Bratislava club WAX2 was raided by the police over the weekend.
The incident, which took place in the early hours of Saturday, September 28th at a party hosted by local promoter OLAM and The Hague platform Intergalactic FM, allegedly involved around 40 police officers, and left guests feeling "shocked, stressed and, for some, deeply traumatised," according to a statement sent to Resident Advisor by OLAM.
"The unexpected intervention led to the immediate cancellation of the party," the statement continued. "Attendees were treated like criminals. Forced to line up against the wall, they were subjected to invasive searches, with police dogs sniffing around as officers carried out pat-downs on everyone present."
An eyewitness told Slovakian news portal Startitup.sk that attendees were forced to stand facing the wall with their hands above their head for more than two hours.
"We were in WAX2, talking to friends and drinking beer when all of a sudden there was a scream," they said. "The music stopped, the lights came on and we were all told to put our hands over our heads and go to the wall. We all lined up and there was silence. You couldn't even scratch or turn your head, they were watching us. My hands were hurting, but they had to stay above my head. One of the policemen growled at me: 'Why are you turning around, you're kind of nervous, aren't you?'"
In a statement published yesterday, September 29th, the Slovakian police force said that the operation focused on "checking the issuance of receipts as well as issues related to e-cash registers, with officers from the first Bratislava district focusing on uncovering violent and drug-related criminal activities." Plastic bags "containing a white crystalline substance were found in several places within the venue," the police statement continued. Five people were arrested and charged with "the unauthorised possession of narcotic and psychotropic substances." They've all since been released.
WAX2 reopened as normal the following night, but the incident led to OLAM losing €12,000, according to the promoter's statement. The team plan to set up a crowdfunding page in an attempt to recoup some of the money the lost. "The financial damage caused by this incident is enormous," the statement added.
Located in the city's Old Town, WAX2 opened its doors last June, since hosting artists such as Juliet Fox, Phase Fatale and Schacke. We'll continue to report on this story as it unfolds.
Read OLAM's statement in full, and donate to the fundraiser. We, the organisers of the OLAM x Intergalactic FM event held on September 27th, 2024, at WAX2 in Bratislava, Slovakia, wish to express our deepest regret and disappointment over the distressing incident that occurred during our event.
Our gathering, which aimed to bring people together through music, was abruptly interrupted by a police raid involving around 40 officers. The unexpected intervention led to the immediate cancellation of the party. Attendees, many of whom had travelled from across the world to celebrate music and community, were treated like criminals. Forced to line up against the wall, they were subjected to invasive searches, with police dogs sniffing around as officers carried out pat-downs on everyone present.
This ordeal left our guests and team feeling shocked, stressed, and for some, deeply traumatised, raising serious concerns about safety and the potential impact on future events in Bratislava.
According to the police statement, the operation was initiated to investigate alleged violations related to receipts and e-cash registers, and to uncover drug-related activities. However, what should have been a targeted inspection turned into an excessive show of force, disrupting a peaceful music event. While the police report mentions that small bags of a white crystalline substance were discovered in various parts of the venue, these were not found on our staff or any of our organising team. Most importantly, the small bags were only identified after the raid began, suggesting that any such items may have been discarded by individuals in panic due to the overwhelming police presence.
It's heartbreaking to see nine months of hard work, energy put in and investment erased in a matter of moments. The financial damage caused by this incident is enormous, amounting to €12,000. We are sincerely sorry that the evening, which was intended as a celebration of community, art and freedom, ended this way. Our mission was to create an environment of joy and connection, and it's tragic that the actions of a few have cast a shadow over what was meant to be a unifying experience.
This incident has now escalated into a political issue. We believe that our efforts—and those of many others—to establish Bratislava as a vibrant and diverse destination should be recognised and supported by local authorities. Youth culture and nightlife deserve to be nurtured and safeguarded, not criminalised. As it stands, the city does not feel like a safe or welcoming space for such expression.
We remain committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all who engage with electronic music and nightlife culture. Alongside our collaborators, we will continue to advocate for resilience and solidarity within our community.
We are grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and allies in the electronic music scene and urge everyone to join us in promoting a more respectful and understanding approach to nightlife culture. We've witnessed both incredible solidarity and, unfortunately, opportunistic behaviour in the wake of this event. While some have generously set up fundraising efforts and offered to donate their tickets to support OLAM, others have sought to exploit this traumatic experience for personal gain, showing little regard for the gravity of the situation and the impact it had on everyone involved.
To continue rebuilding and recovering from this incident, we need your help. We encourage those who are able to support us financially by contributing to our funding efforts. Any amount would go a long way in helping us recover the €12,000 euros lost due to this unwarranted attack.
To ensure all attendees feel supported, we will also be offering full refunds for tickets. We kindly ask those who would like a refund to reach out to us directly, and we will prioritise processing these requests as swiftly as possible.
In light of this painful experience, we no longer feel safe organising events in Bratislava or Slovakia. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from hosting any future gatherings here. We hope to continue our journey with all our friends and supporters, dancing together in safer spaces across Europe.
With deep appreciation,
OLAM