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The free music scene is alive and well in Europe. You just have to know where to look
Seeing live music can be an expensive business – especially if you’re talking about big-name acts and huge stadium concerts. But there is another way. There are thriving new music scenes in most European cities, where unsigned or up-and-coming acts play intimate little gigs for next to nothing. And as the weather warms up, there’s a whole host of free festivals with the sort of stellar line-ups you’d pay good money to see. Here’s our pick of the 10 best cities to see live for less…
Turin
This achingly hip city is peppered with DJ bars, most with free entry. Xo’ (46 Via Po, 9) has reliable DJs and drinks offers. The more discerning flock to arts venue Hiroshima Mon Amour (83 Via Bossoli, ), where local and international bands play for under €10. Turin’s cherry, however, is the annual Traffic Festival (www.trafficfestival.com), which takes place during the first half of July. It hosts super-cultured rock music (last year Patti Smith headlined) and is completely free. Gretchen Ross
London
London has loads of free gigs and nights. Flyers enable discounted entry, while you can sometimes get in free before 8pm. Indie institution Rough Trade has recently opened a huge branch, Rough Trade East (91 Brick Lane, tel.
), and invites bands to play in-store for free. Wobble at 93 Feet East (150 Brick Lane, tel. 72473293) is free every Friday (think neo-disco and house). While bands play for free on Saturdays, from 4-8pm, at Notting Hill Arts Club (21 Notting Hill Gate, tel. ). Morwenna Ferrier
Munich
Munich is not, for the most part, cheap, but there are plenty of bars where you can sample the city’s music scene for next to nothing. One of the best is Substanz (28 Ruppertstraße, tel. ), a well-established venue and nightclub, with gigs that start at €6 and feature everything from punk to indie to bluegrass bands, from around the world. Stadion (82 Schleißheimer Straße, tel. 529736) hosts free concerts, as well as an annual Bruce Springsteen tribute party. But for real indie geeks, there is nowhere better than Südstadt (29 Thalkirchnerstraße, tel. ).
Budapest
Fonó (3 XI Sztregova utca, 0) holds regular concerts and ‘dance houses’ – events that start off with an hour’s lesson, followed by a night’s worth of dancing. They’re either free or cost around €2-4/HUF 560-1,130). Pótkulcs (65/b VI Csengery utca, 0) is free every Tuesday, when it hosts the Rekontra band. Bands often play here for free (or for a small cover charge, around €5/ HUF 1,500) at the Gödör Klub (V Erzsébet tér, tel. , godorklub.hu). Carolyn Banfalvi
Oslo
Dattera til Hagen (10 Grønland, ) has bands and DJs play free of charge. When they do charge, it’s a modest fee of about €5-6/NOK 50-60. Café Mono (4 Pløensgate, ), one of the best venues for live music, has regular cheap or free concerts. If you know Norwegians, chances are you’ll also be inducted into the local forspiel culture while you’re there. As beer in Oslo is expensive (setting you back €5-6/NOK 50-60), locals usually meet up at someone’s home first, have a couple of drinks, and go out around 11pm. Gwladys Fouche
Milan
The annual Cornetto Free Music Festival (cornettoalgida.com) takes place in the Piazza Duomo, and acts performing at recent festivals include Beck, The Black Eyed Peas and Sting. This year’s dates have yet to be confirmed, but the concerts tend to happen in late May. There are also clubs like Goganga (29 via Cadolini, , goganga.it), which regularly hosts live music with an alternative nature and is free.
Rome
The Italian capital is awash with live music festivals, many of them free. Highlights include Estate Romana (www.en.estateromana.comune.roma.it), which takes place across the city during the summer months, and Roma Incontra il Mondo (www.villaada.org), which takes place in the Villa Ada park from June until August, with tickets costing under €10. Elsewhere, Brancaleone (13 Via Levanna, , brancaleone.it) is a hip hangout for the city’s indie crowd, with regular live music and DJ sets. It’s usually around €5 (and never over €10) to get in. Circolo degli Artisti (42 via Casilina Vecchia, 4, circoloartisti.it) has a more dance-orientated edge. Tickets are never more than €12, and it’s a world away from the chi-chi cocktail bars in the centro. Matt Barker
Moscow
Hipsters spend all week at The Club Formerly Known as Krizis Zhanra (16/16 Pokrovka Ulitsa, tel. ), a Manchester-esque rock club with free entry. Boho café Apshu (10/1 Klimentovsky Pereulok, tel. ) offers cheap (less than €5/RUB 200) experimental music from Thursday to Sunday nights, while high-brow Bilingua (10/5 Krivokolenniy Pereulok, tel. ) often hosts besplatny (free) music and cinema events during the week. Micha Rinkus
Lisbon
Most venues in Lisbon are free, although you’ll probably get a ‘minimum consumption’ ticket (which can cost as little as €10) to ensure you buy drinks at the bar. You’ll hear rock and pop at Paradise Garage (38 Rua João Oliveira Miguens, Alcântara, tel. + 080) and more experimental stuff at the innovative Galeria Zé dos Bois (59 Rua da Barroca, Bairro Alto, tel. + 205) or Chapitô (1/7 Costa do Castelo, Alfama, tel. + 550). Matthew Hancock
Brussels
Lots of gigs in Brussels are either free or cheap as chips. Hear new rock, reggae and hip-hop at Maison du Peuple (39 Parvis de Saint-Gilles, www.maison-dupeuple.be). Some of the capital’s top DJs (DJ Guiddo, DJ Ente) spin at the Tavernier (445 Chaussée de Boondael, tel. ) in the university district, where drinks are affordable and numerous other bars also host free music events. Nina Lamparski
FR Les bons billets à bas prix
Les événements musicaux gratuits prolifèrent dans toute l’Europe. Il vous suffit de dénicher les meilleurs concerts ou festivals “entrée libre”
Budapest Régulièrement, des groupes jouent gratuitement ou pour un ticket à petit prix au Gödör Klub (V. Erzsébet tér).
