Premiere: Bliss Mountain Vol.2 2026 – Conny Ochs, Might, Jacke Schwarz & Fire Artist Johanna Marie

There is something inherently pure about music stripped of towering stage setups, corporate sponsors, and barriers. Back in August, our good friend Andreas Khol and the stalwart collective over at Exile On Mainstream returned for the second instalment of Bliss Mountain – a truly grassroots gathering perched 1,590 meters up in the Austrian Tennengebirge at the Anton-Proksch-Haus. Far removed from standard live music venues, reaching this intimate sanctuary required either a gruelling two-hour mountain hike or a gondola ride paired with a final alpine trek, turning the simple act of attending into a pilgrimage.

Captured against this breathtaking backdrop, The Shaman is proud to share four stunning live videos documenting the gathering. Featuring immersive performances from Conny Ochs, Might and Jacke Schwarz, alongside a hypnotic fire performance by Johanna Marie – accompanied by spontaneous, mountainside improvisations from members of Might, Jacke Schwarz, Gavial, and SEK – these recordings capture the unique magic of an event where art exists solely for the sake of connection. With audio mixing and video production expertly handled by Sven Missullis, what you get here is an unfiltered window into a genuinely special community.

Dive into all four videos below, soak in the mountain air, and get a taste of why these intimate gatherings mean so much to the Exile On Mainstream family – and when you’re done, you can start setting your sights on Bliss Mountain Vol. 3, slated for July 2-3, 2027.

Conny Ochs @ Bliss Mountain 2026

About the experience, Conny Ochssays, ‘Exile On Mainstream Records’ tradition of bringing the label family and fans together in unusual places has taken me to many inspiring locations. From the sea, we moved to the mountains for the first Bliss Mountainsessions in 2022 and again this year. Many of my new songs were written there in just a few days. It’s like coming home – to places you haven’t been before, but always with family. After days on the road alone, these encounters mean a great deal to me. The spirit of the label manifests here in its purest form. We play together, write together and see the world from the same angle for a few days’.

Might @ Bliss Mountain 2026

Ana Muhi of Might reflects that ‘The vastness of the mountains, the closeness of friends and those who might become friends. Silence, loud. Resonance, connection. Comfort and the reassurance that the world still has love and magic to offer. Only the mountain itself you have to climb alone. Sven Missullis, also of Might, adds, ‘Far above the heads of cities and villages, amid the nature of the mountains, music echoes into the distance, and you feel grateful to be allowed to experience this moment.’

Jacke Schwarz @ Bliss Mountain 2026

And about the event, Paul-Willy Stoyan of Jacke Schwarz writes, ‘Arrival in the valley late afternoon in the rain. The gondola then takes you up through the rain clouds to around 1,500 metres altitude. That 20-minute ride was a small transformation: hiking trails instead of roads, cows instead of cars, beautiful mountain peaks instead of skyscrapers. Fresh air, silence, calm and, in the spirit of the event, bliss. We tried to channel all of these impressions – with fingers and bottleneck on strings, with Sorbian and German words, while the sun climbs over the peaks and even the grazing cows seem to pause for a moment to listen.’

Johanna Marie @ Bliss Mountain 2026

More On Bliss Mountain 2026

Some moments stay with you. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get to experience something like them again.

Back in 2022, we gathered on a remote pasture in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, beneath the mighty Sassolungo and Sassopiatto, to share an evening of music, friendship and the beauty of the mountains. It was a small gathering, born out of a simple idea, and one that has stayed with us ever since.

Four years later, we found ourselves doing it again.

On August 8 and 9, 2026, Bliss Mountain returned for its second edition, this time on the terrace of the Anton-Proksch-Haus, 1,590 metres above sea level in the Austrian Tennengebirge. A place you don’t just happen to pass by: getting there means either a two-hour hike up the mountain or a gondola ride followed by another half-hour walk. Some even made their way up and back down in the dark, with nothing but their torches to light the path. A little journey in itself, and perhaps part of what makes being there feel so special.

With Might, Conny Ochs and Jacke Schwarz, three artists connected through the Exile On Mainstream tribe, and fire artist Johanna Marie, we spent two days surrounded by mountains, music and wonderful people.

There was no big stage, no festival machinery, no pressure to be anything other than what it was. Just the artists, a small gathering of friends, hikers and music lovers, and the freedom to let the music find its own way. Saturday brought an evening of sounds drifting into the mountain dusk, culminating in Johanna Marie‘s beautiful fire performance, accompanied by improvised live music from Conny Ochs, Sven Missullis of Might and Paul-Willy Stoyan of Jacke Schwarz, Gavial and SEK. Sunday gave us a few more hours together under the open sky. Both days were free to attend and streamed live on Instagram, allowing friends from further away to share in the experience.

What began as a little idea in 2022 continues to mean more to us than we can easily put into words. Perhaps because it reminds us how little it sometimes takes to create something meaningful.

And because some things are simply too beautiful not to do again, we’re happy to share that Bliss Mountain Vol. 3 will take place on July 2 and 3, 2027, once more at the Anton-Proksch-Haus in the Tennengebirge. We don’t know yet what memories we’ll bring home this time, but we know we’d love to share them with you.

Thank you for watching and for being part of this, whether you were there on the mountain or are discovering it through these recordings. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone at the Anton-Proksch-Haus for welcoming us into this remarkable place, to the artists for sharing their music and spirit, to everyone who helped make it happen, and to those who came up the mountain simply to be there.

For us at Exile On Mainstream, these are the moments that matter. And the ones we will carry with us. Until then, enjoy the music. And perhaps we’ll see each other up there. Love Noise Freedom.

Label: Exile On Mainstream