23rd Volt Festival attracts record many visitors – Photo Gallery
Budapest, July 5 (MTI) – The 23rd Volt Festival broke last year’s record of 120,000 visitors and attracted 123,000 people to Sopron in western Hungary this week, the festival’s press office said on Sunday.
Friday was the most popular day among festivalgoers when 35,000 went to see a lineup including Motorhead, the Parov Stelar Band and David Guetta. This was followed by 33,000 showing up on Saturday for Wellhello, Akos, John Newman and Fatboy Slim, the press office said.
President Janos AderA total of 200 acts were included in the programme over four and a half days. President Janos Ader gave a lecture on the effects of climate change on Saturday.
John NewmanThe festival grounds in the Lover hills occupied the local campsite that has a capacity for 10,000 tents. All additional accommodation in Sopron and nearby areas were fully booked, with many visitors staying in neighbouring Austria.
Ian Kilmister-Motörhead Daniel Campbell Smith (Bastille) Parkway DrivePhoto: MTI
Summer festivals receive nearly EUR 1.6m from state
Budapest (MTI) – Hungary’s summer festivals are receiving a total of nearly 500 million forints (EUR 1.6m) state support this year, an official of the Ministry of Human Resources said on Friday.
State secretary Bence Rétvári told a press conference that the Sziget Festival in Budapest, the Volt Festival in Sopron in western Hungary and the Balaton Sound festival are getting a combined 150 million forints (EUR 476,000). Additionally, several festivals included in the Nagyon Balaton scheme are to receive a combined 337 million forints (EUR 1.1m), he said.
Hungary’s festivals generate around 10-12 percent of international tourism, resulting in an annual 100 billion forints (EUR 318m) revenues in the economy and jobs for locals, Rétvári said. Large festivals face serious competition internationally, so the government decided last year to reduce the VAT on festival tickets from 27 percent to 18 percent, he added.
He said state support for the Budapest Spring Festival and CAFe Budapest is to increase to 1.9 billion forints (EUR 6m) and the National Cultural Fund of Hungary is distributing a total of 300 million forints (EUR 953,000) to support cultural and gastronomic festivals that attract a large number of tourists.
Photo: MTI
Sopron VOLT Festival starts Tuesday
Budapest (MTI) – The 23rd VOLT Festival, a major music event in Sopron, in northwestern Hungary, will kick off on Tuesday with performances by Hungarian artists celebrating anniversaries, the festival’s press chief told MTI.
The five-day-long festival will feature international artists such as former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, David Guetta, Bastille, John Newman, Fatboy Slim and Motorhead.
The lineup of Hungarian artists includes rock band Tankcsapda, pop duo Wellhello, alternative pop rock band Quimby, Kiscsillag and blues legend Hobo.
Photo: Zsombor TothPresident Janos Ader’s campaign against climate change will play a major role at this year’s event. On Friday, 10,000 balloons will be released with messages from the festival’s visitors. Ader will also pay a visit to the festival on Saturday, to hold a lecture on climate change.
As part of the new VOLT for V4 initiative, visitors will get to enjoy a special concert with artists from the Visegrad Four countries performing one song each. The concert will feature Polish singer/guitarist and composer Janek Samolyk, Slovak band Fallgrapp, Czech folk-rock band Zrni and Hungarian hip-hop group Hosok.
President Ader: Hungary Sziget, VOLT festivals join climate change campaign
Budapest (MTI) – Two of Hungary’s big music festivals, Sziget and VOLT, along with their organisers, have joined the campaign against climate change, President Janos Ader announced on Saturday.
Ader last month launched on his home page a signature drive encouraging the Hungarian public to join the initiative on elobolygonk.hu. He joined former US vice-president Al Gore’s initiative to collect one billion signatures urging world leaders to reach a climate agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Ader said that festival-goers this year, whose numbers are expected to reach 1.2 million, will have a chance to learn about the issue of climate change as it affects them.
The festival organisers, Karoly Gerendai of Sziget and Norbert Lobenwein of VOLT, said information on climate change and details on how to join the global campaign will be presented on monitors and screens.
Photo: MTI
2015 – The best concerts in Hungary
Slipknot, Roxette, Motörhead, One Republic and Nickelback and Bad Manners fans should be excited, because among others, these bands will come to Hungary, reports kulturpart.hu.
If you like live music, you won’t get bored this year! Check out the monthly programme, summarized by kulturpart.hu:
January
9th Budapest starts the year with Philip Catherine’s concert on January 9 at Müpa, and after the Belgian jazz quartet
10th Thomas Anders from the ‘80s pop duo Modern Talking at Syma
11th Michael Borstlap, the Dutch jazz pianist plays on January 11 at Müpa
17th Folk Music Festival at Müpa with Hungarian folk bands
24th Epica, the Dutch symphonic metal band at Petőfi Csarnok, and The Raveonettes from Denmark at A38
25th Sabaton, the Swedish power metal band performs at Petőfi Csarnok
31th Ignite, the American hardcore-punk band gives two concerts, the first one will be held at Barba Negra, on the 31 th of January, the second on the following day, at A38.
