Metropolis was an excellent free festival held in Rotterdam. It was easy to get to, free to enter and surprisingly well priced when inside. The bands this year were varied and excellent however a special shout out to three bands; Halfway Station, Too Many Zooz, and Glass Animals. The food trucks were varied. Standard fare such as burgers and kroketten, along side others like stone fired pizza, pulled pork, Chinese and split coconuts. Beer was cheap and decent also. The one negative point was that when it began to rain incredibly heavily we were asked to leave the band tents. This made precisely 0 sense and really only served to get us all soaking wet and make some little kids cry. I understand that maybe this was the plan, but sometimes sense has to prevail. read more

Listen up you lovely tourist, exchange students, couch surfers, backpackers, expats and other newcomers! There's one festival you shouldn't miss during the summer. The locals already know, but the rest who doesn't.......Metropolis is a great way to start your summer. The festival's slogan is 'The best you've never heard' and it's so true. You can discover real gems out here. Did you know that The Kooks, Wu Tang Clan, the Strokes and the Prodigy played here before they got famous? The objective of the organizers is to find new talent and give them a stage to showcase them selves. An act that will surley rise above it all and will make it is twenty one pilots. This two man rollercoaster ride of a show got everyone jumping and buzzing. They got the stage and the crowd pumping with energy and excitement. You would have thought 10 people were up the stage. Nope, just the two guys with the energy of ten. Great voice by the singer, strong bravado by the drummer. Together they did the neatest tricks like backflips, showjumps, drumming on high and narrow spots and simultaneously playing different instruments at the same time. Yes people these were proper entertainers, not just some average singer and drummer, but kick ass multi talents. Being hot gorgeous guys with a ruff edge sure does help too. No boyband pretty boys but electrifying rock and rollers. Guys and galls loved them. An instand hit! Pop, rock, hiphop and their own special something. Names that popped in my head with their music where Eminem, Rage Against The Machine and Faith No More but than updated and with their own flavour. There was enough to see and hear spread out over three stages. Each stage had a theme: 'workers', 'thinkers' and 'the garden'. Each with their own line up. Every year it's the same set up, two big tents with a stage and a 'normal' stage. In between you can 'shop' around for different styles, artists and performances. I put the word shop in brackets because this festival is totally free. Every first Sunday of July this festival is held in the Zuiderpark, one of the biggest parks of Rotterdam. If you know how to find Ahoy, then you'll immediately find the Metropolis festival. Before you get some food and drinks you have to buy coins at the tellers first. The stands don't do cash because of safety. And you're not allowed to bring your own food and drinks,only a half liter bottle of water. Another tip from this years edition: the Jezebels. The girl made me think of Nena because of her appearance but the music reminded me more of the Cranberries. But the Jezebels have their own songs and sound and they're good. Eliphant was a right riot. Not normally my thing, but for a festival they're great! read more