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Black coffee untold festival
19.08.2024, Words by Sam Nahirny

UNTOLD 2024: Hedonistic Festival Lights Up Romania for 9th Edition

A magical showcase of electronic music's heavy hitters and 427,000 fans

“We’re here for life, love, unity and inclusion.”

The (paraphrased) words of living legend Lenny Kravitz as he storms into the 60k strong Cluj Arena.

It’s a pretty powerful quote to summarise the whole experience of UNTOLD – a place you can escape, truly be yourself, see some of the biggest names from all genres, and then find some 15 year old Romanian rapper absolutely tearing it up at 11pm.

It’s the kind of place where you see a superstar DJ like Lost Frequencies or Martin Garrix on the main stage, head outside, jump into a custom built flight simulator (sponsored by a cigarette brand, obvs), spend 10 mins chilling in the sky, and then come back down to some form of reality to go and see the best names in underground dance music like Solomun and Black Coffee.

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Not into Techno? No worries, there’s a former One Direction-er on the main stage (Louis Tomlinson) fully showing the world how humans evolve – he’s no longer the teen-pop icon that most of us remember him for, he’s now a badass, clearly-Oasis-influenced alt-rock artist who (no surprise) commands a humongous crowd.

Okay okay, but what if you need a break from the music? No worries. Fancy learning CPR? The Cluj-Napoca ambulance service is here to help with that. Fancy a McFlurry? McDonalds got you covered – as have the near infinite amount of local restaurants on site.

Ohhhh, okay. So you’re a pyromaniac? Don’t worry. There’s more fireworks and… well, fire, than the 4th of July in an over the top American Hollywood movie.

So yes, whilst Untold can be a tad overstimulating at times, it really is one of the most magical places on the planet. Which is only emphasised even more by the team making it happen.

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And I can justify that point, your honour - with one of our own. As Tom Grennan smashed out big boy banger after big boy banger on the main stage - only to have an interlude where he specifically shouted out how brilliant the Untold team had been to him amongst the shit show of airlines.

One final quote to summarise the magic of Untold? Go on then.

Burna Boy - one of the biggest artists in the world - “Can I tell you a secret? Tonight’s the first show I’ve done sober. You are my intoxication tonight”.

And we’re very happy to say, it’s an intoxication that doesn’t leave a nasty hangover.

Read next: DMY Mix 013 | Blossom Hill

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