Pyrkon’s Guests

Lordi was officially founded in 1992 by frontman Mr. Lordi – singer, songwriter, visual artist, and creator of the iconic monster costumes. The band hails from Rovaniemi in northern Finnish Lapland, a region whose rugged landscape and mystical aura perfectly complement the group’s aesthetic. However, the true age of Finnish monsters and how long they’ve been wreaking havoc remains their closely guarded secret. In fact, the musicians only ever appear in public in their monstrous personas.

Exactly 20 years ago, the band achieved a moment that made music history: With the song “Hard Rock Hallelujah,” LORDI unexpectedly won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. This triumph not only shattered all previous points records within the competition but also fundamentally changed the perception of rock and heavy metal music in the European mainstream. To this day, LORDI are the first and only Finnish band to win the Eurovision Song Contest.

Winning the Eurovision Song Contest marked their international breakthrough. A week after returning from Athens, the band was welcomed in Helsinki by around 90,000 people – a historic moment for the relatively small Finnish pop culture scene. Finland’s then-President Tarja Halonen presented Lordi with an oversized bronze key as a token of recognition for their contributions to Finnish music abroad. The reception even made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest mass karaoke event. The triumph also left a lasting mark on their hometown of Rovaniemi: the central square was renamed Lordi Square (Lordin aukio) in the band’s honor – a visible symbol of their success to this day.

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.

Scenario writer and leader of the doujin circle “07th Expansion”.
Ryukishi07 is the creator of visual novels “Higurashi When They Cry” and “Umineko When They Cry”. His works have expanded into various media including movies, anime, manga and novels.
He was also in charge of the scenario and script for “SILENT HILL f”, a game released by Konami Digital Entertainment last September which received high praise at IGN Japan GOTY 2025 and the Steam Awards 2025.
Although many of his works appear to be centered on the horror genre, they also contain passionate themes such as love and friendship, earning him the support of many young people.

He is one of the most recognizable contemporary science fiction and fantasy authors – the American writer is the author of over 100 books, dozens of which have made bestseller lists. His output includes both original cycles of novels and books set in well-known universes.

Kevin J. Anderson gained wide recognition by co-writing new Dune novels together with Brian Herbert, Frank Herbert’s son. He has also written works set in the Star Wars universe, and apart from novels, he also edits anthologies, comics and multimedia projects, which only confirms his versatility. He also often writes in duets, including with his wife Rebecca Moesta, Doug Beason, Dean Koontz and even A.E. van Vogt or L. Ron Hubbard. He is also the author of novels set in the most iconic fantasy worlds – in addition to Dune and Star Wars, he has expanded the universes of X-Files, Star Trek, StarCraft or Superman with his novels.

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)

The concert of SPYAIR is co-financed by the funds of the Marshal’s Office of the Wielkopolska Region.

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.

Fonda Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Green Bone Saga, consisting of the novels Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy, along with a prequel novella The Jade Setter of Janloon and a short story collection, Jade Shards. Her newest book is the science fiction novel The Last Contract of Isako. She is also the author of the fantasy novella, Untethered Sky and several young adult novels: Zeroboxer, the Exo duology, and the Breathmarked duology, co-written with Shannon Lee.

Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and a six-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), as well as a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City has been translated into fifteen languages, named to TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, and optioned for television development.

She has also written acclaimed short fiction and been an instructor at writing workshops including Clarion West, Viable Paradise, and Aspen Words. Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Hailing from Canada and the Pacific Northwest, she now resides in the Boston area.

Kieron Gillen is a writer, game designer and recovering critic.

As a comic writer, he’s best known for co-creating books like the Wicked + the Divine, DIE, the Power Fantasy, Once & Future, Phonogram and more. As a designer, he’s best known for DIE RPG.

When not doing his own works, he has written extensively for Marvel comics, on all the characters you’ve heard of and quite a few you probably haven’t.

He’s based in Bath, UK. The city, not the water immersion device, alas.

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!”

Nadyasonika is a professional cosplayer and content creator known for her artistic approach to popular culture themes from her beginnings in 2010 to the present. Her influence in the community extends beyond borders as she has been a special guest, panelist, and judge at numerous events in over 20 countries and more than 150 cities.

Currently, Nadyasonika has established herself as one of the top cosplay artists on an international level. Her dedication and skills are reflected not only in the impressive costumes she creates for herself, but also in the designs she creates for other content creators and brands in the industry. Her commitment to quality and creativity is unmatched and has established her as a leading figure in the world of cosplay.

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.

