Banja Luka, the second largest town in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in northern Bosnia (140 kilometers northwest from the country’s capital Sarajevo), hosted its Rock Open Air Festival on 17 and 18 July. Uriah Heep and BC Sweet, along with a number of regional rock bands, heated up the atmosphere on the green river bank of Vrbas, near the fortress Kastel, which dates back to the times when the Romans ruled in the Balkans.

During the summer, there are a number of festivals taking place in Banja Luka, with live bands playing at the outdoor venues. The main festivals include: Banja Luka Choir Gathering (April - May), Theater Festival "Teatar Fest" (May), the International Short Film Festival "Kratkofil" (June), The Month of the Rock Music (June), the Folklore Days of Banja Luka (July - August), Summer on the Vrbas (July), and the Banja Luka Summer Games (August).

“This year we have set ourselves a high benchmark, since our goal has been to provide a solid foundation for future festivals. That is why we decided to invite artists like Uriah Heep, BC Sweet, and bands like Divlje Jagode (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Atomsko sklonište (Croatia) to the festivals. But we also wanted to present the new rock generation from the region”, said Boško Beuk, manager of Rock Open Air Festival in an interview with Southeast Europe: People and Culture.

Sheitans (Devils), a band formed by musicians from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia presented their first album, which has been influenced by The Black Crows and Kings of Leon. Another band, Balkan express, presented their first album “Preporuceno”, “including the songs Ti si ti” and “Sam i Slobodan”, which have already become radio hits.

The Serbian band Alogia was also one of the performers. They have already published three albums, including the "Secret spheres of art”, published in English for the label "Locomotive Music”. They have performed all over the former Yugoslavia region, and are still the best selling metal band in Serbia.

The festival’s manager Bosko Beuk says that their goal is to welcome all generations – those who are young and those who feel young at heart. They are expecting visitors not only from Bosnia and Herzegovina but from the whole Southeast Europe region.

“Whenever I am presenting the festival I like to say that this is a family music holiday. There are kids coming, and their parents are coming as well. The Festival is taking place in the beautiful scenery of the Kastel. We had
around 10 000 visitors per night,” explained Bosko Beuk.

Open Air is not just about music, says the Festival’s manager. “Open Air festivals are good places for waking up ecological consciousness among visitors as well. We do our best to point out the importance of preserving nature and all its beauties”, says Bosko Beuk.

Traveling to Banja Luka is easy. The town has its own international
airport and good traffic infrastructure connecting the city with
Sarajevo, Zagreb and Belgrade.