After the last two years, Campus Festival can be fully realized again, with the city’s most significant cultural event offering more than two hundred concerts and at least as many other programs between July 20 and 24. In addition to representatives of the Hungarian light music scene, foreign star performers will also return to Debrecen.
- It was a good decision to hold the Campus Festival in the form of stand-up concerts two years ago, and last year exclusively with Hungarian performers. All of this contributed to the fact that this year we can again organize one of Debrecen's biggest community events in the usual form, without closures and restrictions, said Péter Miklósvölgyi in the introduction to Wednesday's press conference.
The managing director of the organizing Debreceni Campus Nonprofit Közhasznú Kft. expressed its hope that the number of visitors can reach one hundred thousand again, and that there will be sold-out nights.
- Campus Festival can become one of the most successful festivals in the country this year, owing to the fact that the city has become a popular and exciting tourist destination, and the people of Debrecen now regard the festival as their own - said member of parliament Lajos Kósa.
According to city administration, Campus Festival is one of the most promising summer programs in Hungary; a main contributor to this is the unique environment of the Great Forest, among other things.
- Debrecen is unique not only because its Hungarian and international reputation is increasingly favorable, but also because of the extremely effective cooperation between the actors who determine the life of the city. The organizers of the city, the university and the festival are thinking together for the success of the event, and we are happy to see that a large number of foreigners also visit Campus - said László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen.
Campus Nonprofit Közhasznú Kft., in charge of organizing program, has organized festivals in several locations for 23 years during its 24-year existence, EFOTT, Vekeri-tó Festivals, and then Campus Festivals.
- We can be proud of the fact that one of the strongest event organizing teams in the country has been formed here in Debrecen, who are at the forefront of catering and program organization, as well as in technical terms, the chancellor of the University stressed.
In connection with the university’s participation, Zoltán Bács drew attention to the fact that this year focus will be on internationalization, and, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the European mobility program, the name of the university program venue will be Erasmus35 Stage – Egyetem tér/University Square. In a new location, opposite the entrance to the Zoo, in a larger area than ever before, the various organizational units will be represented by more than forty different programs and 16 stands. The programs will take place at the university site from July 20 to 23, every day from 3 pm to 0:30 am.
Speaking about internationalization, the chancellor added: more than a quarter of the full-time students of the University of Debrecen are foreigners, their number is in excess of seven thousand. In addition, there are already tens of thousands of students in diverse places in the world who have graduated here and have spent years in the city.
It will be a novelty at this year’s Campus that visitors will be allowed to enter the festival area after verifying their identity in accordance with current legislation.
- Armbands will be checked every time in accordance with the law to see if the person entitled to them is wearing them on their arm. There are security reasons for this, and illegal transfer of wristbands can also be prevented. Everybody is asked to bring an identity card with them in order to avoid disruptions, said Péter Miklósvölgyi.
To facilitate entry, there will be more ticket offices than before, and it will be possible to pick up weekly wristbands from July 18, Monday, at the downtown Campus Festival point and at the festival's main entrance, II. János Pál Pápa Square. To make it easier to get there and in the name of sustainability, a storage facility with a capacity for one thousand cyclists will be created on the side of the stadium facing the Zoo.
- At the same time, Campus goes beyond music. A new highlight at the festival is that we will re-occupy the eastern side of the stadium as well as the upper floor, creating the only multi-storey festival in Hungary, and Nagyerdei Szabadtéri Színpad /Open-Air Theatre / will also be included as a venue. In cooperation with the Csokonai National Theatre, we are preparing dance and musical literary programs in the evenings, the wristbands will be valid for those, too - listed András Süli , program director of the Campus Festival.
In addition, a large street theater parade, songwriting camp, contemporary dance, playhouse and Civil Village await visitors to the festival.
More than 200 performers are expected at the 19 program locations during the four days together with Hungarian musicians and bands, for example the Dutch star DJ Tiesto, Norwegian singer Aurora, Swedish pop diva Zara Larsson, English duo Chase and Status, Sigala and The Toy Dolls.
Press center - TH