Yuji is a cosplayer, model and crafter known as Yuji Koi. Originally from Vietnam she is now based in Switzerland. Since 2014, she started to get into cosplay stage performance and has been attending many cosplay competitions, from which she achieved many prizes (World cosplay summit 2017 Vietnamese representative, 1st prize Dubai Comic-Con anime category, 1st prize Best Coser of the Year in Vietnam 3 years in a row 2014-2015-2016, ECG Swiss solo representative 2023, etc).

Well known for the ability to bring many popular characters to life as well as her dedication when it comes to cosplay acting, she could travel around the world to conventions as a guest and jury for well-known international cosplay competitions, such as ECG preliminaries and WCS prelims and final. On the side, she also had the opportunities to work with companies like Riot Games, HoYoVerse, Sharkmob, Tencent, Vinagame and Com2uS.

Paul Bonner illustrated the covers for the series of gamebooks entitled “The Lone Wolf”, including “Grey Star the Wizard”, “The Forbidden City”, “Beyond the Nightmare Gate” and “War of the Wizards”.
His portfolio includes projects implemented for Games Workshop, FASA Corporation, Riotminds or Rackham. He is also the author of numerous book covers and two posters devoted to classic fantasy works (Tolkien and Lloyd Alexander). In 2008, his first collection of works entitled “Out of the Forests” was published. Although it was not a complete album, it contained a selection of the artist’s most important projects. Bonner’s works have also appeared repeatedly in the annual “Spectrum” albums.
As part of his collaboration with the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, he created covers for the “Die Vecna Die!” and “Into the Dragon’s Lair” adventures.
Bonner’s work is distinguished by intense colors, strong contrast and slightly exaggerated, characteristic silhouettes of the characters. Elves practically do not appear in his works, while other “classic” fantasy races occur very often. Although the artist usually depicts scenes of violence, he rarely depicts blood in a literal way. Moreover, his illustrations of beings considered savage or brutal – such as orcs – often give them a more human and even slightly humorous side.
Bonner’s work also appeared in boosters to “Magic: The Gathering”, starting with the “Eventide” expansion.
In 2005, the artist won the silver Spectrum Award in the book category for “Cadwallon Goblin”.
In 2007, Titan Books published a book devoted to his work – “Out of the Forests: The Art of Paul Bonner”.

A Japanese singer, composer and lyricist, who’s been present at the anime scene for years. ZAQ began her music career really early – she started learning the piano at the age of 3 – and in time, she developed a (mostly self-taught) unique composition style.
Her 2012 debut single “Sparkling Daydream” became the opening to “Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions” and quickly made her recognisable by fans. Since then, her songs often appear in popular anime series, such as “Classroom of the Elite“ or “Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma”.
Beyond her solo career, ZAQ also composes for other artists, co-creating the sound of many productions. Her tracks can be recognised by their energy, variety and loose approach to their form, which is why they’re hard to pigeonhole in one single genre.

Scottish writer and game designer, best known as the creator of the cult board game “Talisman”, first published by Games Workshop. For years, this title has inspired generations of players, allowing them to traverse magical lands, fight monsters and reach for the Crown of Command.
Harris grew up in Dundee, fascinated by comics, fantasy and heroic fantasy – at a time when the genre was just gaining popularity. He studied Latin and Greek at the University of St Andrews, and before devoting himself to creativity for good, he worked, among others, as a bartender and actor.
“Talisman” was created out of a passion for games and imagination, becoming one of the most recognizable titles in the history of fantasy board games. At the same time, Harris develops his writing career by publishing historical and fantasy novels.

Omaru, also known as James, is a Filipino photographer and videographer based in Paris, France. Since discovering his passion for photography in 2008, he has dedicated himself to capturing authentic and dynamic visual stories through both photo and video.

Actively involved in the French cosplay community since 2009, Omaru began producing cosplay videos in 2010, creating a body of work that has reached wide audiences and gained strong recognition over the years.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with major gaming brands such as Riot Games, Bethesda, Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard, delivering high-quality visual content that blends creativity with strong brand identity.

Now working as a freelance creative across France and Europe, he continues to partner with brands and artists to produce compelling imagery. Known for his signature use of natural light, his style combines atmosphere, emotion, and realism — bringing each subject to life with a cinematic touch.

Always seeking new inspiration, Omaru regularly attends major European and international conventions to explore and document the ever-evolving global cosplay scene.

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.

Go Toekyung, better known as GOTOE, is a dancer, YouTuber, and influencer. Since 2018, he has been traveling the world organizing Random Play Dances, which involve dancing together in public to the choruses of popular K-Pop songs. GOTOE’s events attract hundreds, even thousands, of people. He has visited over 30 countries.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with an impressive list of bands and artists, including Red Velvet, ATEEZ, ITZY, NCT 127, fromis_9, GFRIEND, and EVERGLOW. He also appeared in J.Y. Park’s acclaimed music video “Groove Back.”

