This year, the Campus Festival returns to full capacity, with the best and best-known representatives of the Hungarian popular music scene and, after a two-year break, international headliners returning to Debrecen. More than 200 concerts and DJ performances and countless other events await visitors in the unique surroundings of the Great Forest on four evenings in a total of 19 programme venues. Campus, one of the biggest Hungarian popular music festivals, is now in its 14th edition.
“After two years, this year we finally have no closures and virtually no restrictions, and international travel is free again. It felt good to be able to think more freely about the programmes when organising the festival.” – “I don’t want to give it away, but we are practically as good with ticket sales as we were in the last full year, 2019, and it is possible that there will be some evenings when the festival will be close to full.”
Debrecen’s biggest cultural event is packed with exciting, useful and forward-thinking programmes, popular services and memorable attractions. In the popular music programme, it is hard to find a style or musical subculture that is not represented in some form, and after a two-year hiatus, international productions will return to the Campus.
“Dutch star DJ Tiësto is sure to put together one of the most memorable sets in the festival’s history, featuring EDM, progressive house and trance. We’ve also known since the autumn that Norwegian singer AURORA, with her unique voice and personality, will be performing in Debrecen, her career having been boosted in recent years by the well-known theme song to Ice Magic and the unexpected tick-tock craze.” – said programme director András Süli. “They are joined in the spring by Swedish pop diva Zara Larsson – the biggest hit of Friday’s headliner, Lush Life, has already well over 1 billion listens – and the UK duo Chase & Status, who are explosively popular in Hungary, and who weave together songs from the worlds of drum’n’bass, dubstep and bass-rich electronica, which have been headlining several major European festivals in recent years.”
Another new addition to the line-up will be the UK’s Sigala, aka Bruce Fielder, who will be producing a series of dancefloor-rocking tracks in collaboration with the likes of John Newman, Craig David, and Paloma Faith. Also from the British Isles, but from a completely different scene, comes iconic punk rock legends The Toy Dolls, formed in 1979.
“As well as the big names, there will be no shortage of real musical delights.” – said András Süli. The German Christian Löffler is one of the most exciting contemporary figures on the electronic scene, whose fimzenesque music is both inviting and sombre. We’ll have the Australian hardcore-punk scene’s cult club band Deez Nuts, one of the most exciting European discoveries of recent years in the form of the awe-inspiringly suggestive English soul-pop singer-songwriter Charlotte OC, and the nine-piece Dutch brigade Jungle By Night, who create a frenetic jazz-funk-dance frenzy at every show.
Campus remains the only major festival to dedicate its own stage to rock music, with more than 30 prominent local rock/punk/metal acts alongside the aforementioned international names, and a line-up that includes the most popular bands that draw crowds of thousands, as well as emerging talent. In response to the needs of the newest generation, this year hip-hop, rap and trap will have their own stage (the Metal-Sheet Beat Stage), and a new venue for underground electronic music with a unique atmosphere will be launched in the trees of the Great Forest, in collaboration with the locally renowned Forest Bump. And this year, we’ll be showcasing talented up-and-coming bands in partnership with the Sound Busy Programme.
DID YOU KNOW?
- This year, 30-year-old Parno Graszt will be performing a festive show on the main stage of the Campus Festival, and their internationally acclaimed debut album (Rávágok a zongora) was released just 20 years ago;
- Other Hungarian bands are also celebrating birthdays this year: Blahalouisiana is 10 years old, and Supernem was founded by Szabi Papp in 2002, so they have 20 candles on their cake;
- It was 20 years ago in 2002 that Tiëst was voted the world’s best DJ for the first time by DJ Magazine;
- Zara Larsson’s most recent single is a cover of ABBA’s timeless classic Lay All Your Love On Me;
- The Toy Dolls’ first big breakthrough hit, the children’s song cover Nellie the Elephant, was released 40 years ago this year;
- German electronic phenom Christian Löffler’s debut album was released just 10 years ago – and one of his career highlights was a concert at one of Europe’s most impressive concert halls, the Elbphilarmonie in Hamburg;
- Charlotte OC from the UK is considered such a talent that she has been taken under the wing of the agency that organises Ed Sheeran concerts;
- Chase & Status will present a brand new album in Debrecen – What Came Before is out in June 2022;
- And AURORA is a nature lover and conservationist – in this spirit, she will adopt a century-old oak tree from the Nagyerdő during the Campus Festival.
