Features
Best Ever B’Estfest
Romania’s B’Estfest recorded its best results since moving the few miles from Bucharest’s Romexpo site to a greenfield area on the edge of the city at Lake Pasarea.
More than 27,000 turned up for the second day to see a lineup with Nas, Nneka, Biohazard and Noisia, the best-attended day in the festival’s seven-year history.
Photo: Cristian Vasile
B’Estfest is a co-operation between Bucharest-based Emagic and Leon Ramakers, former head of Live Nation in The Netherlands.
The average daily crowd was a little more than 31,000, marginally up on what the festival did in its first two years on the new site.
The main problem establishing B’Estfest has been the fact that Romanian audiences, like many of their Balkan neighbours, have little awareness of festival culture.
Often the festival has faced difficulties because Romanians are more used to going out to evening concerts and then not bothering until the headliner is due on stage. Getting the crowd to come earlier and stay all days has involved adding numerous entertainment areas with unconventional art exhibitions, creative workshops, relaxation spaces, a fun fair, handmade-fashion fairs, and an extreme sports area.
The acts trying to teach a Romanian crowd about festivals July 6-8 also included Texas, Chase & Status, Enter Shikari, Soilwork, Friction, and The Heavy.