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.

Jan Aleksandrowicz-Krasko is a dubbing and film actor, as well as a director of Polish-language versions, with many years of experience in dubbing for films, TV series, and video games.

Gaming fans may know him best for his work on “Cyberpunk 2077” – he not only voiced River Ward, but also served as one of the directors of the game’s Polish-language version.

His extensive body of work also includes roles such as Aquaman in the DC film universe, Butt-Head in “Beavis & Butt-Head”, Vander in “Arcane”, Colt Vahn in “Deathloop”, Fuse in “Apex Legends”, and the narrator of “Pokémon: Ultimate Journeys”.

Cosplayer and cosplay photographer from Ukraine. My journey in photography began in 2009, and since then, I have made thousands of photoshoots. My work has taken me across the globe, where I’ve had the honor of attending more than 70 international events as an invited guest. Beyond creating images, I love to share my knowledge. I regularly hold photography workshops, driven by a passion to share my experience and inspire others to pursue their own creative journeys.

I like to make costumes on my own. I’m working with materials like EVA foam for props and armor, mastering various painting techniques, and wig styling. Also I am the owner of a photo studio for cosplayers. We’re always developing new sets/locations to help cosplayers realize their creative visions in photos. I am dedicated to promoting cosplay within my country and beyond its borders.

Ranko Ukulele is a musical project by Marta “Ranko” Grenda, which gained popularity on YouTube thanks to original songs on the ukulele and characteristic “scribbles”. Hit songs such as “Kluska”, “Żaklin” or “Przegryw” have become viral anthems for those who like to laugh at themselves and the world. Ranko is an artist with an extraordinary gift for storytelling – her works combine humor, interesting perspective and tenderness. To put it simply, it contains great emotions, and at her concerts the audience is faced with the delicacy, absurdity and beauty of everyday life. Her songs are often characterized by a light, melodic sound, with folk and alternative influences.

LEt’s GO build is the largest and most important formation in Poland bringing together LEGO enthusiasts, operating continuously for 11 years. Their initiative is a unique sanctuary for hobbyists and professional constructors, it creates a space for exchanging experiences and jointly pursuing a passion for creative builds.

The main goal of the team is to popularise modeling and bring the “brick nerds” together. They do this by becoming a patron of talented constructors, providing them with exhibition space and promoting their original models.

Natalia Zahora – a cosplay photographer who has been active in the manga and fantasy community for many years. She began her journey in 2004 as a cosplayer, but over time developed a growing interest in photography, eventually turning her hobby into photographing other creators. Over the years, she has also been deeply involved in fandom life—co-organizing manga conventions and serving as a judge in cosplay and cosplay photography contests.

Since 2008, together with her husband, she ran the first cosplay photo studio in Poland operating at conventions. Today, Natalia works as a graphic designer and photographer, and continues to shoot cosplay, combining her experience as a cosplayer with an artist’s eye. This allows her to capture not only the costume itself, but also the mood and story of the portrayed character. Her work can be found on social media.

Kula Cosplay is a cosplayer specializing in costumes inspired by the Assassin’s Creed series. He won Maskarada at Pyrkon 2024 and represented Poland at the 2024 Extreme Cosplay Gathering World Championships, with the finals held in Paris. At the 2022 International Cosplay League finals in Madrid, he earned the runner-up title in the solo category.

Despite his great love for sewing, he enjoys combining a variety of techniques to create something new and original. He pays the greatest attention to detail and faithfulness to the reference material. He also likes supporting beginner cosplayers and considers good post-competition feedback to be one of the most important things in a cosplayer’s career.

Piotr Kucaba has been filming K-pop groups for six years, putting his whole heart and passion into it. He loves photography, where – just like in life – he seeks happiness, joy, and emotion. At Pyrkon, he will be a partner of the Pyrkon K-Pop Dance Cover Festival and the sponsor of one of the prizes. Thanks to him, the contest finalists can count on professional photos from the stage every year.

He is a creator of viral content about LEGO, a passionate creator of brick mosaics, active in the AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO) community for years. One of the few artists in Poland who officially cooperates with LEGO as part of the LEGO Ambassador Network, preparing advertising campaigns and pre-release reviews of sets.

He has worked on projects with brands such as PUMA, FOX, EA Sports, Manchester City football clubs and Paris Saint-Germain. He regularly conducts workshops and exhibitions throughout Poland, inspiring the creativity of both younger and older fans of bricks.

