Autumn in Sofia smells of death metal. On October 10 and 11, Club Oldskulls in the Bulgarian capital hosts Autumn Deathfest 2026, a two-day event that gathers brutal metal from half of Europe - and one that has a direct Macedonian thread in the lineup.

The festival's headliners are Spain's Avulsed, one of the most enduring names on the European death-metal scene. Alongside them perform Austria's Sharing Place Pungent Stench, Sweden's Centinex, the Czech Hypnos - and Inner Hate, a death-metal band from Macedonia stepping in shoulder to shoulder with the established European names. For a Balkan metalhead, that is one more reason to hit the road to Sofia.

The program is filled out by Bulgaria's Past Redemption, Day of Execution and Unbaptized, so the first day is a non-stop wall of sound. The second day, October 11, is completely free and independent of the main-day ticket - the afterparty brings the Czech MineCraft and Bulgaria's Menstrual Coctel, for those who need more.

This is a festival with a clear audience: extreme metal for those who live the genre, in a club setting where the distance between band and crowd is minimal. Tickets run around 60 euros in presale and 70 euros at the door, with free entry for the afterparty. Sales go through bilet.bg.