Oslo Au Dattera til Hagen (10 Grønland) des groupes et des DJ se produisent souvent gratuitement en concert. Tout comme au Café Mono (4 Pløensgate) où se tiennent ponctuellement des concerts peu chers voire gratuits.
Milan Le Festival annuel gratuit de Musique Cornetto (www.cornettoalgida.com) se tient sur la Piazza Duomo. Goganga (29 via Cadolini) est un établissement accessible et très jovial.
Rome Les festivals Estate Romana (www.en. estateromana.comune.roma.it) et Roma Incontra il Mondo (www.villaada.org) se déroulent durant toute la saison estivale. Plongez-vous dans l’univers du rock indépendant au Brancaleone (11 via Levanna). Le Circolo degli Artisti (42 via Casilina Vecchia), de son côté, est plus orienté danse.
Munich Le Substanz (28 Ruppertstrasse) accueille des concerts à des prix abordables. Le Stadion (82 Schleissheimer Strasse) propose des prestations musicales gratuites. Et pour virer dans un style plus rock alternatif, le Südstadt (29 Thalkirchnerstrasse) s’impose comme un must.
Moscou Le Club Formerly Known as Krizis Zhanra (16/16 Pokrovka Ulitsa) est un club rock de style Manchester, entrée libre. Le café boho Apshu (10/1 Klimentovsky Pereulok) vous transportera dans un univers expérimental.
Londres Le plus grand magasin de musique Rough Trade East (91 Brick Lane) a ouvert une nouvelle succursale, un méga-projet comprenant une scène de concerts où sont programmés des groupes ‘live’. Au 93 Feet East (150 Brick Lane) vous pouvez vous remuer gratuitement tous les vendredis, et des groupes branchés se produisent tout aussi gratuitement tous les samedis au Club Notting Hill Arts (21 Notting Hill Gate).
Turin Assistez à des concerts pour moins de €10 chez Hiroshima Mon Amour (83 Via Bossoli). Du 9 au 12 juillet, le Festival Traffic (www.trafficfestival. com) est l’un des événements culture rock de la scène musicale internationale.
Lisbonne Venez écouter de la pop et du rock au Paradise Garage (38 Rua João Oliveira Miguens, Alcântara), et des sonorités plus expérimentales à la Galeria Zé dos Bois (59 Rua da Barroca).
Bruxelles Faites le plein de rock, reggae et hip-hop à la Maison du Peuple (39 Parvis de Saint-Gilles).
Les meilleurs DJ font tourner les platines au Tavernier (445 Chaussée de Boondael).
NL Goedkope concerten
De gratis muziekscene scoort prima in Europa. Je moet alleen weten waar je moet zijn …
Boedapest
Bands spelen vaak gratis of voor een appel en een ei in de Gödör Klub (V. Erzsébet tér).
Oslo
In Dattera til Hagen (Grønland 10) staan bands en dj’s vaak gratis op het podium. Café Mono (Pløensgate 4) organiseert regelmatig goedkope of gratis concerten.
Milaan
Het jaarlijkse Cornetto Free Music Festival (www.cornettoalgida.com) vindt onderdak in de Piazza Duomo. En dan is er nog Goganga (via Cadolini 29), een vrolijk én goedkoop adresje.
Rome
In de zomer kun je naar de festivals Estate Romana (www.en.estateromana.comune.roma.it) en Roma Incontra il Mondo (www.villaada.org). Brancaleone (via Levanna 11) is perfect voor indie, terwijl Circolo degli Artisti (via Casilina Vecchia 42) zijn pijlen meer op dancefanaten richt.
München
Bij Substanz (Ruppertstrasse 28) staan goedkope optredens op het menu. In Stadion (Schleissheimer Strasse 82) kun je gratis concerten meepikken. Echte indiefreaks zweren dan weer bij Südstadt (Thalkirchnerstrasse 29).
Moskou
The Club Formerly Known as Krizis Zhanra (Pokrovka Ulitsa 16/16) is een Manchesterachtige rockclub met gratis toegang. Bohocafé Apshu (Klimentovsky Pereulok 10/1) pakt uit met goedkope, experimentele muziek.
Londen
Rough Trade East (Brick Lane 91) opende zopas een reusachtige winkel waar bands gratis kunnen optreden. In Wobble in 93 Feet East (Brick Lane 150) kun je elke vrijdag gratis terecht, terwijl hippe bands elke zaterdag gratis optreden in Notting Hill Arts Club (Notting Hill Gate 21).
Turijn
In Hiroshima Mon Amour (Via Bossoli 83) spelen bands voor minder dan € 10. Het Traffic Festival (www.trafficfestival.com) met zijn ultraverfijnde rock loopt van 9-12 juli.
Lissabon
Geniet van pop en rock in Paradise Garage (Rua João Oliveira Miguens 38, Alcântara) en van meer experimentele klanken in Galeria Zé dos Bois (Rua da Barroca 59).
Brussel
Geef je over aan new rock, reggae en hiphop in Maison du Peuple (Parvis de Saint-Gilles 39), terwijl getalenteerde dj’s de Tavernier (Boon-daalsesteenweg 445) op zijn kop zetten.
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