked as a soloist with the German company AIDA, where he has performed throughout Europe in fourteen English- and German-language musicals, including Michael Jackson Show “Dangerous Love” or the “Es war einmal” musical.

For years, he has also been actively cooperating with Studio Accantus as one of the soloists, as well as the choreographer of the “Accantus Live” tours – co-creating one of the most recognizable musical projects in Poland.

Currently, he is performing his own recital with film and fantasy music entitled “Przez Mgły Avalonu…” (Through the Mists of Avalon…).

A group from Warsaw, who have been playing sea shanties with a pirate twist for several years. Their repertoire includes primarily original compositions, as well as their own arrangements of world folk works. Thanks to this, each performance is a unique encounter with lively music, full of energy, passion and sea adventure. On stage, the show is completed with five pirate scum personas.

They have done over one hundred well-received concerts and seen hundreds of smiles on the faces of their audiences. This proves best that Zrefowani not only can play, but they also captivate the crowd and take them on an unusual musical boarding.

JEREMIAH KANE is a band from Poznań, which since 2017 has been consistently developing its own sound at the junction of metal energy and synthesizer aesthetics of the 1980s. Their music combines heavy, hair-metal riffs with a clearly indicated sound of analog synthesizers, inspired by synthwave and the film aesthetics of VHS tapes.

The band has done:
💽five full-length albums, including two released in 2025
🌍 regular concerts outside Poland – they played, among others, in Germany, Belgium, Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary
🎸 club tours, headlining concerts and performances with international artists
🔥 performances at other festivals such as Castle Party and Plage Noire
🎮 songs that were used in video games: JDM: Japanese Drift Master, Synth Riders, Neon Overdrive VR, OHV
📈 over 23 million listens across streaming platforms

An artist who creates soundtracks for games and films. She has performed many works in various languages, including constructed ones, such as Dunmeric, Darnasian, Sindarin and Klingon. In her songs, she utilises many vocal techniques – from shamanic chanting to opera.

Liz has contributed to soundtracks for games such as Diablo IV, The Medium and Shadow Warrior 2. She also composed music for the Witcher fan film “Alzur’s Legacy” and for the “Awareness of the Doll” animation.

Personally, she is a big fan of role-playing games, comics, fantasy books and the sci-fi world. For many years, every week she gathered with her eight-person RPG party to play together. That’s why she feels so comfortable in the world of fiction and understands how important it is to create the right musical background for games.

Radek “DżoDżo” Drozdowicz is a man of many talents – he began his adventure with YT in 2012. At the beginning, his channel featured mainly films devoted to the Rubik’s Cube. This passion is still an important part of his life, in August 2023 he even took part in the Rubki’s Cube World Championship. It is also worth mentioning that he appeared in Mam Talent combining Rubki’s cube solving with his other interest, i.e. juggling. Currently, he cooperates with Patec, among others organizing his expeditions, including the entire project of conquering the Seven Summits.

Although speedcubing is still high on the list of his interests, in recent years, films related to LEGO bricks have appeared on his channel more and more often, and Radek himself once served as an ambassador for the Bricks & Figs museum in Krakow.

Radek describes himself as a hard-core collector – the artist not only collects all LEGO sets related to gaming, but also all games related to the LEGO brand! At Pyrkon you will be able to see a fragment of this impressive collection live, talk to DżoDżo about his passions and immerse yourself in the world of bricks and games together! This is a great opportunity to see for yourself how games from the LEGO universe have developed over 20 years.