Festival Passport: UNTOLD Festival, Transylvania, Romania

With festival season well and truly underway, we’re delighted to present the latest edition of our ‘Festival Passport’ feature. This time focusing on Romania’s UNTOLD Festival, we look at one of Europe’s largest electronic music productions featuring over 200 local and international artists spread across six stages over four days of partying. 

UNTOLD Festival is the largest electronic music festival held in Romania, taking place in Cluj-Napoca at the Cluj Arena. It is held annually and was designated Best Major Festival in the European Festival Awards 2015. Guests come from a vast range of European countries, as well as Asia and North America, to visit one of the country’s most historical regions – Transylvania. 

The first UNTOLD took place in 2015, mainly on Cluj Arena, when Cluj-Napoca was appointed the European Youth Capital. During the four days, more than 240,000 people attended the concerts held on several stages in the centre of Cluj-Napoca.

This summer’s edition is a typically large affair, with some of the biggest names in the industry all playing at UNTOLD, including Above & Beyond, Alok, David Guetta, Paul Kalkbrenner LIVE, Amelie Lens, Anfisa Letyago, Boris Brejcha, Jamie Jones B2B Loco Dice, Kevin De Vries, Maceo Plex, Mathame, Paco Osuna, Raresh, Reinier Zonneveld (LIVE), Richie Hawtin, Stephan Bodzin Live, Tale of Us and many more.

Date & Location:

August 4th – 7th 2022 – Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, Romania

Entry Requirements (Visa/Inoculations etc.): 

Romania is part of the European Union, so no Visa is required for EU but also UK and US travellers. Travellers from other continents need a Visa.

Local Currency: 

RON/LEI

Averages daily costs:

Single Room – 750 RON (approx. 150 EUR / 130 GBP)

Double Room – 750 RON (approx. 150 EUR / 130 GBP)

Meals – 50-100 RON (10 – 20 EUR / 8 – 17 GBP)

Public Transport – 3-5 RON (less than 1 EUR / 1 GBP)

Alcohol – 10-50 RON (2 – 15 EUR / 1,7 – 10 GBP)

Water – 3-10 RON (0,5 – 2 EUR / LESS THAN 2 GBP)

Local Information:

Common Travel Routes to the UNTOLD Festival: airport Cluj-Napoca or Bucharest airport and then a flight from Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca

Recommended Hotels: 

https://untold.com/accommodation 

Recommended Sites: 

Transylvania – the land of Dracula, Cluj-Napoca, Lake Tarnița, Turda mine salt, Bran Castle, Peleș National Museum and Peleș Castle, Sibiu and Astra National Museum in Sibiu, Aqua Park President, Oradea Fortress and small villages across Transylvania. 

Recommended Restaurants: 

Chios, on the lake in the park close to UNTOLD Festival. 

Barraca restaurant is the best place for the most delicious and unique culinary experiences.

Boema restaurant, right in the heart of Cluj-Napoca for Romanian, Hungarian, Mediterranean, Mexican or Arab food. 

Samsara has an unforgettable menu and relaxing moments. 

Klausen Burger has the best burgers in Cluj-Napoca. 

Recommended Cultural Experiences: 

Fabrica de Bere (Beer Factory) is the oldest beer factory in town. A great spot to also grab yourself a pint 🙂

Ones To Watch at UNTOLD: 

Artists from all stages – over 200 local and international top names will join us this year. The opening ceremony on the main stage and the closing shows on the main stage. A trip on the wheel to enjoy the festival from above. The carousel to live and laugh, and the whole festival to enjoy.

Things to Remember / Local Rules:

People are very warm and welcoming in Romania. Enjoy the World Capital of Night and Magic on August 4-7 and live experiences for a lifetime!

UNTOLD passes start from €159 plus taxes, and Romania has cheap flights, packages of accommodation, and reasonable prices at the festival. Fans spend around 100 GBP daily and have a good time, food, and drinks.  

