For those looking for a cheaper option than Electric Picnic in a foreign European city you could do worse than Berlin Music Festival on the 10th and 11th of September. Weekend tickets are just €65 plus booking fee and here are some of the acts playing:
LCD Soundsystem, Fever Ray, Hot Chip, Boys Noize, Robyn, Peaches, Soulwax, Tricky, The Morning Benders, Wedding Present, Neon Indian, Amiina, 2 Many DJs, Zola Jesus, Editors, Baby Monster, The Cast Of Cheers, Gang of Four, Atari Teenage Riot, Chilly Gonzales, Yes Cadets and loads more.
The event takes place in Tempelhof Airport, Platz der Luftbrücke in the city so the festival will be a mix of indoor and outdoor stages. No camping but accommodation is available nearby or in the city. If you fancy staying around a few days afterwards there will be discounts for touristy things. Entry to the festival also includes Popkomm admission on the Friday.
I’ve got two tickets to giveaway to the festival. You’ll still have to get yourself there and pay for accomodation but Berlin is cheap and both Ryanair and Aerlingus fly there. To enter the competition, email freebies@nialler9.com with your name before the 25th of August. The winner will be contacted on the 26th.
Here’s one of my tracks of the year from an artist playing the festival:
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Jesus, that’s a cracking tune. Would love to go to Berlin fest, I think Templehof is the old airfield/airport the Nazis built.. closed a few yrs ago and now used for the likes of Berlin fest.
When are we going to see prices here coming back to realistic affordable levels? 240 plus all the charges is just too much even though I’ll end up paying it…
When are we going to see prices here coming back to realistic affordable levels? 240 plus all the charges is just too much even though I’ll end up paying it…
That’s the one! The pics look impressive.
Not until Ireland joins up with the UK due to global warming and becomes landlocked. The transport costs are a big factor.
can it really be such a factor? ok I know there’ll be some stuff that will have to board a ferry in order to get here but really I think we’re being hammered by promoters and the hefty taxes added on by everyone who takes their cut..
It’s definitely used as an excuse. It is a factor I think. Jim Carroll says it’s the bands who are at fault mainly – see this discussion http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2010/08/10/arcade-fire-dublin-december-2/
Winner contacted and can go. Hard luck everybody else.