When I’m thinking about my hobbies or what I genuinely like in life, one of the things that always comes up is music. Unfortunately, I was not gifted with the ability to play an instrument or a beautiful singing voice, however, a funny thing about music is that you don’t need to have a talent to listen and enjoy its beauty. And that’s exactly what I am doing, listening to my favorite artists from headphones while walking outside, cooking, showering, etc., but it’s so much better when you hear these songs performed live, in front of your eyes and ears. So, this is the exact reason why I started to explore the music scene in Bratislava and I want to share some recommendations with my fellow volunteers. 

If you’re like me and your music taste mostly consists of alternative and underground genres, one of the first places to check out should be Pink Whale. You can find a pretty diverse line up here, from punk to hardcore metal. However, the thing I like the most about Pink Whale is the venue itself, don’t expect an actual whale, but do expect a boat on the Danube river! 

Sticking with the underground theme, if you want to experience authentic punk or post-punk vibes definitely a place to check out is under the Pristavny Most, ‘Koncerty na garážach’, which translates to Concerts in Garages and that’s exactly what you’re getting. 

After boats and garages, why not attend a concert in a tram?! Yes, in a tram. I would suggest following T3 - Kulturny Postriedok on Instagram, as they’re the ones responsible for these tram concerts and not only. 

For more traditional venues, i would keep an eye out for Randal Club and Majestic Music Club, as they usually host both local and international artists. 

If you’re considering traveling outside of Bratislava, Slovakia has pretty cool festivals to offer. The most popular one, of course, would be the Pohoda Festival, in Trenčín. It’s an open-air festival and features pretty much all the genres, with a lot of international acts. However, the festival I’m looking forward to more is Hradby Samoty, this festival focuses more on experimental audiovisual arts, ambient, folk, and industrial music, which will definitely be an experience for me. 

I hope this blog sparks inspiration or motivation for you to check out these places and enjoy the sounds of music. 

Text a fotka: Ani Datashvili

Ani je dobrovoľníčkou programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v organizácii Mládež ulice pod koordináciou Bratislavského dobrovoľníckeho centra. Projekt bol podporený z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.