Lisbon Blog

Burning Man is a festival celebrated during 6 days in the city of Black Rock, Nevada, in the US. More than just a festival, it’s also an experimental path to self –expression and self-reliance. Attending doesn’t just imply getting to a “beach” which is really an incredibly desolate dessert in the middle of nowhere. It also means camping in the most eco-friendly way possible while living in conditions that are very tough while making art, music, friends and have crazy life changing experiences.

Its European counterpart? Perhaps one of the most similar festivals in Boom Festival, a biennial festival in Portugal which began 13 years ago. This year it’s in Idaho-a-Nova, a village near Lisbon, from the 18th until the 26th of August. The festival stands out from others. Like Burning Man, free expression and the formation of a community are main goals. Unlike burning man, Boom takes place beside a beautiful lake, on a gorgeous green expanse of land.
The festival dedicated to free spirits.
Unlike almost all festivals of its size, Boom has no corporate sponsorship, and isn’t marketing platform for any brand. Its goal is to be a place free of visual contamination and publicity pollution, a space apart from the common consumerist culture. In place of this, it seeks to promote arts, music, health, sustainable living and cultural exchange.
When it began, the festival’s principal focus was music, specifically the genre Goa-trance, a type of psychedelic electronic music. Over the years Boom has turned into much more than just a music festival, and has expanded its musical focus to include world music and other genres of electronic music like dub step, break beat and minimal.
Their are galleries of art and sculpture, theatre, fire-dancers, as well as a space apart from the insanity which offers a place to practice yoga, meditate, watch movies and see talks. The idea is to expand the definition of the party, and allow the mysticism inherent in bringing together thousands of creative minds during one summer week beneath the brilliant moonlight.
Hurry up!
There are only 26.000 tickets available to keep the festival ambiance, and as in years past, there are discounts for attendants from developing countries. During this stage of ticket sales, there are only about 8.500 left, and only until the 26th of June. Included in the price are camping, parking, drinking water, and access to showers, kitchens and shared baths. To make your return to the world more comfortable after the big show, why not rent affordable apartments in Lisbon? After a week of communing with the mystic consciousness, it’s good to get back to the real world little by little…