Summer is here and that means it’s time to have some fun! And music fans in Romania have many reasons to be happy as there are plenty of festivals happening this summer.

Untold, the biggest festival dedicated to electronic music in Romania, and probably the most well known such event in the country, takes place this summer. However, there are many other music festivals happening in this period, for fans of almost all genres – from pop and indie to rock or jazz. Among them, Neversea, Electric Castle, Summer Well, Garana Jazz Festival and Dava. We’ve selected ten of them:

Dakini Festival

“Dakini – a festival for free-spirited people.” That’s how the organizers describe the event, adding that this is a festival “that brings together people who actively pursue a life of spiritual elevation through music, dance and yoga.” And that must be true, especially as the event is organized in a special place on the Tuzla Beach in Constanta county, on the Black Sea coast.

There are dozens of artists in the lineup, such as Deep Forest & Gaudi, Eat Static, Tribali, Istvan Sky and Luigi Tozzi. The festival will take place between June 27 and July 1, and tickets cost EUR 85 for adults and EUR 75 for teenagers aged 12-18. Further details are available here.

Neversea

Those planning a vacation or a shorter break at the Romanian seaside should definitely add this music festival to their list of things to do. Happening in the seaside city of Constanta, this event attracted more than 210,000 music fans last year, when over 150 international artists performed on its seven stages. And this year’s edition promises to be even bigger.

The 2019 Neversea will be organized between July 4 and July 7 and its lineup includes Afrojack, Jessie J, Lost Frequencies, Steve Aoki, Sean Paul, and Dub FX, among many others. Passes can be purchased online from the event’s website.

The organizers announced recently that Neversea aims to become, in 2020, the world's first green energy-powered festival. The process will begin this year.

 

Garana Jazz Fest

One of the biggest open-air events dedicated to jazz music in Romania, Garana Jazz Fest, will take place between July 11 and July 14 in Garana village, Caras-Severin county, in south-western Romania. Important names from the European and American jazz will take the stage this year, such as Giovanni Guidi Quintet, Renaud Garcia-Fons & Dorantes, and the Jacky Terrasson Trio.

Moreover, Norwegian jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek will also perform at this year’s edition of the festival. A Grammy nominee, and winner of the Norwegian Arts Council Award and Willy Brandt Award, Garbarek has a unique style, inspired by the 60s and 70s improvisation, Norwegian folklore and exotic cultural influences. 

Tickets for this event are on sale online at Bilete.ro and on the festival’s website. Further details are available here.

Electric Castle

One of the biggest music festivals in Romania, Electric Castle has been a major success over the years, not only because of the big names added to its lineup but also because of the place where it is organized - the Bánffy Castle domain in Bontida, a tiny historic village near the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania.

This event offers participants a mix of music genres, from rock and indie to hip-hop, electronic or reggae, all combined with technology and alternative arts. This year’s edition, which will take place between July 17 and July 21, brings big names to Romania such as Florence + the Machine, Limp Bizkit, Nils Frahm, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Bring Me The Horizon.

The general access pass costs EUR 127 but those interested can choose from many other options such as one-day tickets, premium passes or passes + camping. More details here.

ARTmania Festival

ARTmania is the longest-lasting rock festival in Romania, and is aimed at promoting all forms of artistic expression inspired by rock culture, according to the presentation on its website. Moreover, the event organized every year in Sibiu, won the Best Small Festival title at the European Festival Awards 2018, a first for a festival in Romania.

This year’s edition of ARTmania will be organized on July 26-27, and some of the bands that confirmed their participation at the event are Dream Theater, Opeth, Architects, Alcest, and Madrugada. Two-day access passes to the festival cost RON 320. More information here.

Untold

Launched in 2015 in Cluj-Napoca, Untold found a place on the international stage of electronic music festivals quite fast. It was designated Best Major Festival within the European Festival Awards 2015, and this year was voted by international DJs as their 8th favorite festival in the world, according to a survey by DJ Mag. This didn’t really come as a surprise as some of the world’s biggest DJs have played at the festival’s previous editions, and all seemed to have a great time there. Moreover, the event attracted very large crowds – 335,000 music fans in 2018.

The 2019 edition will take place between August 1 and August 4, and the lineup includes famous singer Robbie Williams, among other big names such as Bastille, David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, James Arthur, and Martin Garrix. Moreover, Armin van Buuren will have a “unique, exclusive” show this year at Untold. 

Passes can be purchased online from the festival’s website, where more details are also available.

 

Summer Well

Indie, pop or rock music fans can’t miss this festival organized on the Stirbey Domain in Buftea, not far from Bucharest. The event’s first edition, which took place back in 2011, had really big names in its lineup and, since then, the festival continued to bring famous artists to Romania such as Interpol, The Stone Roses, Hurts, Placebo, or The Chemical Brothers. This made it a summer festival not to be missed.

This year, Summer Well gives music fans the chance to see live performances of other top bands and artists, among them The National, The 1975, Son Lux, and even the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra. The festival is scheduled for August 10-11 and tickets can be purchased online. A one-day pass costs RON 175 + 6% booking fees while a two-day pass costs RON 295 + 6% booking fees. Further details are available here.

Awake Festival

Awake is a boutique festival organized on the Teleki Estate in the village of Gornesti, Mures county. The event is a mix of music, visual arts, workshops, and open-air cinema and theater, being a good choice for those who want to spend some time in nature while enjoying the music and other events the festival offers.

This year’s Awake Festival will be organized between August 15 and August 18, and the famous Russian punk rock group Pussy Riot is part of the program. The lineup also includes Netsky, JP Cooper, Triggerfinger, De Staat, and AJ Tracey.

Early bird passes cost RON 179 but those interested can also buy tickets + camping, which cost RON 209. Further details here.

Afterhills

British singer Rita Ora and well-known electronic band Morcheeba will play at this year’s edition of Afterhills, a music festival that will be organized near the city of Iasi, in Eastern Romania. But there are also other big artists in the lineup, among them Faithless, Don Diablo, and GusGus.

Afterhills attracted more than 100,000 people in 2018, and the organizers decided to bring some changes this year and make the festival even bigger. The event will be organized in two parts, with each of them happening in a different weekend, namely August 23-25 and August 30-September 1. The festival takes place this year in Dobrovat, some 20 km from Iasi.

Those interested can buy passes for one weekend or go for the “double weekend” pass, which gives access to both parts of the event. There are also one-day tickets and camping options. More details here.

Dava Festival

Organized in the beautiful medieval town of Sighisoara, in Transylvania, this two-day festival will have its second edition at the end of August. It is dedicated to electronic music and the organizers have found the perfect location for such an event – an old glass factory located near the medieval citadel.

Dava Festival 2019 will be organized on August 30-31. The headliner is English DJ Nick Warren, but the lineup also includes other big names such as Christian Smith, Fatima Hajji and Spektre. A two-day pass costs RON 139 and one-day tickets will be put up for sale soon. Find out more here.

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Other music festivals to try this summer in Romania: Waha Festival (July 11-15), Music Outdoor Experience (July 11-14), 3 Smoked Olives Island Festival (July 24-30), and Smida Jazz Festival (August 15-18).

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(Opening photo source: Pexels.com)