ERASMUS35 – FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY ON THE UNIVERSITY SQUARE
The Campus Festival’s “smart venue”, University Square, will offer more space and new venues for concerts, scientific lectures and professional discussions. The University of Debrecen is preparing more than forty different programmes and sixteen stands, with thirty-three DE departments presenting their work.
This time, the venue will be called Erasmus35 Stage – University Square, as this year marks the 35th anniversary of the scholarship programme abroad. The focus will be on international mobility – you can exchange experiences with international students, and the DE International Office will provide detailed information on the international opportunities available at the institution: scholarships, mobility programmes, and study trips. The Erasmus35 Stage-University Square will be located on the southeast side of the stadium, opposite the entrance to the Zoo, under the high walkway, and in the green grassy area.
The University of Debrecen will be present at the Campus Festival, along with the Sports Science Coordination Institute: at their stand, visitors will be informed about healthy lifestyles and the importance of regular exercise, while university experts will also be mapping the fitness of festival-goers, measuring blood pressure and giving advice. There will be science-based wine tastings, a taster of foreign languages, medical demonstrations for young and old, and the DE Mental Health Centre will run a children’s corner. Visitors will be able to take part in an ultrasound scan and meet robots from the Faculty of Engineering, while the Engineering and Business Development Innovation Institute (MÜZLI) will give interesting presentations on stage.
The Department of Hospital Hygiene at the DE Clinical Centre will be presenting a new programme on good and bad bacteria and disinfection, while the Institute of Public Health and Epidemiology will be making its debut with the Lung Clinic, which will present the harmful effects of smoking from several angles. For the first time, the Institute of Educational Sciences, the István Hatvani College and the DExam Language Examination Centre will also be presenting programmes.
On Thursday evening, the Point There Party will reveal where the students can continue their studies. There will also be a wide variety of music, with almost twenty concerts at the university venue: the frontman of Lóci plays, Lóci Csorba, the Kugler & Szalay duo, LAZLO, Simon and Garfunkel songs by Kodachrome, and big-city chansons by Anna Szalai and Gergő Dorozsmai. The students of the University of Debrecen’s Institute of Light Music will present themselves, Gergő Szakács, singer of Follow The Flow, and Ohnody + O’Sullivan will perform an acoustic show, Karaván Família, István Vajda, bar pianist, Szilárd Piano Projekt, Napfonat, I am Soyuz, Márk Járai from Halott Pénz and Boebeck will play, and the programs end with a concert. The University Square events will close with a gala concert by the Campus Songwriting Camp.
Around 400 university citizens, including teachers, researchers, staff, and student volunteers, will be involved in the university stands, in the organisation of the programmes, and in serving the festival visitors.
The Erasmus35 Stage-University Square will be open from Wednesday 20 July until the end of the festival on 23 July, from 3 pm to 12.30 am every day.
Campus Festival Debrecen
This year’s Campus Festival is not just about music: theatre and street theatre, literature, circus arts, performance and contemporary dance, songwriting, and video installations all contribute to our intellectual enrichment.
The Theatre Of Csokonai On The Open Air Stage In The Great Forest
This time, the renewed Csokonai National Theatre will be open to Campus visitors on the Nagyerdei Open-Air Stage, with free programmes (with a festival wristband or a day ticket): musical literary evenings, readings, social reflections, dance performances, and jazz concerts. For more details, see the Csokonai Theatre website, and separate tickets will be available.
Bring Your Toothbrush – Campus Songwriting Camp
For the first time, we are organising a songwriting camp during the Campus, hosted and professionally led by Mátyás Szepesi Szepesi, frontman of the band Konyha, founder of the songwriting training in Rímek Párban and winner of the Artisjus Songwriter of the Year Award this year. We are looking for lyricists, musicians, and performers who are committed, who have already got over the first songs rescued from the dustbin, but who want to go deeper. Registration and information: info@rimekparban.hu
Ars Sol Luna
Ars SolLuna is a production that is unusual in our country, experimenting with new forms of street theatre, in which puppeteers, musicians, actors, artists, dancers, and visual artists come together to create a very special wonderland. The astonishing float at the centre of Ars SolLuna, which sets off daily, is surrounded by strange giant puppets, spectacular lights, and magical dance.
