Sommarhack, the legendary demo party that always felt just out of my reach. For years, I watched from the sidelines, thinking it was one of those events I’d never get the chance to attend. Then, unexpectedly earlier this year, an email from Spkr landed in my inbox. Suddenly, what once felt impossible started to feel real.
It wasn't an official invitation, but a spot on the reserve list. That was enough. I accepted immediately. Hope turned into anticipation. A few days later, another message came through. This time, it was confirmed. I had a place.
I'd heard from my Atari friends who'd attended previous Sommarhacks how amazing it was, and how much fun they'd had. Truth be told, I was always quite envious. But would it live up to my expectations? My imposter syndrome peaked, and I even had doubts about going... Ultimately, I bit the bullet and booked my tickets from London Gatwick to Stockholm, Sweden.
I was going to Sommarhack!
I'd been to Sweden before, but only on business, isolated to a shopping centre in Malmö, and an office in downtown Stockholm. I'd never seen the real Sweden, much like if you've been to London, you've not seen the real England. I was looking forward to visiting Hedemora in Dalarna County. The pictures looked very pretty, the landscape awe-inspiring, especially around the party by the lake!
Thursday, July 3rd 2025
The journey began from home, deep in the Kent countryside. A crash on the Gatwick approach added a 45-minute delay, but fortunately, parking was straightforward, and I was through security quickly, with no issues.
As I made my way through the terminal, I realised I would be on the same flight as Damo of Reservoir Gods. We exchanged texts and arranged to meet outside Joe & the Juice. I was genuinely looking forward to it. His reputation preceded him, and I had heard nothing but good things. We met, had a coffee, and caught up before boarding our flight.
During our chat, it emerged that we had actually met before, back in the mid to late 1990s, at an Atari Falcon show in London. Mikee and Caecillius of the M.L.P. were also at the same show. As it turns out, Tat of Avena had been there too. Strange how our paths crossed again. I had no memory of the event at all, just one of many moments blurred by time. Makes you wonder what else has faded from the ageing grey matter!
We took to the skies, excitement racing through our veins, looking forward to an amazing weekend together.
A few hours later, I landed at Arlanda Airport, where we almost literally bumped into Tat of Avena on the concourse. We all then made our way to meet Grazey and gwEm of the PHF at the hire car, using the handy airport bus service.
We were all reunited. gwEm had travelled from Holland, Grazey came from England via Holland, and Tat, Damo, and I had travelled from England. We all said our hellos, with Atari hugs all round, clambered into the car, a rather swish Volvo, and made the two-hour drive to our hostel in Hedemora.
The journey for all was smooth, except for one detail! Alarmingly, gwEm's luggage did not turn up on the carousel, so he was without luggage, and the airport staff at Arlanda were far from helpful in locating it. So, gwEm reported a lost luggage claim, and we all crossed our fingers, hoping it would arrive at some point during the weekend. As expected, all of gwEm's personal items were in his luggage, as well as the DJ equipment he required for his set with Crazy Q on Saturday evening!
We stopped off at Willy's to pick up some refreshments and food. Damo and I opened a few cans for the journey, and some very smelly sandwiches (sorry, Tat).
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the hostel, our home for the next three days. A lovely house nestled in the Swedish countryside, surrounded by trees, a road, a train station, and a few houses. It was very peaceful. Would it remain peaceful, or would the neighbours start to experience the wonder and impact of the YM2149?
Let's get this party started!
After we all settled in, opened a few more cans, had a cup of tea here and there, talked Atari, and caught up on everyday life, we freshened up and walked into Hedemora to grab something to eat.
About the only restaurant open was Akropolis, which turned out to be an excellent Greek restaurant (although we all agreed that GGN would not agree!).
We enjoyed plenty of excellent meats, wines, soft drinks, and lager before heading back to the hostel for some serious demo watching and more Atari talk. For me, it was valuable, quality time together. I also appreciated the chance to get to know each other a bit better beyond just our Atari personas.
So, we watched some awesome demos, Joy from New Beat, Motus from smfx, Grotesque from Omega... We also watched different platform conversions of Second Reality, and the first demos that Grazey downloaded that got him interested in the demo scene. After 22 minutes of watching the demo, I remarked, "It was a great find!", hey Grazey, much like my Aha music demo on the BBC Micro!
Friday, July 4th 2025
The next day, we made our way to the party place, once again stopping in Hedemora to pick up some provisions for the event. And who should we bump into but Spkr of smfx and Havoc of LineOut, it really is a small world, who kindly gave me a lift to the party place so we were not squashed in the back of the Volvo hire car.
