Life in the festival

Traditionally the Empty Hills festival is built every year in a totally untouched location near the river in a forestry area. The place is revealed at the web-site to common visitors a short time before the festival days. This is done to avoid occasional visitors not familiar with the festival specifics and spirit. Nevertheless more than 50.000 people including small kids manage to get there in time.

If you are a volunteer and arrive for construction it is recommended to contact the international workcamp coordinator who will help you to get to the place safely: pkolesnikova@mail.ru. If you come as an ordinary visitor or you want to travel by yourself  still we recommend you to inquire about the transportation,  the map, public transport timetables,  etc., as if you come by public transport you may have to change buses, trains, etc., or even hitch-hike. Apart from that there going to be festival buses from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities in the European part of Russia. Please contact enedozh@yahoo.com if you don’t find festival bus info at the website.

Everybody — musicians, organizers, volunteers and visitors — live in tents. The camp is organized by the voluntary power of those who arrive first. Later guests improve and decorate the space around them applying all their fantasy and creative power to basic facilities. Still the living conditions are severe and sometimes survival. But if you take cooking on the camp fire, bathing in the river, washing dishes and clothes in cold water not only as a question of comfort but as an environmental-friendly and healthy way you will find attraction in your everyday camp routine.

1. Clothes and shoes: raincoat, hard trousers, long-sleeved shirt, a cap/hat/bandanna, warm socks, sweater and everything to feel warm at night, hard boots, light sandals or sabot, swimming suite, funny light clothes
2. Camping equipment: sleeping bag, mat, spoon&cup&dish, knife, torch, tent (if you are not a volunteer camp member)
3. Hygienic means: soap, shampoo, tooth paste&brush, towel, sanitary towels (for women)
4. First aid kit. Insect (tick and mosquito) repellent. Sunscreening cream if you are sensitive to sun. Think of the medicine you might need as no drugstore will be in close admission
5. Ideas and positive mood
6. Music instruments if you play any — jam sessions are guaranteed
7. Food if you need or want special products

Generally  there is a cell phone or internet connection in the location but considering the amount of people on the festival days you might meet some temporary connection trouble. We do not recommend to bring laptops if it is not your working need.

Generally the festival is a very friendly and safe space. Aggression is a rare case. Still it is not recommended to take alcohol and drugs as you may get lost or meet a troublesome situation.

If you have trouble and need emergent help your camp coordinator will never leave you alone. Medical help is available during the whole time of the festival including construction and cleaning. Still if you have any disease which can require immediate ambulance please inform people around you.

Yes, for sure