Could the festivals at Lake Balaton be over?

A village on Lake Balaton is fed up with the noise caused by festivals in Zamárdi and has called for consultations.

István Bóka, the mayor of Balatonfüred, wrote on Facebook that the noise of the Balaton Sound and Strand Festivals had caused a serious outcry in the municipality he leads.

Residents and holidaymakers are fuming that the festivals distract the peace and quiet of the village. For this reason, the mayor expects cooperation and wishes to consult with the festival organisers and the Zamárdi administration. They would also involve the regulatory authorities. Bóka finds it strange that an administratively bordering municipality should not have a say.

According to Balázs Balassa, president of the Balaton Association, it would be important to have a one-section silence decree. “It is useless for a Balaton municipality to decide to focus on peace and quiet and relaxation if a neighbouring municipality decides otherwise, not to mention the fact that the boundless noise also reaches the waters,” Balassa said, but added that ceasing the festivals is not the solution.

Zamárdi has previously held a referendum on the issue in the municipality. The overwhelming majority of the votes, 80%, were in favour of the festivals, economx.hu reports.