Museyon’s Guide to…Benicàssim

From July 15th – 18th, the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim will be taking over the small, seaside resort town of Benicàssim near Valencia in Spain. Having first come to Benicàssim in 1995 with a few thousand people, the festival has since grown to host over 50,000 people per day and spread its grounds throughout the town. What makes Benicàssim distinct is its focus on offering the event as a holiday destination in the same vein as a cruise, with beach and relaxation time during the day and the music starting at 5pm and going until 8am.

This year, there will be 100 musical acts in addition to added culture elements such as the FIB Internacional Short Film Festival, FIB Art, FIB-Act, the Date with Dance, as well as an offering of summer courses, FIBCursos, in collaboration with Universitat Jaume I.
 

Camping:
One of the really special things about Benicàssim is that those with 2-4 day passes can stay in campsites for free. And not just for the days of the festival either, campers can stay for up to 9 days starting July 12th and extending through July 20th.
 
For 2010, FIB will be splitting the camp into three different locations: CampFIB, BeniCamp and VillaCamp. The first two are free but the last is a VIP camp for an extra 65Euro charge. The added benefit of the VIP pass is that the site includes individual showers and toilets as well as a parking, food, beverage, medical and security.
 
Items to bring: All festival campsites are a little different while remaining innately similar…

• Toilet paper, absolutely essential since often time the toilets are not refreshed.
• Sunscreen, coastal Spain in the summer, need we say more?
• Flip-flops AND sneakers, one essential for the beach, the other for the miles you will be walking to and from the festival grounds and campsite.
• Camp mat, the ground at Benicàssim can be unforgiving and this is a necessity.
• Tent, if you plan on camping for the entire 9 days, make sure your tent is larger enough to comfortably sleep you and your entire crew.
• Shampoo/Soap, 9 days out in the sun and swimming in the ocean will mean multiple showers throughout the day.
• Money, there are a few cash machines in Benicàssim but the lines for them can get grueling. Make sure you come prepared with money of your own.
• Water, empty containers to fill-up in the festival grounds are allowed but make sure they are not filled.
• Photography, unless you are attending the festival as press, you will not be allowed to bring any professional equipment.

 

Benicassim Sites:
If you plan on attending Benicàssim for the entire 9 days, you may find yourself with some down time. Remember, you are in Spain and history abounds even in a resort town. Check out the medieval Castillo de Montornés built by the Arabs in the 10th century on the site of an earlier Roman fortress, the 15th century San Vicente Tower and the 18th century Neoclassical parish church.
 
If looking for some fun that doesn’t involve too much thought, the Aquarama water park is a popular destination for festival goers.
 
Access: Airport transportation is available through the festival from the cities of Valencia, Reus, Barcelona, Alicante, Gerona and Madrid. In addition, transportation within the town is available all the days of the festival to the various sites. People interested in using any of these services must contact: bus.fiberfib.com