How much do Romanian festivals cost and how much money do they bring back to the economy? "We don’t aim to get rich, but we wouldn’t say no either."
Summer is the festivals’ season, and Romania boasts several major events that attract hundreds of thousands of young people every year, many from distant countries. Nothing stops Gen Z-ers from watching live their idols at Untold, Electric Castle, Neversea, or Beach, Please!.
Seduced by the festival vibe, few wonder how much money organizers pour into an event of such magnitude, in order to provide maximum fun and safety for the party-goers. Big events like these have massive costs.
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Anywhere in the world, major festivals cost tens of millions of euros. Most of the money usually goes to artist fees, but other logistical costs—renting space, stages, sound systems, promotion, security, etc.—add up to staggering amounts.
Romania’s flagship festivals—Untold, Electric Castle, Neversea and Beach, Please!—also spend huge sums on organization. Tickets and passes aren’t cheap, but they’d be even more expensive without sponsors covering part of the costs.
The real winners of each festivals are local businesses that make huge profits from the influx of festival-goers.
Organizers estimate that each year, hotels, restaurants, shops, and locals renting out their homes to festival participants earn between 50 and 70 million euros in total.
BEACH, PLEASE!
Beach, Please! is the youngest festival in Romania, costing 14 million euros this year, plus another 15 million for the land purchase. Out of the 14 million, seven million went to artist fees.
Over 1,000 people worked through local companies at the festival. The event boosted the local economy by over 50 million euros, according to organizers. Hotels, restaurants, and shops all benefited from the festival crowd.
This year, Beach Please! had 120,000 unique attendees, with an average of 100,000 daily. Among them, 10,000 were foreign tourists visiting Costinești for the first time. Some had never heard of this Black Sea resort or even of Romania before.
ELECTRIC CASTLE
Celebrating its tenth edition, Electric Castle (EC) is happening right now (July 17-21) and offers a truly eclectic and electrifying experience.
The festival is held against the backdrop of Banffy Castle in Transylvania, a picturesque place with a fascinating history.
Built in the 15th century by one of Transylvania’s most influential noble families, Banffy Castle was intentionally destroyed in 1944 by retreating German troops. Since then, the castle lay in ruins but is now undergoing restoration, partly funded by the festival itself.
