Rock’n roll, drugs… and nationalism : in the heart of eastern’s Europe’s festivals | M6 | Enquête Exclusive

With summer come the festival tours and Eastern Europe is now the must-be-there destination for fans of these giant festivals where anything goes! Cheaper than Ibiza and with extravagant festivals, Croatia, Serbia and Hungary are the new El Dorado for party beasts. After 40 years under the Communist yoke, then several years of war during the 90s, Eastern Europe is opening up to tourism and partying. With a ferocious appetite! Founded only 2 years ago, the Sonus, in Croatia, on the island of Pag, aims to be a world event to rival the American spring-breaks. 10,000 super-charged young people and gigantic nightclubs open day and night. The techno festival attracts the top DJs of the world. In Hungary, they have the most fantastic festival in Europe: the Sziget, a new Woodstock. 460,000 music fans and 500 concerts packed into a single week. Lovers of gypsy music gather in Guca in Serbia, for the biggest brass band gathering in the world. But in the countries of the East there are no limits. The festivals are awash with alcohol and drugs. To attract the young, dealers offer new pills with innocent names, but which are powerful and dangerous. In Serbia, the trumpet festival conceals another, more disturbing, gathering: that of the ultra-nationalists, who flaunt their beliefs unreservedly, an exacerbated form of patriotism that can quickly get out of control. How and why are these East European festivals attracting more and more young French people? Have the Balkans turned their backs fully on their bloody past?

This summer, Martin, Benjamin and Anthony have chosen Croatia, but they haven’t come for the beautiful views. The three Frenchmen made the 18-hour journey from Toulouse to spend 5 days at the most famous techno festival in Croatia: the Sonus. The program: non-stop partying! Dream beaches, three giant nightclubs with Jacuzzi or bungee jumping… here the party never stops. This festival, a sort of giant Rave Party, turns the paradise island of Pag into a temple of electro music.

Baptiste and his friends, however, have opted for Serbia, more precisely Guca. For 5 days, the population of this town increases from 2,000… to 600,000! The fans of gypsy music are particularly drawn here to hear Goran Bregovitch, the local star, who writes the original film scores for famous movie director Emir Kusturica. But Baptiste and his colleagues haven’t come to Guca just as spectators, but as musicians too: they are members of a brass band. Their aim during the festival: get known by playing as often as possible and challenging the local bands! In Hungary, on Liberty Island in the heart of Budapest, the Sziget is one of the biggest festivals in Europe: 50 stages and 500 concerts, with international stars like Interpol or Robbie Williams. But there are also lesser-known artists who try to get their break at the festival. Among them: Joe Bel, a 28-year-old Frenchwoman. Just 2 years ago, she was a student, but, passionate about music, she decided to launch a singing career. This is the first time that Joe will be giving a concert on such a big stage. If her performance makes the grade, the Sziget could be the springboard for her career. We also accompany the organisers of this Hungarian Woodstock, in particular those in charge of security.