BR Interview | Electric Castle: A Decade of Music, Community, and Sustainability

Electric Castle, Romania’s groundbreaking music festival, marked its 10^th anniversary with the 2024 edition, held between July 17-21 at Banffy Castle near Cluj-Napoca. In its decade-long existence, the festival has continuously pushed the boundaries of what a music festival can be. Business Review spoke with Tudor Costinas, Head of Communications for Electric Castle, about the festival’s evolution, memorable moments, and ongoing commitment to sustainability and community engagement.

By Mihai Cristea

As Electric Castle celebrated its 10th anniversary, how do you reflect on the journey and evolution of the festival since its inception? What have been some of the most memorable moments and challenges?

The journey from our beginnings to becoming one of Romania’s most beloved music festivals has been nothing short of extraordinary. When we started, the music festival market in Romania was almost non-existent. This allowed us to envision anything we wanted, but we had to limit our imagination due to the market’s lack of know-how regarding organising a large event and an audience that was unfamiliar with what a true music festival should be like.

Could we have made easier choices, like starting in an urban space instead of a semi-anonymous village? Or perhaps following a formula and replicating it locally? Probably—but the fun would have been half of what it’s been.

From the outset, our vision was to create an event that transcends music, blending art, technology, and an unforgettable experience at the stunning Banffy Castle. Over the years, we’ve evolved significantly, continuously pushing boundaries to offer our attendees something fresh and exciting each year. We’ve faced challenges, from weather-related issues to logistical hurdles, but each obstacle has taught us valuable lessons, helping us grow and improve.

One of the best ways to gauge our success is by talking to the artists who have performed on our stages over the past decade. Last week, we spoke with Robin, the leader of Robin and The Backstabbers, about their first show at the castle in 2013. He recalled performing amid lightning strikes and rain, with an incredible crowd in front of the stage, thinking, “This is different; this could be something big.” And it came true.

The “It’s not goodbye, it’s wear you later” campaign is a significant step towards sustainable fashion. Can you tell us more about how this initiative came to be and the impact you hope it will have on both the festival community and the wider public?

Upcycling campaigns have been a tradition at Electric Castle. Ten years ago we launched our first one, transforming outdoor promotional materials (such as meshes and banners) into a collection of bags. This was a novel concept at the time, yet the positive public reaction convinced us that people were ready to embrace a new way of consuming fashion. Consequently, such initiatives have become a consistent part of our strategy to promote a culture of sustainability.

The 2024 “It’s Not Goodbye, It’s Wear You Later” campaign emerged from our awareness of the fashion industry’s environmental impact, particularly the fast fashion culture that’s prevalent among festival-goers. Every year, there’s a buzz about the coolest outfits to wear at summer festivals. We aim to challenge this by encouraging our community to make more sustainable clothing choices.

The feedback has been fantastic. With the support of our partners at Promenada Mall, we collected over one ton of used clothes, which Velements, a designer, spent over a month transforming into a completely new clothing line. Items that couldn’t be integrated were used to produce bean bags that will provide this year’s attendees with a comfortable place to take a break.

The new collection has already been showcased at Romanian Design Week and will be available for purchase during the festival in our anti-mall, a space dedicated to young Romanian designers presenting their creations. All proceeds from the collection will be donated to support the Salvati Copiii NGO’s education programmes for vulnerable children.

The best news is that people are enthusiastic about embracing such initiatives. Although we collected clothes only in Bucharest, we received numerous messages from across the country from people who were eager to contribute. We hope this initiative will inspire more companies to get involved, providing opportunities for people to adopt more eco-friendly practices in their daily lives.

Electric Castle has become a beloved event thanks to its community-driven approach. How do you engage with and incorporate feedback from festival-goers and the local community to continuously improve the festival?

In a world where so many strive to be “the biggest,” “the best,” and “the most…,” we at Electric Castle simply want to have fun with our audience and grow together in music culture and festival experience. This genuine attitude has fostered a close relationship with the EC community, keeping us together for over a decade. Community engagement is at the heart of Electric Castle’s success. We actively seek feedback from festival-goers and the local community through surveys, social media interactions, and face-to-face conversations during the event. This feedback is invaluable, helping us understand what works well and where we can improve. We welcome criticism as much as praise, and people know we are here to listen. This honest, direct feedback is everything a brand could wish for.

Our main promise is to never stop challenging our audience. Sometimes this means making “peculiar” choices in our lineup (“How can this or that artist perform at Electric Castle?!”), changing the festival branding (“Why is the EC logo red? We loved it yellow!”) or launching bold campaigns like Bontida Fever with wild challenges such as getting a permanent tattoo. As long as we are all excited to try new things and embrace novelty, Electric Castle will continue to be fun and fresh.

Building a festival of this scale comes with unique logistical challenges. How does your team prepare for and manage these unexpected events to ensure a smooth experience for attendees and artists?

Every year, we start from scratch and build a small town on 40 hectares. The festival logistics are impressive, as most of the event is built on a field without permanent utilities like water and electricity. The real challenge is creating something to the highest standard and ensuring that, within two weeks after the festival, everything returns to its original state—or even better.

Organising a festival of this scale involves intricate planning and the ability to adapt to unexpected events. Our team begins preparations months in advance, working closely with local authorities, vendors, and logistics experts to ensure every detail is covered. We have contingency plans for various scenarios, from weather disruptions to technical issues.

We also aim to create a space that the local community can enjoy year-round. For example, we’ve decided to plant 10,000 trees on the dry field where we set up our camping area, transforming it into a much-needed park. Starting this edition, we will also provide free water on the festival site, an amenity that will remain available throughout the year.

Looking ahead, what are your goals for Electric Castle in the next decade? Are there any new directions or innovations you are planning to explore to continue making the festival a unique and sustainable experience?

Looking ahead, our primary goal for Electric Castle is to continue its development as a unique and sustainable experience. The festival will undoubtedly grow in terms of attendees. Ten years ago, our first edition welcomed 30,000 attendees, and by 2023, we reached 232,000. Fortunately, our site can accommodate this growth without compromising public comfort or our commitment to innovation with every edition. However, we aim to achieve this growth sustainably.

To this end, we plan to expand our sustainability initiatives to make the festival as eco-friendly as possible. This includes reducing our carbon footprint, increasing recycling efforts, and promoting sustainable practices among our attendees and partners.

We are also exploring opportunities to extend our brand to new events and projects. We’ve tested this idea with more niche projects, such as the EC Creative Camp, which provides a space for Romanian artists to innovate and create, and by launching documentary films like “No Festival,” which have been screened in cinemas and on streaming platforms. “Lost and Found” is a new space we’ve opened in Bucharest, inviting all creative people to join us every day of the year in a city that provides us the largest part of the public in the festival. However, we are cautious not to simply replicate Electric Castle festival in a different location. As we embark on the next decade, we remain committed to our core values of creativity, community, and sustainability. We look forward to many more years of incredible music, art, and memories.