Bestfest Takes A Rest

A lack of suitable headliners and an economic squeeze causing sponsors to draw in their horns has resulted in Bestfest in Romania taking a rest in 2010.

Dragos Chiscoci from event organiser Emag!c told Pollstar the company decided not to stage a high-cost event in a market that arguably has more major shows than it can support.

The company won’t be ducking out of the outdoor market entirely. It will promote a smaller, 15,000-capacity, brewery-sponsored event called Ciuc Summer Fest at Bucharest’s Iolanda Balas Soter Athletic Stadium July 16-18. The lineup includes Faithless, Pink Martini and Gary Moore.

Last year’s Bestfest on the city’s 30,000-capacity Romexpo site had Santana, The Killers, Moby, Orbital, Franz Ferdinand, White Lies, Manowar, Motorhead and Klaxons.

At the beginning of the year, Emag!c said it would be cutting back on the international acts it brings to the country in 2010 because the market would be overcrowded.

In June the Romanian capital will play host to Sonisphere Festival and shows by Bob Dylan, Jean Michelle Jarre, Elton John, Aerosmith, and Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood.

Turkey’s Rock Istanbul is another Balkan festival that’s canceled for 2010 because the available headliners aren’t attracting sufficient interest from sponsors.