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Kubana festival moves from Russia to Latvia over organizational problems

After being ousted from Kaliningrad region the festival's producers say they did not consider the possibility of moving it to another Russian region fearing new organizational problems

© ITAR-TASS/ Alexander Ryumin

MOSCOW / KALININGRAD, June 22. /TASS/. Russia's biggest outdoor rock festival Kubana has found a new venue in Latvia after being ousted from the country’s westernmost region of Kaliningrad, its organizers said on Monday.

In comments to Govorit Moskva radio, Kubana's producer Ilya Ostrovsky said that the possibility of moving the festival to another Russian region was not considered since producers feared new organizational problems.

"It’s difficult to relocate a festival planned in one region to quite another region," Ostrovsky said, noting that many platforms offering their help in holding Kubana "don’t quite understand what difficulties they will have to face".

Kubana’s organizing committee said that after Kaliningrad region authorities had unexpectedly cancelled the festival, scheduled to take place in early August, many Russian regions and neighbouring countries expressed their readiness to host the event. After considering all options, organizers decided to relocate the festival to Latvia’s capital.

It’s not the first time that Kubana has encountered problems. Last year, the festival was forced to leave its traditional venue on the Black Sea coast in Russia’s Krasnodar region, prompting a move to the Kaliningrad region. But on June 17, it was announced that the festival was cancelled because of safety concerns.

Since its inception in 2009, the festival has turned from local act into an international music event, attracting thousands of guests not only from Russia and former Soviet republics but also from all over Europe.

Kubana is the first Russian member of the European Festival Association YOUROPE, twice nominated for the European Festival Awards and made it to the top10 European festivals.

This year’s announced line-up features more than ten popular bands and singers from Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Iceland, Spain, the United States, France and Sweden, including the likes of Panic! At the Disco, Hollywood Undead, HIM, D12 and Infected Mushroom, alongside Russian top artists.

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