The Itera Montenegro team spent the last weekend of August at the Sea Dance Edition festival in Bečići, where big world names, regional performers and representatives of the Montenegrin music scene took turns during three evenings on three festival stages. If we had to single out one star of the festival, our choice is HUGEL.
The French DJ and producer turned the Bečići beach into a large open-air dance floor already on the first night. His recognizable blend of Latin and Afro house sounds perfectly fit with the sea, the end of summer and the festival atmosphere. It was one of those performances where the venue and the music just work together. However, the Main Stage offered much more than just one big name. During the three evenings, the audience had the opportunity to listen to Charlotte de Witte, Enrico Sangiuliano, John Newman, Boris Brejcha, Burak Yeter, DARA, Layla Benitez, Voyage, Amna and numerous other performers.
Just a few tens of meters away, the Dance Paradise Stage had a different energy and was primarily intended for lovers of house and techno sound. RPR Soundsystem, Marcel Dettmann, BIIA, Coeus and Mita Gami performed there, among others. The third stage, the Homeground Stage, gave significant space to the domestic underground scene and the new generation of Montenegrin performers. During the three evenings, among others, Petrikor 1858, Sharđun, Strajk Mozga, Janjo, Rudolf, Jack Lupino, Moodykid, Mark Trippin, Raspop, Vukas, Stamina and Stevan Mandić took turns at the counter.
One of the things that particularly impressed us was the production at a very high level. The large stage, lighting, sound, visual effects and the entire festival atmosphere corresponded to an event of this format. The organization itself was solid, but not without problems. The biggest minus from our point of view was the parking lot and the approach to the festival location, which, especially in the busiest period, could complicate arrival and departure. A large number of members of the police and the Municipal Police were present in and around the festival area, and during our stay we did not notice any major incidents or situations that would disturb the atmosphere. The audience was very diverse, with a noticeably large number of foreign guests.
What was also hard not to notice were the drink prices. A bottle of water cost about 3.5 euros, so the festival consumption could grow quite quickly, especially during the several-hour stay at the event. And the numbers show just how much attention Sea Dance's return has attracted. According to the organizer's data reported by the media, around 93,000 visits were recorded during the three festival nights, with audiences from more than 100 countries. For Budva, this kind of event means much more than just music. Festival visitors use accommodation, restaurants, transportation, beaches and other facilities and, along with the festival experience, get to know the destination itself.
This is exactly where Sea Dance shows its added value - as a combination of music, travel and experience of Montenegro. And for us, this year's edition, in addition to a serious production, three different stages and a large number of performers, will still be especially remembered for one performance: HUGEL.