FAR-FLUNG FUN

“IMAGINE if IN THE BEACH, LEO HAD BEEN MORE ABOUT THROWING A DISCO at THE FOOT of A GORGE and YOU’LL GET THE IDEA”

The world’s most remote music festivals are also some of the best.

EVERYONE’S GOING TO FESTIVALS nowadays, which makes it difficult to have a truly “festival” festival experience. By which we mean properly let go, with cutting-edge music, an electric atmosphere and without danger of being in the background of an influencer’s perfectly manicured Insta post. So perhaps it’s time to head off the beaten track...

THE BEACH RAVE KALA FESTIVAL, DHËRMI, ALBANIA

After its debut last year, Kala has put this Balkan country on the festival map. Across the Ionian Sea from Greece’s Corfu, and with an unexplored strip of idyllic beaches, Albania has the potential to “do a Croatia” in terms of festival tourism. Only right now, not many people know that, which means Kala doesn’t have that tourists-on-a-bender feel. There are benders going on, for sure, but far more laid-back ones.

For a week in June, the festival takes over the usually serene seaside village of Dhërmi Beach, occupying the local hotels (you can book everything as part of ticket/ accommodation packages) and scattering five stages along the coastline. There is no pressure to be raving nonstop from midday; the pace is as chilled as you want it to be. Fancy spending the day sprawled by the sea in the sun? Or floating on a kayak? Or getting blissed out at a yoga class? Do it: Kala has five beaches equipped with loungers, bars, watersports, free wellness classes and — best of all — DJS providing uplifting funk, house and disco soundtracks. With just 2,000 festival-goers spread along the whole stretch of coast, the vibe is never crowded or hurried. It’s just cool – or as cool as you can be at 30°C.

As the temperature dips and night falls, things start to get really interesting. At the north end of the festival, Empire is where the headline action is. And it’s unlike any other festival main stage you’ll have seen – a feather-festooned shack of a DJ booth faces out on to the beach, set intimately close to the crowd. Effort clearly goes into the decor, too: the raised beach bar is garlanded with extravagant flowers and lights. Sit there enjoying fresh pizza and a beer for holiday vibes, or get down to the beach dance floor for festival fun. The music policy here is Balearic beats meets London underground, with the 2019 line-up including Theo Parrish, Honey Dijon and Hunee.

But the most memorable stage of them all? Gjipe: a hidden cove that nature seemingly intended to host parties. Imagine if in The Beach, Leo had been more about throwing a disco at the foot of a gorge, and you’ll get the idea. Accessible only by boat (about $14), Gjipe has sunloungers and parasols for those after-beach-day vibes, plus a bar and tiny shack-style restaurant serving whole grilled fish caught straight from the sea (about $30, but with enough to share). Follow a short path into the trees and you’ll find another stage backed by red cliffs.

Currently, travel is lengthy — you can’t fly into Albania, which necessitates a flight to Corfu, then a boat to Albania and a twohour coach trip — but that’s set to change in 2020 when a new airport opens. Despite its under-the-radar status, Kala’s prices can be expensive. And don’t forget that while the festival is cashless, the Albanian lek is a closed currency, so only take out what you mean to spend during your stay, as there’s no changing it back once you leave the country. But, hell, it’s so worth it. June 10-17, 2020; kala.al