February
4th Earth, an American drone metal band awaits fans at A38
5th the popular American metal band, Slipknot will give a concert at Budapest Sport Arena
7th Matt Bianco, the popular jazz pop band of the ‘80s will perform at MOM Sport Center
8th The 8th of February will offer two great programmes for electro-fans, as two of the most popular American DJs will visit Hungary on this day: DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist will play electro-funk at Dürer Garden
9th Fink, the British singer-songwriter gives a concert at A38
23th For those who like grunge music, kulturpart recommends Mark Laneghan’s concerts at A38, while those who prefer jazz, should check out Arturo Sandoval’s performance at Müpa
24th Lordi entertains monster-metal fans at Barba Negra
27th Bad Manners, the ska band plays at A38
March
12th Devin Thownsend plays at A38
30th Sleepmakeswaves, the Australian postrock band plays at A38
April
6th Arena, the 20-years-old, British neo-progressive rock band plays at A38
11th Apocalyptica gives a concert at Petőfi Csarnok
15th David Sandborn Band, the Grammy-winner American jazz band plays at Müpa
16th Against Me! awaits punkrock enthusiasts and anarchists at A38
May
9th Roxette, the popular Swedish pop duo visits Hungary and play at Budapest Sport Arena
June
7th OneRepublic plays at Budapest Sport Arena
17th Budapest Park presents two bands that could fit into the ‘hardcore’ category: Asking Alexandra and Hollywood Undead
August
29th The teenage stars of Disney channel will give a concert at Budapest Sport Arena, Violetta Live! offers entertainment for the fans of the show ‘Violetta’
The festival season starts in June, with Fishing on Orfű, a festival that provides quality music for fans of Hungarian alternative, pop and rock bands. The festival will be held in the village of Orfű, from the 17th until the 20th of June. In July, from the 1st until the 4th VOLT Festival will be held in Sopron, with impressive headlines like the Motörhead, John Newman and Parov Stelar. From July 9 to 12, Balaton Sound; from July 13 to 19 Rockmaraton; and from the 14th of July until the 19th, EFOTT continues the entertainment of music fans. Sziget Festival is the most widely known festival in Hungary, and the only one that takes place in Budapest. Sziget starts with the concert of Florence and the Machine at August 10 and ends on the 17th. The festival season ends with Strand Festival, held in Zamárdi, and SZIN, held in Szeged – both of which feature the leading music acts of Hungary from the Carbonfools to Ákos.
Szeptember
13th The Day of the Hungarian Music offers concerts featuring the most popular Hungarian musicians and bands
October
21 th – 25th World Music Expo, probably the most important event in the Hungarian music scene debuts at Millenáris Park.
based on article by kulturpart.hu
translated by Laura Kocsis
Photo: pixabay
Hungarian Festivals in the Front Line
VOLT, Balaton Sound, Sziget, and B.my.Lake festivals are all among the bests in their categories at the European Festivals Awards. Apart from the Best Major European Festival category, Sziget is also among the leaders in the categories of the Best European Festival Line-Up and the Artist’s Favourtie European Festival.
According to vjm.hu, the winners will be announced on 10 January, 2015, at the FestAwards ceremony in Groningen, the Netherlands.
Hundreds of festivals from 35 countries entered the contest for the largest international festival recognition. During the month-long online voting, a record of 1.2 million votes were cast – twice as many as last year. The organizers have just announced the best 10-12 contestants of each category, which got most of the votes.
VOLT (Sopron), Balaton Sound (Zamárdi), Sziget (Óbuda) and B.my.Lake (Balatonvilágos) finished among the bests in a total of five categories. Sziget is among the finalists in the Best Major European Festival category, similarly are VOLT and Balaton Sound in the Best Medium-Sized European Festival category, and also B.my.Lake in the Best Small European Festival category.
based on article of vjm.hu
translated by Vivien Pásztai
Photo: Balazs Muhai – szigetfestival.com
Ticket Prices for The Best Summer Festivals
Summer festivals in Hungary are in need of no introduction. For many years they have been attracting vibrant multinational crowd from all over the world. Thanks to the surge of interest, the only thing that can prevent you from enjoying a truly magical experience of summer festivals under the sun and stars is a lack of tickets. Last minute decisions give a little hope of finding any at all. That is why we bring our readers the list of some festivals for the upcoming months and the price range for each of them.
