Armenia’s first major underground music festival is taking over Yerevan’s neglected spaces for a cultural celebration blending the classical and contemporary.
The Urvakan music festival will bring almost 100 artists and DJs to perform at once-in-a-lifetime venues, including a ruined railway station, a river dam, and a stage deep within woodland. Visitors will have to walk through a 460-metre-long tunnel to reach the festival’s main venue: a Soviet-era fairground.
As well as a line-up bursting with international techno talent, the festival is pushing visitors to explore beyond electronica, showcasing contemporary folk and classical music. Events include sound art at Yerevan’s Mirzoyan Library and the premiere of an Iranian opera.
Urvakan runs from 3-5 May, but if you’re looking for last-minute flights, check out destinations including Gyumry and Tbilisi as well as Yerevan itself. Both cities are only one epic road trip away from the final party destination.