The new decade of Beats for Love is here. The 11th year of the festival started with heat and breathtaking energy
The largest Czech festival has entered its second decade of existence. The 11th year of Beats for Love once again attracted tens of thousands of fans to the Lower Vítkovice area of Ostrava. The opening day was initially accompanied by tropical temperatures and the associated safety measures. While visitors initially conserved their energy in the bright sun, after sunset they let off steam in front of 18 stages. The biggest applause went to British DJ Sub Focus, followed by Australian Timmy Trumpet, who started a big show. At the same time, Wednesday’s record was broken – 36 thousand fans arrived at the venue.
Even before tens of thousands of people started streaming through the entrance gates, the festival began with a special welcome performance. The dancers in orange uniforms were definitely not from the cleaning crew – they were running through the area to show all its known and unknown corners. The place where Beats for Love is taking place has undergone major changes. “We launched the Beats for Love Universe project. We divided the area into three zones, which we call spheres. While the LOVE sphere is dominated by love and butterfly motifs, the SPACE sphere is dominated by space themes. The INDUSTRIAL sphere commemorates Ostrava’s mining and steel heritage with its fiery lighting. All three spheres are connected by the PULSE boulevard,” says festival director Kamil Rudolf.
The effort and funding for the accompanying program worked. Fans were interested in the special lampshades, seating, the play with lights, the space gate, the illuminated planets of the solar system, and the decorations on the trees. “Judging by the posts of our visitors on social networks, we can say that Beats for Love Universe has caught their attention. We are pleased with the initial reactions and we believe that they will be the same in the remaining days,” says production manager Magdalena Pastrňáková. Her colleague Jakub Šenkeřík, who is responsible for the design of the entire project with his team, follows . “Many of our stages have undergone a major transformation this year. We have prepared a record number of LED screens and additional decorations for Czech standards. In addition, we have decorated all the scenes in a way that underlines the atmosphere of the festival spheres.”
Šenkeřík mainly talks about two stages that the organizers have redesigned. The main Love stage by ČSOB was modified to resemble a heart in the palm of your hand. The third largest stage, Techno Dome by Proud, is now 360 degrees. This means that fans surround the performer from all sides. Other novelties of the 11th edition of Beats for Love include the possibility of sightseeing flights in a hot air balloon, an open mic stage that is freely available to all fans, and graffiti lessons. “We want people to enjoy the event not only musically but also to have a visual experience. In addition to a number of new features, we have once again invited acrobats on special flexible rods called sway poles. Our festival museum is also freely accessible,” says Kamil Rudolf.
Timmy Trumpet remixed Karel Gott
Wednesday’s program definitely didn’t stall like a diesel engine in winter, on the contrary, it got off to a full start. Thanks to the king of techno, Berlin resident of the famous Berghain club Ben Klock, or the comet of the D&B genre from Belgium, Andromedik. However, the main Love stage by ČSOB traditionally attracted the biggest crowds. For example, British rapper and winner of the famous Mercury Prize Dizzee Rascal performed there, whom the organizers acquired at the last minute as a replacement for the original canceled performance. And the Englishman Sub Focus and one of the festival’s headliners, Australian Timmy Trumpet, received a huge applause.
Sub Focus is already one of the festival’s permanent stars. He has performed in Ostrava several times, and the D&B genre is also very popular in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, Timmy Trumpet came to Beats for Love for only the second time in its history… “Timmy promised us a special performance. And he showed that he wasn’t talking nonsense by including a number of Czech hits in his set. Our audience is already used to songs by Calin, Ben Cristovao or Sofian Medjmedje. But I must admit that Karel Gott has probably never been heard at an electronic dance music festival,” smiles program director Jiří Ramík.
Thursday’s schedule: hot weather and other festival stars
The first day of the 11th edition of Beats for Love was accompanied by high temperatures and clear skies. Meteorologists are reporting a similar forecast for Thursday’s continuation. The organizers are therefore once again urging fans to pay attention to their drinking regimen, wear hats and plan their energy well. “We are drawing attention to this through social networks and the festival application. Visitors can bring a plastic bottle with a maximum volume of 0.7l to the area, and at the same time use the varied offer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Thanks to cooperation with the city of Ostrava, we are practically constantly sprinkling water on the area, and people can refresh themselves from our sprayers in several places,” adds production manager Jaroslav Faldyna.
On Wednesday, 36,000 people danced in the Lower Vítkovice area, which is about two thousand more than at the same time last year. By the way, more fans have never arrived on the opening day of Beats for Love. The organizers expect that a few hundred more fans will traditionally arrive on the second day of the program. The master of the house genre Claptone will perform, as well as Wilkinson, well-known to radio listeners. The centerpiece of the program will be the performance of the Belgian film music wizard Apashe, who will also arrive with a large brass band, as well as his compatriots, brothers with the stage names Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. The show by probably the most famous DJ duo on the planet should be written in gold letters in the entire, now 11-year history of Beats for Love.