VOLT (July 2-6), Sopron
Last year VOLT Festival was extended by a day in an effort to host a performance of one of the biggest music guests – Arctic Monkeys. Discount tickets of VOLT Festival are everything you need to enjoy discounts for B.My.Lake, Sziget, and Strand Festival as well. During VOLT Festival you cannot help but surrender to the viral beats. Among the performers: Arctic Monkeys, MGMT, Icona Pop, Morcheeba, 30 Seconds To Mars, Foals, Hurts, Volbeat.
| From June 17th and on the spot | Arctic Monkeys concert included | |
| 5 Days Pass | 39.990 Forints | YES |
| 4 Days Pass | 30.990 Forints | NO + 9.990 Forint |
| Weekend Pass | 35.000 Forints | YES |
| Weekend VIP Pass | 55.000 Forints | YES |
| 1 Day Ticket | 11.990 Forints | NO |
| VIP Daily Ticket | 19.000 Forints | NO |
| 5 Days VIP Pass | 60.000 Forints | YES |
| 4 Days VIP Pass | 50.000 Forints | NO + 9.990 Forint |
| Arctic Monkeys Daily Ticket | 15.990 Forints | YES |
| Arctic Monkeys VIP Daily Ticket | 25.000 Forints | YES |
| Volt + Balaton Sound Pass | 71.000 Forints | NO +9990 Forints |
| Volt + Strand Festival Pass | 41.000 Forints | NO+9990 Forints |
Rockmaraton (July 7-12), Pécs
The name itself already gives you a hint that this event is organized for those, who find Hardcore, Metalcore, and Heavy Metal music to be the ethos of any good festival. This event will not be guest starring any DJs or be pop-colored in any ways. Malomvölgyi Arborétum will be the hosting arena for the festival. Some of the music guests of Rockmaraton: Sepultura, Arch Enemy, The Exploited, Sabaton, VágtázóHalottkémek, Ektomorf, Leander Rising, Texas In July.
| Until July 5th | On The Spot | |
| 1 Day Ticket | 4.990 Forints | 4.990 Forints |
| Week Pass | 11.990 Forints | 14.990 Forints |
| Fezen + Rockmaraton Pass | 19.990 Forints | 19.990 Forints |
Balaton Sound (July 10-13), Zamárdi
This festival is one of the most popular events during the summer season in Hungary. There is no denial that honey-colored sunsets over the turquoise waters of Balaton on its own could be the highlight of Balaton Sound. Gentle summer breeze and exceptional electro music bring thousands of people together every year for one of the biggest and most highly anticipated music festivals in Europe. According the information provided by organizers, most of the tickets and passes are already sold out. However, there are still daily tickets and VIP Passes available for sale. Some of the Balaton Sound performers: Wiz Khalifa, Dillon Francis, Rudimental, Deep Dish, David Guetta, Martin Solveig, Diplo, Azealia Banks.
| Available on the spot and on pre-sale | |
| PASS | 44.000 Forints |
| 1 Day Ticket | 15.000 Forints |
| VIP Pass | 70.000 Forints |
| VIP Tickets | 30.000 Forints |
| Balaton Sound + Volt Pass | 69.000 Forints (from July 17- 71.000 Forints) |
| Balaton Sound + B.my.Lake Pass | 62.000 Forints |
EFOTT (July 15-20), Miskolctapolca
The times when EFOTT (Egyetemisták és Főiskolások Országos Turisztikai Találkozója) was only an occasional gathering for college/university students and graduates are long gone. Nowadays this event is one of the biggest parties under the wide azure skies, which aims to attract multinational crowd from all over the Europe. An interesting fact about this event – every year there is a different scene; in 2014 it is brought to Miskolctapolca. One of the iconic Hungarian bands, Tankcsapda, will have a big concert, marking their 25 years jubilee as a part of the EFOTT festival. Some of the music guests are: Tankcsapda, Fish!, Edda, Hooligans, Quimby, Carbonfools.
| Till June 30th | On The Spot | |
| Week Pass | 16.990 Forints | 20.000 Forints (Till July 14th 18.990 Forints) |
| Weekend Pass | 10.490 Forints | 12.000 Forints |
| 1 Day Ticket | 5990 Forints | 7000 Forints |
| Opening Day Ticket | 3490 Forints | 4000 Forints |
Bánkitó Feszt (July 17-19), Bánki Tó
This particular festival has a slight problem with transportation. Even though Bánki Tó is within commutable distance, there are no direct buses or trains. From Vác there is a train toDiósjenő, from there 14 km by bicycle (as an option). From Vác there is also a bus route to Bánki or Rétsá.
| Till July 16th (midnight) | On The Spot | |
| Pass | 9500 Forints | 11.000 Forints |
| 1 Day Ticket | 3600 Forints | 4200 Forints |
Sun Festival (July 22-27), Csobánkapuszta
For everyone who loves electro music and the views of the quintessential Hungarian countryside, Sun Festival is the place to go. Ozora will turn into a music wonderland and a melting pot of different ages and nationalities. This electro festival captures symbolism and free spirit. Some of the performers: Cubixx, Captain Hook, Sensient, Shakta, Oleg, Emok.
