By Karen Bradbury
Published: May 14, 2009
Any great plans for this coming Saturday evening, May 17? If you won’t be tuning into the camp and glitz of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, you could always check out one of the more than 2,000 events being put on in conjunction with the 5th Edition of the European Night of the Museums. The site’s handy map of Europe will help you to find the locations of the various spectacles, concerts, illuminations and other fun stuff that is to be laid on. Here is a tiny sampling of things you could check out:
GERMANY
Ellwangen, near Stuttgart, the Alamanni Museum has a rock concert and a special exhibit.
Abtsgmünd-Untergröningen, near Stuttgart, offers a nighttime visit to the castle in candlelight.
Bühlertal, near Karlsruhe, Museum Geiserschmiede (blacksmith’s shop), stages illuminations and forge demonstrations.
By Karen Bradbury
Published: May 7, 2009
When’s the last time you’ve been to a concert? You might have paid 50, 60 euros or more to see a single performer. Imagine the impact to your savings account if you were to do that 50 times per year! There is a wonderful, money-saving alternative: Spring for a music festival ticket this year. For around 130 euros, you can immerse yourself in three or more days of today’s top artists performing back to back. What a sensory overload that would be! And would you ever be content again going to see just one act perform?
No matter your chosen genre, there are plenty of events to choose from. Metal fans are alive and well here in Germany, and reggae fans can chill to their heart’s content in some gorgeous venues. Tickets for some of these events have already sold out, but maybe you’ll manage to score a ticket through a friend of a friend of a friend. Good luck, stay dry, and have fun!
AUSTRIA
Nova Rock, June 19-21, Nickelsdorf.
On stage: Metallica, Die Toten Hosen, Placebo, Faith No More, Slipknot, Nine Inch Nails, Limp Bizkit, Machine Head, Kaiser Chiefs, Guano Apes, Disturbed, Chris Cornell, In Extremo, Killswitch Engage, Gogol Bordello, Staind, Dredg, Trivium, Madsen, Rise Against, Mastodon, The Gaslight Anthem, Less Than Jake, All That Remains, Lacuna Coil, others.
Tickets: Festival passes are 116 euros; day tickets 65 euros.