In keeping with the rest of our series, we caught up with the team behind UNTOLD Festival for a chat about what to expect at this year’s edition and more.

How would you describe UNTOLD to someone that has never been before?

UNTOLD is the World Capital of Night and Magic! It is where we combine the real world, the real people in a real place, with the fantasy world, the Magician, dragons, wolves, fairies, the Moon, legends, mythology, and the best artists in the world. We have many worlds in this UNTOLD Universe, which fascinates people. 

UNTOLD is more than a music festival. We got inspired by the music, of course, and also by the Romanian fairy tales for the first edition. We played with the reinterpretation of the local characters and stories. Since its first edition, UNTOLD has won the Best Major Festival in Europe award. Starting the second edition, we extended to an international concept, but always with local roots. We talk a lot through stories, and people love stories. We always focus on the night and magic, as we are a music festival, for four days and nights. But we are more than a music festival; we talk about love, unity, community, friendship, and courage. We encourage people to believe in their dreams, follow them, and turn them into reality because it is possible.

For the 2022 edition, we created the Temple of Luna concept, our guide for the 7th chapter of the UNTOLD Festival. 

We are getting closer and closer to August 4-7, the festival’s dates in 2022, and we are more than happy to welcome you to the magical realm from the heart of Transylvania, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Above & Beyond, Alok, Anne-Marie, ATB, Bassjackers, Chico Rose, David Guetta, Don Diablo, Hardwell, G-Eazy, Kygo, Lost Frequencies, Major Lazer Soundsystem, Morten, Oliver Heldens, Paul Kalkbrenner LIVE, Tujamo, Amelie Lens, Ann Clue, Anfisa Letyago, Boris Brejcha, Coeus, Djeff, Jamie Jones B2B Loco Dice, Kevin De Vries, Maceo Plex, Mathame, Paco Osuna, Raresh, Reinier Zonneveld (LIVE), Richie Hawtin, Stephan Bodzin Live, Tale of Us, Hernan Cattaneo B2B Nick Warren, Hot Oasis, Jan Blomqvist, Sebastien Leger Model Show, and many more will join the seventh edition of UNTOLD Festival. Over 200 national and international top artists will play this year on the main stage or the secondary stages, and different musical genres from live acts to EDM, pop, house, techno, tech-house, deep house, drum&bass, dubstep, grime, hip-hop, trip-hop, trance, tribals, reggae, and many more.

Fans can also enjoy good food and drinks from over 60-70 vendors with local food, burgers, pizza, pasta, Mexican food, Vegan and Vegetarian, Asian Food, Oriental Food, and many other tastes. 

We have lots of activities during the day and night. With day & night walkers, dancers from all over the world, interactive activities, VR zones and hi-tech areas, a lovely wheel and carousel, and a fashion corner called Designers’ Nest where people can find some of the best and most creative Romanian Designers, make-up and hair stylists, tattoos. 

UNTOLD is renowned for its large-scale production value and carefully cultivated lineups. Are there any specific values you strive for when creating your festival experience?

The fans and artists are all happy to come and enjoy the UNTOLD Festival for everything that it is and has to offer: the whole production and decorations, the creative concept, the music, the friends, the magical atmosphere and vibes, the unforgettable experiences.

The artists are excited to play at our festival, even if it’s for the first time or a tradition for years. So far, fans could see some of the greatest DJs and producers in the world and some of the most exciting live acts. 

David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Avicii, Dimitri Vegas&Like Mike, Armin van Buuren, Kygo, Steve Aoki, Tiesto, Afrojack, Diplo, Hardwell, The Chainsmokers, Timmy Trumpet, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Don Diablo, Marshmello, Solomun, Nina Kraviz, Boris Brejcha, Paul Kalkbrenner, Jamie Jones, Pan-Pot, Tale of Us, Sven Vath, Chris Liebing, Dubfire, Robbie Williams, The Prodigy, Black Eyed Peas, Stormzy, Jason Derulo, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Hurts, John Newman, James Arthur, Ofenbach, MO, Tyga are just a few names that made history at UNTOLD Festival. 