We soon arrived at the beautiful party place, said our hellos to everyone, and set up our space for the weekend. The location was breathtaking. The party place really was situated right on the lake, with amazing scenery. We were even spoilt with some great weather.
After so many years, it was great to put faces to the names you see in scrollers, greets, and credits, and to have face-to-face conversations. I can honestly say that everyone I spoke to was warm, friendly, engaging, and just lovely. Thank you for making me feel so welcome and part of the Sommarhack experience.
The first event was Tipspromenad '25 (loosely translated in English as "quiz walk" or "quiz hike"), where we walked around and answered 15 questions on previous Sommarhack parties. As I had not been to any past events, my tactical brain kicked in, and I stuck close to the PHF, who were playing as a team. It was only a bit of fun, after all.
A few answers stood out to us... I wonder why!
Once we handed in our completed score sheets to Evl, we got cracking on the signature barbeque. Quite the feast, with gwEm cooking his scene-renowned, quite possibly world-renowned, gwEm burgers! Thank you, gwEm. Your culinary expertise and generosity are always tremendously appreciated.
At this point, gwEm’s luggage still had not arrived, but there was finally some progress. He was given a tracking link, which showed that the luggage had been located. The app vaguely suggested it would be delivered directly to the party place by 11 p.m.
Sure enough, at 7:30 pm, a delivery van pulled up. Moments later, gwEm was reunited with his luggage, met with a round of rapturous applause from everyone who witnessed the long-awaited delivery. It was a genuinely relieving moment for all.
The party was in full swing by now. I commandeered the "DHS speaker" and started to play some chip tunes and MOD classics. The weather stayed fair, the rain held off, and we all sat together outside enjoying each other’s company and good food.
One great moment for me was finally meeting NervE of Effect, who my sister and I had known and spoken to on IRC ever since the 1990s. We had never met in person before. Such a lovely, warm, friendly guy. We chatted for several hours and enjoyed some fine wines together, and a mysterious amount of apples falling from the tree! ;) NervE told me he had never left Effect, so he was immediately reinstated as a group member on Demozoo.
The next morning, I scraped my head off the pillow and headed outside for some fresh air, walking into the wilderness not really knowing where I was going, determined to get my head together for the next fun-packed day at the party place.
Rather like a cryptic TV series with hidden messages throughout, I could not help but notice the sheer amount of tagging across Hedemora done by the elusive T BAG. It seemed to follow you wherever you went. (Bad Wolf?!)
Who is this T BAG? Do they actually like tea? Is it the infamous Amiga scener trying to send us a message? Answers on a postcard!
The weather was not as kind to us today, with spots of rain and light showers. We left for the party place via the local shops for more provisions. Personally, I love this weather, but it did mean more people seemed to stay inside and not venture outdoors, understandably.
gwEm and I, with our mutual love of rain and damp weather, sat outside on the veranda and took in the vista of the lake and surrounding scenery. After a while, we decided we were hungry and took ownership of the barbeque lighting for the day. Although, special thanks to Evl for helping us light the coals!
The competitions were a real highlight of the event. All the entries were genuinely impressive, each bringing something unique to the table, whether it was clever coding, striking visuals, or tightly synchronised soundtracks. You could clearly see the creativity, skill, and passion that had gone into every production. Some received loud cheers, others drew laughter, but every single one was met with interest and appreciation from the audience.
What really stood out was the energy in the room. The crowd was fully engaged, responding to every transition, effect, and beat. It was not just passive viewing. People were commenting, clapping, reacting instantly, and sharing in the excitement together. The sense of connection and shared enjoyment was very special.
For me, it was a privilege to be part of that experience. Being surrounded by people who not only understand but genuinely care about the scene made it feel like something special. It was not just about watching demos. It was about being part of a moment that brought everyone together through a shared love of creativity, technology, and expression. A true creative art!
When the competitions had ended, the stage was set for the Crazy Q and gwEm first-ever double bill. A truly wonderful set, where some came out and danced, immersing themselves in the experience and letting loose.
Following the set, it was time for the competition results, beginning with the outcome of Tipspromenad '25. It turned out to be a tie at the top between Spkr of smfx and Daniel of New Beat. To settle it, Evl had prepared a set of tie-breaker questions.
There was a real sense of anticipation in the room as the questions were answered. Both Spkr and Daniel gave it their full focus, and after a few tense minutes, the final result was announced. Daniel of New Beat came out on top, taking the win.
It was a fun and engaging way to close out that part of the evening, and the atmosphere was warm and good-humoured. Everyone enjoyed the light-hearted competition.
