Nestorio River Party gears up for five days of music, camping and fun

The annual Nestorio River Party’s winning blend of camping, swimming and live music has turned it into one of the most popular summer events in Greece.

Over the course of five days, the daylight hours will be dedicated to chilling out and surprise happenings on the banks of this beautiful river in the northern Greek prefecture of Kastoria (as well as splashing around in it), and the nights to music – courtesy of established and newcomer local acts as well as foreign guests, on four stages, starting early each evening.

Camping in the river’s lush landscape is without doubt a big part of the overall experience and if you haven’t got the gear you can rent a tent that is already set up and includes sleeping bags and an inflatable mattress. But camping isn’t an obligation and many prefer to stay at hotels or guest houses in the broader area and attend the festival when they feel like it, rather that being in the thick of the action all the time.

This year’s festival begins on Wednesday, August 2, with concerts by Greece’s rock-metal band Planet of Zeus and stoner punks 1000 Mods, French collective Taiwan MC with its signature trip-hop and German hip-hop act Iratus, among others. The second day is given over mostly to Greek singers, including Vassilis Papaconstantinou, Miltos Paschalidis and Leonidas Balafas, while Friday features satirist Tzimis Panousis, Dimos Anastasiades, the Xaxakes band and others. Local acts Natasha Bofiliou, Imam Baildi, Melisses, Yiannis Zouganelis, Playmen and Angelika Dusk are also slated to appear.

Meanwhile, floor-filling Greek DJs will be spinning the decks nightly on the Tequila Stage.

The easiest way to get to the venue if you haven’t got a car is with the River Bus service, which will be departing from Athens, Thessaloniki and Lamia on Wednesday morning and returning on Sunday. For a detailed program and transport reservations, visit the event’s website people.gr/riverparty (in Greek only), or email [email protected]. One-day tickets or a five-day festival pass can be purchased online at www.viva.gr or by calling 11876.

The Nestorio River campsite is already open if you want get there in advance and bag a good spot.