Popular Balaton festival is no more: contract expiry threatens future

The Balaton Sound festival, a paradise for electronic music lovers, was held for the 16th time in Zamárdi, Hungary this year. According to the organisers, the festival saw 100,000 visitors by Saturday, a number that appears modest compared to previous years.

Rumours about the festival’s future started circulating on the last day of the four-day event, with some suggesting this might be the last Balaton Sound in Zamárdi, Sonline reports. Vendors at the festival told some attendees that 2024 would be the final year for the popular festival. In a now-deleted Instagram video, influencer Pumped Gabo, who rose to fame through the festival, tearfully mentioned that there would be no more festivals at the “Hungarian Sea”.

At the same time, Telex has also been informed that the 2024 Balaton Sound festival was the last one. This is most likely why the organisers have not even started to schedule next year’s lineup.

The last Balaton Sound

The festival’s press chief, Viktória Vető, previously commented that they were aware of the rumours but didn’t want to address them, stating the topic was not on their agenda. When asked again after the event, the response remained the same. However, it was understood that during the latest town council meeting, which included festival organisers,

it was clearly stated that this year’s event was the last.