A new resolution came to life at the begining of the year: 2023 was going to be a musical year for me

After having attended the MAD Cool festival in 2022, it awakened my love for concerts and festivals. With a list of musical festivals long overdue, I made a decision to make this year my musical year. In November 2022, I compiled a list of the most exciting festivals in 2023 in Europe, carefully selecting those that resonated with my personal taste. Additionally, I included a few Romanian festivals on my wish list. All that was left to do was to decide and start planning.

Here's a glimpse of my festival list, featuring some of my all-time favorite artists and bands. I gathered essential details such as dates, fees, locations, and featured artists. After narrowing it down to my top three choices, I conducted a quick search to calculate the overall budget for each festival, looking at flights, accommodations, and fees. My decision, however, was not solely driven by practicality but by emotional ties. The chosen festival happened to be the most budget-friendly option, but it held a special place in my heart as the very first festival I attended more than 16 years ago. To make it even more thrilling, it featured RHCP, a band that had also performed at the festival all those years ago and remains one of my all-time favorites. Here are the festivals that made the cut:

1. NOS Alive - - July 10th-12th - €179 per pass (3 days)

2. Sziget - August 9th-14th - €325 for a full festival pass (6 days)

3. MadCool - July 6th-10th - estimated at €85 per pass (per day)

4. Pinkpop - June 15th-19th - €275 per pass (5 days) or €135 per pass (single day)

5. Primavera Sound - Barcelona: June 1st-3rd or Madrid: June 8th-10th - €325 per pass

6. Rock Werchter - June 29th-July 2nd - €292 per pass (4 days)

In addition to these, I included some Romanian festivals on my radar, such as Garana Jazz Festival, Electric Castle, and Summer in the City. It may sound ambitious, but this was going to be my musical year.

Once my decision was made, I began meticulously planning the logistics, conducting thorough research on accommodation options, finalizing the budget, and pondering whether to rent a car. My goal was to optimize our budget to match that of a local festival, such as Electric Castle. Admittedly, this proved challenging considering we had to factor in flights and potentially renting a car. Nonetheless, I love a good challenge, so I set out to plan our ultimate music festival trip.

• For our flight, we decided on Düsseldorf due to its affordable ticket prices, inclusion of cabin luggage, and convenient flight times. It was just a one-hour drive from the festival grounds, making it an ideal choice.

• Transportation to the festival posed an interesting question. As a party of four, we decided that renting a car made economic and logistical sense, especially since it allowed us to avoid lugging around a tent. Additionally, it offered the freedom to visit friends residing in the Netherlands and Germany. By planning ahead, we secured an incredible deal: a brand new BMW X1 for just €109 for 3 days.

• Accommodation, surprisingly, turned out to be the easiest part. Our weekend festival pass included camping, meaning our accommodation would essentially be free. However, before jumping at the chance to spend three nights in a row in a tent, I decided to explore nearby accommodation options. Unfortunately, there were limited choices, and the few available options were not only expensive but also farther from the festival grounds. Proximity is key in such situations, even if it means sacrificing a bit of sleep due to the festival buzz.

  You might be curious whether my meticulous planning and decision-making process allowed us to achieve our goal of getting the most out of our budget and staying within the same cost range as our Electric Castle estimation. The answer is a resounding YES! We were able to reach a budget similar to that of Electric Castle by opting to stay in the camping area, while still enjoying an amazing line-up, flying to our destination and driving a fabulous rental car.
  As we journeyed back home, we couldn't help but discuss which music festival we would venture to next year.

For those of you who prefer spontaneity, there are still opportunities to attend music festivals this year, with some taking place in July and August.

Feel free to reach out if you need assistance planning your own unforgettable experience!