Band rehearsals, concerts, DJ sets, and BBQs. Trenčín’s skatepark community of skaters, bikers, scooter riders, and youth who just love hanging out can use an equipped garage for music and other events. This project that supports Trenčín’s candidacy for the European City of Culture creates opportunities for specific city communities to organise their own needs-based cultural programme. Garage opened on 25 September with bombastic performances by rapper Gleb and the Trenčín bands Fraktúra, Cherry Street and Fyasco.
The Garage project has been driven forward by the combined expertise and enthusiasm of Trenčín 2026, the world-known Trenčín-based Pohoda festival, and the skatepark community - represented by skater and Cherry Street musician Milan Hanuliak.
Pohoda’s festival faithful will recognise Garage as the music extraganza's smallest stage, which also symbolises something new and exciting happening. “We consider Garage as the foundation of the music scene - where many bands start out. Our band Bez ladu a skladu also started in a garage...albeit our parents’,” says Michal Kaščák, director of Pohoda festival.
While Pohoda and Trenčín 2026 have fitted out Garage with all the technical stuff, the programme itself will be created by the community. Garage will be available in the skatepark throughout October and November, and people can sign up for events here. The Trenčín 2026 team can also lend support.
“The candidacy programme aims to transform passive receivers of culture into active participants. We also want to create opportunities for people to think of new cultural events and means of expression,” explains Veronika Žák Sučanská, Trenčín 2026’s Outreach manager. “That’s what Garage represents - we want the Trenčín skatepark community to stand out as active and lively. Now the skatepark’s young users have both the technical means, physical place, and mind space to get creative. They will also learn new skills for organising cultural events, and get experience as culture creators. Enabling creativity by users themselves - that’s Trenčín 2026 in a nutshell.”
If the city wins the ECoC title, Garage will travel around the city and its surroundings as a ‘pop-up’ opportunity for art groups and communities to have Garage in their cultural community and organise their own programme. Mentoring support for organising cultural events will also be available.
Garage opened on 25 September with the Best tricks competitions for skaters, bikers and scooter riders from midday, and the live music programme later on.
Enjoy photos from opening event here: