The inaugural edition of the Electric Castle Festival was held from June 21–23, 2013. It featured over 90 artists from different countries performing on four stages. The line-up of the first festival included renowned performers such as A Skillz, Dub Pistols, Feed Me, Fritz Kalkbrenner, James Zabiela, Krafty Kuts, Morcheeba, Pendulum, Stanton Warriors, Télépopmusik, Walkenmut, and others. The event attracted over 32,000 attendees.
Attendance has been growing since the festival’s inception. For example, Electric Castle 2016 drew more than 120,000 visitors over four days. Notable musicians and bands that have performed at the Electric Castle Festival include Die Antwoord, Thievery Corporation, The Prodigy, The Glitch Mob, Fatboy Slim, DJ Fresh, Bonobo, Bring Me the Horizon, Bastille, Sigur Ros, Skrillex, The Parov Stelar Band, and many others.
Although Electric Castle focuses on electronic music, it also encompasses other music genres and styles such as alternative, rock, reggae, hip-hop, indie, etc. It’s a unique event that blurs the boundaries between mainstream and independent music styles and combines music, alternative arts and technology. Alongside exciting stage performances, its program includes art installations, street performances, stand-up comedy acts, fashion corner, yoga classes, and more.
One of the festival’s main attractions is the venue. Bánffy Castle is owned by the famous Bánffy family whose notable members include politician Dezső Bánffy who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 1895 to 1899 and nobleman, politician and novelist Miklós Bánffy. The construction of the present castle began in the 17th century. The building was severely damaged during World War II and fell into disrepair during the communist regime. The castle was declared a historic monument of Transylvania in 1990 and nine years later its renovation began. Electric Castle helps to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving and restoring historic buildings.
Photo: electriccastle.ro
