Untold’s economic impact: Music festival brings EUR 35 mln to Cluj-Napoca

Untold, one of the biggest music festivals in Romania, had a strong economic impact on the city of Cluj-Napoca, which hosts it every year. According to the organizers, this year’s edition brought more than EUR 35 million to the Transylvanian city.

A public of more than 265,000 attended Untold 2021, and most of them came from outside Cluj-Napoca. According to the organizers’ calculations, quoted by Hotnews.ro, each of the 200,000 people from outside Cluj spent at least EUR 175 on average on accommodation, transport, restaurants, terraces, shopping, visits to museums, and so on.

“At a simple calculation, this means a capital infusion in the Cluj community of over EUR 35 million. This money will later be found in local taxes and fees, but also in revenues for local businesses or for people who have benefited from the large number of tourists present, renting their apartments or houses,” the organizers said.

“Some of the over 265,000 participants at this year’s four-day event can still be seen on the streets of Cluj-Napoca. The organizers estimate that, of the total number of participants, 25% are from Cluj county, 15% from abroad, with the remaining 60% coming from all over Romania. This year too saw participants from over 100 countries such as Germany, France, Great Britain, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Israel, and the US, as well as exotic countries such as Argentina, Japan or Brazil,” they added.

Besides the money spent by the participants, the organizers are also making RON 1.3 million investments in the spaces used during the festival. In Central Park, for example, these works consist of changing parts of the lawn, overseeding, reconditioning the alleys, bridges and benches, and landscaping.

The sixth edition of Untold, which took place between September 9-12, brought over 200 artists to Cluj-Napoca.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Manases Sandor)