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- Written by Tom Snow
Looking back, I realized I'd made a mistake the day before by entering the festival right as it opened. I was likely accustomed to Tomorrowland where there was no other choice. Saturday morning, August 3, it finally occurred to me that I didn't have to go in until I really felt like it, and that I could spend the morning and afternoon seeing what I could in Cluj.
A little history: Cluj (pronounced "kloozh") is the biggest city in Transylvania, which used to be a part of Hungary. The city's Hungarian name is Kolozsvár. Though even when it was part of Hungary most of the people living there were Romanian. Cluj, no matter what country it was a part of, has always been mostly Romanian with a Hungarian minority. This minority must be pretty small because I didn't see a whole lot of bilingual signs and I didn't overhear anyone speaking Hungarian.
Read more: Untold day 3 - A Little Bit Cluj and a Little More Fest
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- Written by Tom Snow
Friday morning, August 2, I mistakenly thought I would have to get into the fest as soon as it opened, so I didn't do much else in the city besides get breakfast. But where I ate breakfast was pretty memorable. Romania has to be one of the last places on Earth I ever expected to find a Hawaiian restaurant serving Poke bowls, but there just happened to be one on the way from the hostel to the festival. It's called Sisters Poke. I can't at all remember what I ate there, but it was delicious and I'll recommend it. Remember it if you happen to find yourself in Cluj.
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- Written by Tom Snow
Ever heard of the Untold festival? It may not have nearly as much name recogition as Tomorrowland or EDC, but it's definitely on the same level when it comes to all the artists they bring here. Ten stages covering I don't know how many subgenres, and a lineup including David Guetta, Armin van Buurin, Martin Garrix, Paul Kalkbrenner, Kungs, Nora en Pure, Nero, and a ton of others, but being in Romania it's way cheaper. I think my weekend pass cost me less than 200€. Of course, you still gotta pay for transportation to Cluj, and for a ho(s)tel (there's no camping)...but even so, if you go to Untold you're still going to be paying much less for the experience than for a festival with the same lineup in a richer country. And unlike Tomorrowland, in which each "weekend" is three days which always end at midnight, Untold lasts four days and the "nights" don't end until six the next morning.
- Details
- Written by Tom Snow
Looking back at Tomorrowland now that it's over, I had a few thoughts that deserved to be shared. I mentioned before that there was a lot of support for the event from the local community, evidenced by all the Tomorrowland flags hanging everywhere. This was a real pleasant surprise after the ambivalence I've seen between other small-town fests and the people who live nearby. Back in Texas, Float Fest got almost-cancelled and saved at the last minute two years in a row, while Middle Lands only happened once because the people of Todd Mission, TX wouldn't tolerate any more drunk/stoned/[fill in the blank] outsiders tearing up their town. Tomorrowland was the opposite of that in every way.
Read more: Tomorrowland day 8 - Final Thoughts and a Little More Brussels
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