We ask our fans what artists they would like to see each year and always try to bring the best ones. Then we choose a series of artists and DJs and look out for their program, the number of concerts in Europe and their availability. Booking an artist is a long process; we have over 200 worldwide, and our team loves doing it.

With festivals globally really suffering in recent years, are there any things you have done to make up for lost time and offer an especially unforgettable event this year?

In 2021, UNTOLD was one of the few festivals that happened globally. We created the safest public space in Romania and the EU and implemented comprehensive safety measures. Access to the festival area was granted based exclusively on the DIGITAL EU COVID-19 Certificate or rapid antigen testing in the UNTOLD approved centres. All certificates were scanned and verified with the official VACCIN.LIVE application. Therefore, according to the official data, 75% of the participants who entered the festival area were vaccinated. The 2021 edition proved once again that UNTOLD is where history is written. You live memorable experiences, friends come together and reunite, new friendships are born between people worldwide, and everyone is safe and well.

The emotional load was intense on each festival day for everyone: fans, artists, organizers, partners, and collaborators. We had over 265.000 participants, and everyone felt safe and free.

In 2022, we will have a special edition, the first one after the pandemic without restrictions. We expect to break our records in 2019 and have over 370,000 participants in the festival’s four days and nights in a safe environment.

Have you faced any challenges in creating this year’s UNTOLD Festival?

We had hope and trust that the pandemic would end this year, and our optimism was right. The world is free again and healthy, and we can live the festival without special restrictions. We have the green light for everything. The only situation is with the flights across the world, and we have back-ups for them. Some artists also come a day or 2 in advance to enjoy other days and nights of the festival. So, everything should go perfectly as planned.

The lineup for this year’s Festival is incredible. Are there any artists you are particularly excited about?

Thank you! We are happy with all the artists from the line-up. We also have premieres for our festival and Romania and very good and strong comebacks such as Hardwell. We are excited to see him again on the main stage after his 4 years break. UNTOLD is one of Hardwell’s 4 festivals chosen globally to join this year, so it’s an honour to have him with us this summer. We are also excited for J Balvin, a premiere for us, the fans were excited too when we announced him, and he is looking forward to joining the UNTOLD Festival. 

We are also curious to see the live show from the main stage with Paul Kalkbrenner, so far, he has played on our Galaxy stage, and this year we brought him on the main stage because it is a huge demand for him. The secondary stages have great artists too, also local and international.

Are there any new up-and-coming artists people should keep our eyes and ears for this year?

We will surely have live surprises, so you should come to the festival to see them with your eyes and enjoy it with your heart, mind, and soul!

Transylvania is a picturesque destination with a lot of historical culture. Do you have any off-site recommendations for visiting international festivalgoers?

Transylvania is indeed a fantastic destination full of history and gems. Also known as the land of Dracula, it has many beautiful places and attractions. We recommend you visit by walking Cluj-Napoca – its centre and secondary streets, and also Cetatuie Park, up on the hills. Outside Cluj-Napoca, we recommend the Turda mine salt, which is close to Cluj-Napoca, the Castles from the mountains – Bran Castle, Peleș National Museum and Castle, The Astra National Museum in Sibiu, or the Aqua Park President or Oradea Fortress. The tourists need to go by car, bus, or train to these places, but they are worth it. 

Lastly, describe UNTOLD in three words and give us your golden festival tip?

UNTOLD is magic! 

Let yourself free to live it to the fullest! We will surely have lots of surprises and it will be a memorable experience to keep in your heart and soul. And also share it with your friends and children. See you on August 4-7 in the World Capital of Night and Magic! 

UNTOLD Festival takes place from August 4th – 7th 2022 in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, Romania