Two weeks ago Trixi and I travelled to Siófok Hungary for the Balaton Sound Festival, one of Europe’s largest open air electronic music festivals held on the southern bank of Lake Balaton. We were both more than excited as the official invitation to the festival landed in our inboxes. This was going to be our second trip together and we were looking forward to spend some days away from work and simply enjoy some fun time together.
One Night in Budapest
On the 6.7. we took a train from Vienna to Budapest and after a 2.5-hour train ride, we arrived in Budapest and were kindly picked up by our driver and brought to the hotel Nemzeti. We quickly changed our clothes and went out to look for some yummy dinner. First we (accidentally) landed in the shopping area and had to spend a few thousand (HuF ofcourse) before we even tried to find a nice place to eat. However, we were very lucky enough to (accidentally again!) find a very nice place for dinner. The food was amazing and the prices more than friendly. If you happen to look for a nice place in Budapest, make sure to check out Kajahu J. After the dinner, we decided to go back to our hotel and get some rest, because we were gonna meet our guide and our storyteller-colleagues very early in the morning and leave for Siófok.
Siófok and Balaton Sound Festival
The bus drive from Budapest to Siófok took about one hour and before we could head for lunch, we were offered a short city tour. The really very cool part of the tour was the 45-meter-high water tower which is perfect for enjoying a great view over the whole city and the lake Balaton.
After the yummiest lunch ever at the Egy Csipet Nádas Restaurant we were brought to our hotel where we could quickly change our clothes, put some sneakers on and head to the festival. I was extremely excited because this was gonna be my first “normal” festival. I have never been to any other festivals than Trance/Goa before and I simply didn’t know what to expect. Balaton Sound was definitely the perfect chance to give it a try.
Location & Organization
The first impression was more than positive, because the whole setting with the colorful mainstage and the beautiful lake Balaton in the “background” looked simply amazing. I honestly can’t imagine a more beautiful location for a festival, especially because of the amazingly colorful sunsets we could enjoy with some nice beats in the background.
I also got the impression that the festival was very well organized, because there were countless food & drinks possibilities at the festival area and !!very important!! – more than enough toilets. Another personal plus was the card-payment system which I absolutely loved, because I hate paying with cash
Music & Artists
Huh, here comes the tough part for me. I have to admit that I’m no music expert, especially when it comes to anything different than trance. Don´t get me wrong, I don’t usually listen trance before going to bed, but if I go out, I´m most probable to choose a trance party. However, a few of my story-teller colleagues have published their very profound reports on the music/artists choices at the festival and I can highly recommend reading them for any of you who may understand German or Czech.
- Christoph Stein
- Marc Tschirren
- Daniel Marsalik (only available in Czech)
I didn’t honestly know many artists on the set list and one name I was looking for to see live was Fritz Kalkbrenner. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to enjoy his performance, because we left for Budapest shortly before. However, there will be another chance for me
Outside the Festival Area & my Personal Highlights
As the ones who follow me on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram an co. could see, the Balaton Sound wasn’t all about partying until the sun rises. We could enjoy many other activities that were organized especially for our group and I loved spending some “quality time” with my colleagues.
My personal highlights were the helicopter tour over the lake Balaton, the amazing food and our group . The helicopter tour was definitely the coolest thing for every one of us, because no one had done it before. Also the food was amazingly delicious and I seriously still dream of the best crème brûlée ever we enjoyed at the Márga Bisztró. Last words: Balaton Sound was a perfect opportunity for me to meet some great people and definitely make new friends!
For even more impressions, check out Trixi´s report and the after movie!
Has anyone of you guys ever been to the Balaton Sound Festival? How did you like it?
Huge thanks to the Hungarian Tourist Board for the invitation!