Winged Dragons And Other Stunt Performers
The Winged Dragons’ jugglers, stilt-walkers, rollers, and stilt-walkers perform amazing tricks at various points throughout the festival – but don’t be surprised if you see aerialists dangling from the stadium building.
iRAWEn / LOBOTOMIA COLLECTIVE
Operating since 2018, Lobotomia Collective and the iRAWEn that evolved from it are experimental, improvisational dance productions that build on chance and space, making use of sound and audience. The Campus Festival is set against the backdrop of the HESSZ Project installation, where the symbolism of wood and construction blends organically with the movements of contemporary dance.
Playhouse Project
Board games are the newest legal mind-alterer! In the Playhouse we gather and play board games. Lots of cool people, lots of fun games, good vibes, world peace, whatnot. Here, you’re looking in vain for Who’s Laughing at the End or Monopoly. We prefer new wave, creative, exciting games that few people know about yet – our game masters are happy to help you discover them.
Lights And Visuals
With the help of video artists, we’ll conjure up never-before-seen visual elements and installations among the centuries-old oak trees of Nagyerdei Park, dazzling the festival-goers who are on the hunt for Instagram-ready themes.
Civil Village And Campus Kid Playground
One of the Campus’s most traditional venues, the event features around half a hundred NGOs and institutions on important social issues, mental health, awareness-raising, sustainability, and many other topics. One of Hungary’s largest playhouses will be held here: families will be delighted by hundreds of interactive games, attractions, fairground comedians, and children’s programmes for everyone from the youngest to the oldest. Our guest will be the internationally renowned Vándor Vurstli, the creator of the Vándor Vurstli, the Karzat Theatre from Győr.
Civil and family programmes:
- VR simulators
- The Vándor Vurstli, courtesy of the Karzat Theatre
- Folk Playhouse
- beauty salon
- Handicraft activities
- nostalgia sightseeing bus
- bouncy castles
- logic games
- board games
- interactive sports games
- presentation of Hungarikums and outstanding national values
Important And Useful Information
This year, in accordance with the legislation in force, ticket purchasers will have to show proof of identity to enter the Campus Festival area, so the organisers strongly advise everyone to bring their ID card with them to the festival. In the case of wristbands, each time you enter the festival, we will check that the person authorised to wear them is wearing them.
To make sure that no one misses a concert, wristbands will be available from Monday 18 July at the container in front of the Forum Debrecen on Csapó street and at the information desk of the Nagyerdei Water Tower.
Parking capacity around the festival venue is very limited, so we recommend that guests arrive by public transport or bicycle. There is a secure bicycle storage area in front of the entrance and DKV buses will also provide a night shuttle service home.
We would also like to point out that our venues have limited capacity. In accordance with safety regulations, organisers may restrict access to a venue when it reaches maximum capacity.
Comfort And Convenience
In addition to the many programmes and attractions, the Campus Festival offers a range of public services and amenities.
- Safekeeping
- Supermarket
- 0-24 hours medical and ambulance service
- Information points
- 150 flush toilets
The festival area is cash-free again this year, and you can pay at the counters and at the traders with a credit card or a festival card loaded for this purpose.
Environmentally Friendly Festival
The Campus Festival places great emphasis on reducing environmental impact. The main objective is to preserve the environment of the Great Forest and to deepen the environmental awareness of festival-goers. This year, the organisers are also preparing a number of green programmes. The use of separate waste bins and the sorting of waste has been a feature of the festival for several years, but the introduction of environmentally friendly cleaning products and the use of environmentally friendly equipment is nothing new to the Campus. It is important that the vast majority of waste generated is made from biodegradable materials. As in previous years, participants are served drinks in recyclable repo cups, which is a huge step forward in reducing plastic waste, with the amount of rubbish at the festival more than halved in recent years, by several tonnes.
BMW VIP ZONE
This year, for the first time, the BMW VIP Zone will be set up in an unusual location on the air-guided walkway of the Nagyerdei Stadium above the festival.
Festival goers who buy a VIP pass will enjoy the following benefits:
- fast-track entry;
- Spacious spaces, great views;
- VIP bar;
- happy hour promotions,
- exclusive VIP toilets
- VIP stand at the Metal-Sheet Main Stage,
- VIP passes for the opening reception on Wednesday.