During Pyrkon, Firanbricks will present an exhibition of unique mosaics prepared as part of the Pyrkon Brand Heroes campaign. These will include works inspired by the world of gaming — covers of iconic games, Pokémon cards and themes from such series as Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh!. You’ll be able to see them all live in the LEGO Fan Zone.

SUPER MOMENTY (SMKKPM) is an original project by the “oldest kids in the world” who insist that you can still handle it all. They know how to raise your spirits with irony, surprise you with the lightness of pop-cultural references and prove that one can talk about sublime things using a simple language. Live concerts are definitely the strength of the project. That’s where fantastic, meaningful songs are complemented by a reflective, light and funny narrative. The concert has a plot, with elements of stand-up.

BruDolina Studios is a small group of independent artists who have been sharing one passion for more than six years now: a passion for dubbing. They gained the greatest recognition thanks to the fan dubbing for the “Helluva Boss” series, and over time they also began to implement official Polish language versions of other independent productions, such as Amazing Digital Circus and Murder Drones.

The group’s mission is to promote Polish dubbing, share their experience in the subject of voice acting from the perspective of freelancers and infect others with positive energy.

Tokyo Studio specializes in video production and post-production with a strong focus on quality. Since 2016, the studio has been filming K-pop dance covers, and for the past two years it has also offered its own photo studio and dance hall in Warsaw. At Pyrkon, it will be a partner of the Pyrkon K-Pop Dance Cover Festival and the sponsor of one of the prizes. Thanks to them, the contest finalists can count on professional stage recordings every year!

Kuba Dobrenko Łagunionok – a costume and set designer with over 10 years of experience working at the intersection of film, games, advertising, and immersive events. He specializes in designing and creating custom-made costumes – ranging from historical and fantasy outfits to technologically advanced builds developed using 3D scanning. He collaborated on Netflix’s Polish premiere event in Warsaw, and his creations have been showcased, among others, at Expo in Osaka. He designed and produced 3D scan-based costumes for the creators of Crimson Desert, as well as costumes for CD PROJEKT RED and for the Epic Game Music Show.

His work has appeared in Polish film productions such as KOS, Wet Monday, LARP – Love and Other Things…, as well as in the latest adaptation of The Doll. He also designed and created set pieces for the Discovery group for the project Mission – Darwin’s Space Series. He is the creator of uniforms for the Krystalium LARP and has been working on Witcher-themed costumes for over a decade – both for events and commercial productions.

His costumes have been featured in over 20 commercial spots for brands such as BLIK and Audioteka. He is also the creator of the original event HOST – Viking LARP, for which he designed and produced over 50 unique, handcrafted costumes. He combines craftsmanship, design, and modern technology to create costumes that not only look impressive but also perform effectively on screen, in games, and within narrative environments.

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.

Helper began his journey in costume making with medieval historical reenactment, and made his cosplay stage debut at the Maskarada 2024. Although he has recently become fascinated with 3D modeling and printing, he feels most at home in the world of fabrics and threads, so high-quality sewing and the right choice of materials are his top priorities.

He is passionate about educating others, so he will be happy to answer many of your questions! He represented Poland at Korea’s GICOF in 2025 and will soon represent it at ECG 2026.

Ayo is a cosplayer and singer whom you may know from her Polish song covers on TikTok and YouTube, her convention concerts, or her appearance on Mam Talent. In cosplay, she especially enjoys makeup, working with EVA foam, and stage performance, though she strives to develop her skills in every aspect of costume creation. She is the recipient of numerous awards at national cosplay competitions and represented Poland at Korea’s GICOF in 2025 and will soon represent the country at ECG 2026.

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

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

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…).

Nenufar is a Polish musical formation born in 2022 in Bytom on the initiative of Mariusz Świątczak, known from the 12th edition of The Voice of Poland, and vocalist Magdalena Gościcka, trained in classical singing. The band quickly developed their original folk-metal concept towards a sound combining symphonic metal, gothic metal and metalcore. The band is complemented by guitarist Jacek Herda, who has years of on-stage experience, and drummer Jakub Kaczyński, who previously co-created the Hira band, and currently also plays in the hit Polish band Łzy.

The name of the band “Surtarang” comes from Sanskrit – sur means sound, and tarang means wave. Their music draws on the traditions of India and broadly understood oriental music. The artists use instruments such as the sitar, tabla, saz or darbuka, juxtaposing their organic sound with electronic music inspired by EDM, trance and dub. The finishing touch of mystical singing and mantras lead listeners on a hypnotic journey.

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.

