Balaton Sound 2018

The Balaton Sound Festival

On the southern bank of Lake Balaton is the Balaton Sound festival; a music ritual that has been celebrated since 2007 in Hungary. It is considered as one of Europe's largest open-air music festival. With all music lovers, DJ's and artists from around the world, this music festival is most lavishly celebrated. It has begun in 2007 and is mostly a 4-day festival that takes place in summer. It is celebrated usually on the second Thursday of July. The first such festival was celebrated between 12th July and 15th July 2007. The non-stop, 24*7 music schedule gained a lot of popularity and since then has been a significant event in Hungary. 

In the years of 2007-2012, this festival was also known as the Heineken Balaton Sound but later on, it came to be referred to as the MasterCard Balaton sound due to sponsorship reasons. It was co-created by Sziget Festival which is also a prominent music festival celebrated in Europe. The Sziget Festival is held in August in Hungary on 108 hectares. It began in the year 1993 and is still very prominent. There are more than 1000 performances that take place every year. It is a seven-day long festival and is celebrated after the Balaton Sound Festival.

The Genre of the Balaton Music event is Electronic music, Pop, Hip Hop, World music, New wave music and Neo-soul. The festival is a huge platform for artists around the world. It is refreshing, enchanting and a fun-filled event. With the years passing, this event has gained immense popularity and hype. The tickets are pre-booked and are sold at high prices. The team that organizes the event takes care of all the necessities of the visitors. The event is celebrated on the banks of the largest lake in Europe, which is an attraction in itself. There are many facilities in and around this place that offer much comfort to the tourists like bean bags, easy chairs, and hammocks. The campsite is felicitated with pubs, restaurants, cocktail bars that are not available in any other music festival. 

With a seating of 55,000, the Balaton Music Festival's stage stands as one of the largest main stages of Europe's open-air music festival. This music festival has seen a boom in attendant. In 2008, it was 88,000, with a daily number hitting 22,000. In 2009 it reached 94,000 and in 2012 the count stood second among all the music festivals in Europe. The event also won the European Festival Award for 2012-2013. Along with this event, there are also other attractions to visit near Lake Balaton, Hungary.

Places to visit nearby

• Szigiliget Fortress: With a medieval fortress built in the 13th century, this place hosts one of the mightiest castles in Hungary. The fort today has ruins of the castle which was once a protection shield of the region. It was attacked several times by the Turkish occupations.
• Vineyards: Popular since the Roman times, the fertile mineral ground has been a land of the finest vineyard. Surrounded by volcanic hills, this place is visually breathtaking. Grape growing farms, fields of lavender and limestone makes this place more beautiful.
• Tihany Town: Considered as one of the oldest town's of this region built in the medieval period, the Tihany town is situated in the heart of the peninsula that centers the turquoise valley itself. Combining romance and history, this town has brick towers, a royal crypt, and hillside streets. The monastery founded by King Andrew 1 of Hungary is situated here.
• Heviz Spa: Medicinal powers, mineral treatments, and relaxation are what one can get at H'eviz. The water is believed to have many medicinal values that can cure various issues. There are many treatments and programs that are provided here. It is believed to have been used by the Romans 2000 years ago.
• Pannonhalma Archabbey: This is a monastery where the monks settled around 996, Pannonhalma is one of the largest territorial abbeys. The Chapel of Our Lady, a dashing basilica, a baroque refectory and a well-stocked library of the 13th century are some of the iconic landmarks here
• Festetics Palace: The 34 rooms over two stories palace has neoclassical furniture, the country's largest intact library, gold-framed portraits and an entire regal assembly. It features a widespread garden with flowerbeds and fountains and was once the home of the Festetics family that moved to Hungary in the 18th century. 
• Lake caves: Discovered in 1903, the lake cave has 3-kilometer passages, underground karst formation, narrow channels and countless chamber. The lake has a unique cave system that is a mesmerizing. It has been open for the public visit since 1912.
• Windsurfing and sailing: Water sports like windsurfing and sailing are very famous here. The lake gets its water from Zala River. It is a natural beauty.
• Siofok Water Tower: The largest city in Balaton region has a 45 meter-high symbol water tower. Constructed around 1912 it gives a 360-degree view from the top.

Take a look at upcoming festivals similar to Balaton Sound and choose your next festival adventure: