Pepsi Island Festival August 1-8 Óbudai Island
Labyrinth of Fun on the Danube

For the 9th year in a row, the Pepsi Island festival will turn Budapest into the capital of cultural events, raving parties, theater performances, and a dazzlingly wide array of musical programs. As the years pass by, it's getting harder and harder to describe how great Pepsi Island really is. From the humble beginnings in the mid-80s, organizers have turned the festival into a feast of pop and alternative culture, drawing in thousands of visitors from Hungary, the region and all over the globe.

"Last year we reached significant levels, the festival enjoyed a capacity crowd on several days and we firmly believe this will happen again," said Péter Müller Sziámi, one of the founding organizers of the festival. In consequence, this year the festival operates with double last year's budget, the increase being spent on introducing new programs such as theater or world music, enhancing the infrastructure, and increasing the number of performers on the main stage.

And now to the part that interests all festival-goers most: the line-up. This year's program includes a list of world-famous names (as usual) and a seemingly endless array of various international artists. Rich as the offering is, visitors will have a hard time setting up their daily schedule. The main stage will house a series of concerts that promise nothing more than sheer fun: Morcheeba, Placebo, Fun Lovin' Criminals, HIM, Faithless, Mambo Kurt, Noir Désir, Bomfunk Mc's, Freestylers, Eagle-Eye Cherry, 16 Horsepower, Ash, and Run DMC, to name just a few.

Besides the main stages, visitors will have a chance to spend some quality time at a variety of other stages: the Metal Hammer Stage for the lovers of harder-edged sounds, the Pannon Praktikum World Music Stage will cater to the musical tastes of those into folksy sounds from all around the globe, and ravers should not miss the New York Party Arena. There's also the Banan Jazz Stage, the Blues Stage, the Ambient Tent, Theater and Folk Dance Tent, and so on. The offers seem never-ending just like the opportunities to spend a week of fun and get lost in this labyrinth of entertainment.

05.07
Edith Balazs