The orgas rattled through the other category entries, which ran seamlessly and on time, without a hitch:
Themed competitions
- Mixed-resolution demo
- Neochrome raster split photo
Regular competitions
- Demo/intro
- 256-byte intro
- Lowres graphics
- 32k music
- Wild
Effect took first place in the Mixed Resolution Demo competition, delivering a strong and well-received entry. In the Demo/Intro competition, Damo of Reservoir Gods and Tat of Avena took the win with a marvellous production that really stood out. Omega secured the top spot in the 256-byte intro category. Earlier that day, I had been chatting with The Flying Egg about Omega’s classic demos from years ago. I remember watching those when I was a kid, so meeting the people behind them felt quite special and nostalgic.
In the music category, a fantastic 32k tune by Tao earned first place. In the low-resolution graphics category, Nytrik took the win with a striking piece titled Fire. The Neochrome Raster Split Photo competition was completely dominated by Platon42, who impressively claimed first, second, and third place. I am not sure if he had to buy extra luggage space for his return journey! For me, the standout entry in the Wild category was a demo by !Cube called !Cube vs YM2149, with his amazing music and some lovely effects.
Each category was filled with quality entries, and the results reflected both the high level of skill and the long-standing passion that runs through the scene. It was great to see newer and older names alike getting recognition, instead of the same faces and crews.
Head over to Demozoo to check out the releases for yourself. Real hardware is always recommended! Please like, comment, and subscribe. The link is below!
We said our goodbyes and headed back to the hostel for a good night's sleep, ready for our long journeys home in the morning.
Sunday, July 6th 2025
The next morning, we met at the hire car for the drive back to the airport. For me, the mood was one of reflection and was certainly a lot quieter and more subdued compared to the outward journey. I was sad the party was over and knew I would miss my friends.
We arrived at the airport, dropped off the hire car, and caught the bus to Terminal 2 to wave goodbye to Grazey and gwEm.
Tat, Damo, and I then headed over to Terminal 5 and waited for our flight. We grabbed a decent pizza and a beer from Eatery Garden and made our way to passport control. I am not sure how, but we completely lost track of time and had to dash and unofficially fast-track to the front of the queue with all others heading for Gatwick. It was a close call, literally.
After a turbulent but uneventful flight, my mind racing from the weekend, I landed back at Gatwick and headed home to be reunited with my wife and dog, Ruby, for an early night.
Sommarhack 2025 was everything I hoped it would be and more. Set in a beautiful lakeside location in Sweden, the party had the perfect mix of demos, good food, great people, and that unmistakable Atari scene spirit.
It was my first time attending, but it never felt that way. Everyone was incredibly warm and welcoming, and it was a real pleasure to finally meet so many people I had only ever spoken to online. Putting names to faces, sharing stories, and just being part of the scene in person again reminded me why I love this community.
The party had a relaxed vibe throughout, with moments of laughter, great conversations, and of course, some serious barbeque action. There were standout moments such as gwEm’s legendary burgers, long chats with NervE and Dbug, spotting “T BAG” graffiti all over Hedemora, and just soaking in the scenery and atmosphere.
The compos were a real high point. The energy in the room was electric, and every release was met with genuine appreciation. Whether it was demos, music, or graphics, the quality was top notch.
The double bill live set from Crazy Q and gwEm was fantastic and capped the evening off in style. While Sunday came far too quickly, I left feeling inspired, grateful, and already thinking about next year.
Massive thanks to Evl, Spkr, Il Professore, and everyone I didn't meet who helped make Sommarhack happen.
This was hanging up on the wall in our hostal - very appropriate:
Comments
Awesome report John. Probably the best 'outsider coming inside' write up. I got a real feeling for the intimate mood throughout the party.
The last time I travelled in a group with Tat, was the epic coach trip to the Symposium, '96 party. More gruelling, less comfortable, but still massive fun.
You've managed it on sensible adult comfortable organised mode. Well done!
Anyways, glad to hear everyone had a good time. The stream worked well too, at least from this end. Compo timing were good too - not too late either, which helped a lot.
I had blanked most of that coach trip to Symposium 96, Chris... I'm not sure how we managed it.
Just love how you managed to nail down various party experiences, like capturing the energy in the room in such a thoughtful way, the "compo sadness", realising the party is over soon or the travelling towards and back moods. These words must have come out straight from you after-party heart, Tronic ❤️
I hope you came back feeling that there was no need for that feeling!
Hej Tord, we have 40 tickets available, then there are a few kids on the upper floor, so 40-50 in total. We were a bit unlucky this year with some last minute cancelations, so we were a few less than usual.
And thanks to Tronic for the great report :)