In partnership with Electric Castle
Words: David Renshaw and Laura Molloy
Electric Castle 2026 is well underway, with Friday (July 17) seeing the main stage open up and the crowds roll in.
On Thursday, we saw the likes of Sleaford Mods and Kneecap deliver high-octane performances in the grounds of Bánffy Castle (did we mention this festival takes place in the grounds of an actual Transylvanian castle?!) While, after dark, DJ sets from Kitty Amor and SG Lewis kicked off a weekend of 24-hour dancing – you can read a full report here.
We’ve now caught both Teddy Swims and Twenty One Pilots taking to the stage in Romania for the first time ever, and wandered through the site’s many hidden spaces to catch dance music with influences that span the entire globe. Here’s everything that went down on day three of Electric Castle Festival.
Teddy Swims brings old-school soul to Romania
You can tell by the crowds flocking towards the main stage – the biggest of the weekend so far – that Teddy Swims’ first time in Romania is an unmissable event here. To mark the occasion, he’s enlisted a full band who he gives plenty of time to shine: opening up the set for a series of hypnotic extended drum and guitar solos as the sun sets over Bánffy Castle.
Of course, it’s his stunning, old-school soul voice that’s dragged punters from all corners of the grounds, and the crowd clings to each and every word as he croons through nuanced tales of love and heartache, ‘Funeral’ and his brand-new single ‘Break Up In Reverse’ set the tone for reflection, which is quickly but smoothly shifted as he giggles: “This songs about girls, and I like girls”, before breaking into his remix of country star Thomas Rhett’s ‘Somethin’ ‘Bout a Woman’.
As his set draws to a close, he breaks into a high-octane cover of Van Halen‘s ‘Jump’, transforming the classic 80s hit with some rich vocal runs, before closing with his mega-hit ‘I Lose Control’, which has racked up 5 billion streams since his release in 2024.
From start to finish, Swims’ energy is palpable, so by the time he puts on his helmet, complete with a bright red mohawk, and wheels off stage in a tricycle, it feels fair to call it a job well done. (LM)
Teddy Swims covers @VanHalen’s ‘Jump’ on the main stage at @electric_castle 2026 🤘🎸 pic.twitter.com/oQgiTjanjm
— NME (@NME) July 17, 2026
Quantic transforms land-locked Transylvania into a beachside paradise
The dancers of Electric Castle converge at the Beach stage to revel in Quantic’s two-hour set where, for a moment, it’s easy to forget you’re standing in the Romanian woodland and not an oceanside jazz bar. The area is completely transformed over the course of the night at Quantic’s whim; For a moment, salsa dancers occupy prime space, twirling and exhibiting masterful footwork on the sandy floor, before the mix dissolves into house pulses and electronic beats that make the trees shake.
Quantic has often credited years spent in Colombia as altering his understanding of music, as well as time digging through record shops as a teenager, where he was offered a first glimpse into Latin music. These experiences meld into a set that is eclectic yet harmonised, and anchored by his warm, analogue approach to production. For two decades now, he’s crafted a sound that intertwines masterful musicianship with heavy, electronic influences and brings underground Latin music to dancefloors across the world. Quantic’s set tonight is a true testament to his tireless work as a producer, curator and composer. And, if the dancers are anything to go by, it deeply resonates – we may not see moves like this for the rest of the weekend. (LM)
Twenty One Pilots crowd surf through their headline set
Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun’s presence was felt on the Banffy Castle site far earlier than the moment they stepped onto the festival’s immense main stage. Their army of merch-clad fans – aka the Skeleton Clique – are legion, eagerly anticipating the band’s first Romanian show in over four years. Naturally, they were greeted like heroes as they finally stepped onto the stage and tore into their opening song, ‘Overcompensate.’ Joseph buzzed with energy as he stalked the stage in his trademark Clancy mask, his microphone lit up bright red like a warning sign. By the third song, ‘Center Mass’, he was held aloft by members of the audience as he essentially surfs off their goodwill.
While much of their 90-minute set is focused on their most recent albums ‘Breach’ and ‘Clancy’, Twenty One Pilots also played to their festival surroundings. Drummer Josh Dun bolted from the stage to a nearby rig and quickly clambered to the very top. Closer to the moon than his bandmate, Dun then revealed a second drum kit that he played through the aptly titled ‘Drum Show’. Joseph had his own fun later in the set as he went into the crowd and was showered with gifts. He soon found a way to repurpose them, placing a cowboy hat and a Hawaiian lei on two nearby members of the security team. The band broke down the barriers between stage and audience once more when a lucky fan, named Andrew, was invited onto the stage to perform ‘Ride’, a highlight from the band’s 2015 album ‘Blurryface’.
Throwing everything at their set, Twenty One Pilots rounded things off with a rousing rendition of The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’ (including a video co-sign from Jack White himself) and Bonfire Night levels of pyro. “You look good România. Thanks for having us back,” Joseph said prior to ‘Trees’. The roar that greeted the band throughout their epic headline slot made it clear they would be welcome back anytime. (DR)
Mochakk delivers the anthems to close day two
Mochakk defines his DJ sets by their “chunkiness,” skipping between techno and house with a little grit running through his effortless blends. It’s a style that has seen the Brazilian DJ burst out of his native São Paulo and help spearhead a new wave of electronic music emerging from his country. In a main stage set that immediately followed Twenty One Pilots set, Mochakk offered Electric Castle a light-night escape with eternal anthems (Groove Armada ‘Superstylin’’, ‘Day N’ Nite’ by Crookers) alongside esoteric detours through Hungarian techno and his own remix of The Martinez Bros ‘Rizzla’ featuring Gordo and Rema. The crowd grew larger throughout this triumphant set, which was capped off by bursts of flames licking the stage and the sense that Mochakk could get used to this kind of festival headliner status. (DR)