| Till July 6th | Till July 20th | Till July 25th | |
| Pass | 85 EUR | 110 EUR | 95 EUR |
Rock Part (July 24-27), Balatonszemes
For those of our readers who find Balaton Sound to be too mellow and too disco, there will be Rock Part Festival in the picturesque setting of the Balaton region. In between the concerts you will be able to enjoy magnificent scenery and indulge in the best Hungarian pálinka or wine. Some of the music guests: Biohazard, Behemoth, Ensiferum, Road, Blind Myself, Depresszió.
| Pre-sale | On The Spot | |
| Pass | 12.490 Forints | 14.900 Forints |
| 1 Day Ticket | 4490 Forints | 5290 Forints |
| Opening Day Ticket | 3500 Forints | 4500 Forints |
Fezen (July 30 – August 2), Székesfehérvár
This festival will mostly attract rock fans. However, organizers went beyond just one music genre, there will also be several electro music arenas. Cutting edge performers and a buzzy atmosphere define Fezen Festival. The transportation is very convenient between Budapest and Székesfehérvár; there is a direct train from the Déli Pályaudvar. The festival takes place only a few blocks away from the Székesfehérvár train station. Some of the performers include: Hellyeah, Skid Row, Ignite, Europe, Quimby, TarjaTurunen, Magna Cum Laude, VadFruttik, Carbonfools, Punnany Massif, Akela.
| Till June 30th | Till July 29th | On The Spot | |
| 4 Days Pass | 13.990 Forints | 14.790 Forints | 15.000 Forints |
| 1 Day Ticket | 4990 Forints | 5490 Forints | 5900 Forints |
| Fezen + Rockmaraton Pass | 19.900 Forints |
Ozora Festival (July 29 – August 3), Ozora
Who has ever been to Ozora Festival knows that it is about more than just music. An unforgettable experience of dancing all days long and psychedelic atmosphere define Ozora Festival. Music Guests: Chris Rich, Chromatone, Dick Trevor, Earthspace, Grouch, Kox Box, Uru
| On the Spot | ||
| Pass | 110 EUR | 130 EUR |
Sziget Festival (August 11-18), Budapest, Hajógyári Sziget
Sziget Festival defines the whole festival culture of Hungary. This iconic event appears on must-go-to lists of thousands of music fans across the Europe, we may even say the world. Years ago it went beyond just Hungarian borders. Be sure that not only the music makes this event so unique, but also the crowd it attracts. Apart from the concerts, visitors can participate in endless cultural events and programs. Some of the performers include: Blink 182, Deadmau5, Queens Of The Stone Age, Imagine Dragons, Placebo, Skrillex, Lily Allen, Klaxons, Prodigy, Calvin Harris, Outkast.
| Till July 31st | From August 1st | |
| 7 Days Pass (with camping) | 68.000 Forints | 74.000 Forints |
| 5 Days Pass (non camping) | 59.000 Forints | 62.000 Forints |
| 1 Day Ticket | 15.000 Forints | 16.000 Forints |
| VIP camping / person | 38.000 Forints | |
| Family Camping | 1500 Forints | |
| Caravan Camping | 38.000 Forints | |
| Sziget + B.my.Lake Pass | 71.000 Forints | 74.000 Forints |
B.my.Lake (August 18-22), Balatonvilágos
B.my.Lake Festival was found last year and immediately received an honorable award – the Best New Festival on European Festival Awards. This event is held in the stunning surroundings and aims to attract international crowd of the electro music fans. Some of the music guests: Alan Fitzpatrick, Nina Kraviz, Barem, Ben Klock, Cyberpunkers, Dirtyphonics
| Till July 18th | From July 19th | |
| 4 Days Pass | 25.000 Forints | 27.990 Forints |
| VIP Pass | 35.000 Forints | |
| 1 Day Ticket | 12.990 Forints | |
| 1 Day VIP Ticket | 15.990 Forints | |
| 4 Days Camping Ticket | 2500 Forints | |
| 4 Days Trailer Camping Ticket | 20.000 Forints |
SZIN Festival (August 27-30), Szeged
SZIN Festival is a closing party of the summer festivals season. The end of this festival heralds the beginning of autumn. The list of performers is extremely diverse, and includes representatives of many different genres. SZIN definitely stands out from the crowd and is a must-be-there event for thousands of people every year. Music guests: Example, Russkaja, 30Y, Punnany Massif, Kiscsillag, Subscribe, Road, Magna Cum Laude
| Till August 26th | On The Spot | |
| Pass | 14.990 Forints | 16.990 Forints |
based on article of divany.hu
translated by Ekaterina Egorova
Photo: efott.hu