The festivals of summer
UNTOLD, Romania's biggest summer is taking place in Cluj between 8th and 11th August.
Corina Cristea, 08.08.2024, 14:00
Now in its 9th year, UNTOLD festival brings together in Cluj, in the north-west, more than 250 Romanian and international acts who will be performing on eight different stages.
The line-up features the likes of Lenny Kravitz and Salvatore Ganacci, who have performed in Romania before, as well as others who will be here for the first time, like the British musician Sam Smith, the winner of an Oscar, a Golden Globe and five Grammy awards for Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year, as well as Burna Boy, the only African musician whose concerts on the London Stadium were sold-out for two years in a row.
The four-day festival is packed with events, such as VR sessions and workshops, themed parties, meet and greet sessions and live cooking, to name but a few. There are special chill out areas, places where festival goers can get a temporary or permanent tattoo and food and drink areas. According to the organisers, each experience is designed to provide unforgettable memories. Other attractions include impressive stages and special music spots, more than 70 vendors, a Fashion Village, dancers and entertainers and many surprises.
The festival, which is ranked as the third biggest festival in the world, is not just about music and entertainment, but also about change and inclusion, its organisers say, so it continues its pledge to support initiatives from NGOs that have a positive impact on society and inspire innovative projects. Also as part of the festival, the Rhythm Touch team is introducing a remarkable innovation: a bracelet that transforms music into vibrations, allowing people with hearing impairments to enjoy the experience of music. Another first in Cluj is the translation into sign language of some of the lyrics performed on stage in order to bring music closer to everyone.
UNTOLD is organised by the same team behind Neversea, one of the biggest electronic music festivals in Europe, held at the beginning of July on the Romanian Black Sea coast and which attracted tens of thousands of spectators from Romania and abroad. The line-up included acts like Maluma, Nick Carter, G-Eazy, DJ Snake, Dimitri Vegas and Steve Aoki.
But these are not the only festivals this summer. In June, Nostalgia, held near Bucharest, in the Băneasa forest, was a festival for all generations. Also in the middle of nature, but in Transylvania, Electric Castle was held near Bánffy Castle, an iconic building from the 15th century. Its line-up was again very creative, covering a wide range of music genres, as well as installations and new media performances, as well as interesting talks. The list of summer festivals also includes Beach, Please! and Summer Well.