Barbara Karlik is our local Poznań harpress and singer-songwriter, playing a traditional Celtic harp – the instrument featured on the coat of arms of the Republic of Ireland. She started teaching herself the harp in 2001, but her travels to Ireland drew her into the Historical Harp Society of Ireland, where she became enamored with old harp techniques and historical music. Just like the harpers of the olden days, she uses metal strings, holds the instrument on her left shoulder and plays with her nails.

CZEMOO is the youngest and probably the most punchy formation you will see on the Pyrkon stage! The band is combining hardcore power with rap authenticity. It was created by the members of the punk band Lockdown together with Poznań-based rapper Kubeus and bassist Ada.

Zespół Pieśni i Tańca ŁANY is a flagship ensemble of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań, representing both the city of Poznań and Poland on national and international stages.
The ensemble is widely recognized for its high artistic standards, attention to detail, and impeccable stage presence. It is especially valued for creating unique concert experiences and lasting memories for audiences. Its quality is confirmed by numerous invitations to prestigious events such as the Presidential Harvest Festival attended by the President of Poland and top state officials, as well as the “Mayor of the Year” Gala.

The group currently consists of around 100 members, including students and graduates not only from the University of Life Sciences in Poznań but also from other universities in Poznań. Its repertoire covers 15 regions of Poland, national dances (Polonaise, Mazur, Krakowiak, Kujawiak, and Oberek), an outdoor performance dedicated to the summer solstice celebration (Kupala Night), a harvest ritual performance, and a vocal-dance show depicting the interwar period.

Since its foundation, the ensemble has performed hundreds of concerts, recorded numerous radio and television productions, and received awards and distinctions at many prestigious festivals in Poland and abroad. It has been honored with the “Best in Poland” certificate awarded by the Consumer Quality Awards committee, as well as the honorary medal “Meritorious for Polish Culture” presented by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

It has been honored with the prestigious “Best in Poland” certificate awarded by the Consumer Quality Awards committee, as well as the honorary medal “Meritorious for Polish Culture” presented by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

Mikro Orchestra is an audiovisual ensemble from Wrocław creating electronic music on hacked Game Boy consoles and other retrotechnologies. Since 2001, the group has performed in nightclubs, at pop culture festivals and new media art events throughout Europe – including Ars Electronica in Linz, Transmediale in Berlin and the WRO Media Art Biennale in Wrocław.

Mikro Orchestra’s concerts are energetic shows combining chiptune, glitch and live improvisation. The band uses modified game consoles, Guitar Hero controllers, SNES pads and their own software, turning gaming-related equipment into full-fledged stage instruments.

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.

Inba☆style is a collective of DJs and VJs promoting Japanese electronic music in Poland. Their biggest inspiration is the anikura scene, which blends songs from anime and Japanese pop culture with an energetic mix of electronic genres such as j-core, hardcore techno, hardstyle, and hard dance.
After last year’s performance at Pyrkon, they return with a similar lineup – Kyuko, Pixa Galaxy, and DJ Chrapnel. This time, they are joined by VJ Nel and VJ Yuu, who will elevate the show with immersive visual support.

Jan Brzozowski is a film critic and film scholar, also working as a warehouse worker. He regularly publishes in Filmawka, the monthly magazine Kino, and the bimonthly Netfilm. Occasionally, he contributes to the quarterly film journals Ekrany and Czas Kultury. He was nominated for the Jan Machulski Award for the screenplay of the short film “Nie ma mnie” and is the winner of the 13th edition of the “Krytyk Pisze” competition.
He lives in Poznań with his girlfriend and cat.

Marcin Hoffmann is a history teacher at a secondary school with a master’s degree in history.
In his academic work, he is particularly interested in the history of armed conflicts, propaganda, war crimes, and the influence of historical events on culture.

Jakub Ścibor Ratajczyk is a master’s graduate in film studies and a PhD candidate at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. His research interests include fantasy, Japanese cinema, and horror, with a particular focus on their cultural dimensions, as well as the relationship between myth and film.

Franciszek Witkowski has been fascinated by fantasy for years — among many other authors, Tolkien is particularly interesting to him. He is familiar with almost all of Tolkien’s work, including his letters and lesser-known books not related to The Lord of the Rings. He is also a graduate of the State Music School (1st and 2nd degree) in Konin and an active musician and multi-instrumentalist.

He has been attending conventions for a long time: he has hosted program events, worked at booths, and helped organize conventions themselves. He has been going to Pyrkon almost every year as a volunteer since 2015.
Due to the nature of his studies (ethnology), he has also occasionally explored fandom from the perspective of the social sciences.