The Wine Fight (San Vino)

Every year rather large amount of people head up the mountain in the Rioja region to throw a lot of wine at each other. If you like wine this is a rather good idea.

San Vino, as we call it, La Batalla del Vino de Haro, as the locals call it, is a full on war path in the middle of the vineyard and we own it. All’s fair in love and wine battles. We take a bus from Barcelona or San Sebastián to the small town of Haro, we party in our campsite and have dinner together to plan strategies for the battle.

We then pay last regards and walk into a town with your classic Spanish street festival. If you’ve never been to a Spanish street festival, holy vineyard… this is the one. Bands everywhere, open drinking in the streets and in the morning we all go throw wine on each other. In the vineyard, as the sun rises.

Farmers versus public servants, women versus serfs, tourists versus that tree that was lookin’ at you funny. It’s a no-holds-barred rootin’ tootin’ red wine drinkin’ beautyfest.

At the filthy end you can choose to swim down the creek back home, drop in on a farmers truck to come back, swim in the pool at our campsite, all the while discarding wine at your feet like some hoboriffic wino Hansel and Gretel. We spend another night in the idyllic, mountainous town partying up a storm and running riot, and then we all dust off, drink a bit more and head back to Barcelona or San Sebastian. Because that’s just how it’s going to happen.

“San Vino is a vicious and outrageous war and you would naïve if you thought you could avoid ruining every item of clothing you’re wearing, dying your entire body purple for a few days or if you thought it was possible to find some sort of escape from the madness amongst the vines.”
“My childhood was filled with Xtreme moments. From the minute I busted forth from fruitful and dampened loins, to the minute I leapt from the top of the swing, landed on the playground and made that uppercut movement and was like, “yeah”, I have always been in search of a new place I can shower myself in new juices. So when I visited San Vino last year it was like I’d come full circle, and was also the fourth time I’ve been able to do that. The second and third time being when I spilt Fanta on myself and bent over to lick it up.”

• When: 28th June
• Good to combine with: San Sebastian surf camp and Barcelona ConneXion

San Sebastian Surf Camp

Some of the best Surf breaks in Spain. Good time surfing, meeting new people and having a laugh (the Unlimited beer and sangria helps!)

San Sebastian, the Basque Country and we bask really hard here! For those of who know it (and I mean really know it that way we know it) you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who don’t, let us show you and we promise you’ll probably never want to leave.

Your itinerary for the day looks like this: wake up, eat, surf, drink beer, nap, drink beer, tan, have a beer, socialize, swim, eat, drink sangria, party at a club and then wake up by the beach surrounded by the clearest waters, the most beautiful and chilled out people you’ll ever meet and the Pyrenees mountains. And then probably grab another beer.

At our surf-camp you’re fully accommodated for: tents are erected, beers are chilled, food is served and parties are organized. Even if you don’t surf or swim, you’re guaranteed a great time tanning, drinking and mingling with our fully diverse and international staff. Learn a few new international phrases, a few more drinking games and make some memories that you’ll probably never remember with friends that you won’t forget.

The basic package includes camping accommodation in a twin share and hearty breakfast in the morning. Add-ons: meals, surfboard hire and surf lessons.

For 5€ a day get unlimited beer, wine and sangria all day long!

Check out our full package: All-inclusive for only 60€ a day. Have it all with three meals a day, surf hire and surf lessons.
Your life will never be the same again. This is what heaven is like. Our little slice of paradise, and we’re sharing our cake with you.

• Where: Fly into San Sebastian or Bilbao
• When: All year round
• Good to combine with: San Sebastian surf camp and Barcelona ConneXion

Includes

• 4 day full Benicassim festival pass
• Private return transport from Barcelona (the cheapest airport in Europe!)
• Camping accommodation at the festival, and 5 minutes from the beach
• Breakfasts every morning
• Unlimited beer and sangria in our own festival within the actual festival
• Experienced (eg. previously partied) guides

Benicassim is one of those festivals we love just because it really doesn’t matter who plays. The Bingy bongys? The sha la lalaylas? The wingy dingy who-nows? Whatever. The town becomes a beautiful festival in itself.
Don’t get us wrong, it’s an awesome lineup every year, and it’s organised so well that you can’t go to the loo without someone helping you out to where you need to go and how you need to do it. It’s in the middle of a desert, for 4 days, next to a beach, in a sleepy town with fountains and public libraries and municipal facilities that let you do whatever you want for those four precious, special little days. It started as the little festival that could, and became the big festival that did.
It’s everything you want, and not much more. But why would you need more? It’s everything you want. So stop asking.
When we go, we rock the shit out of it.
Everyone moves to our set and learns to our grooves, and once again we get reminded why our friends and us get proclaimed the monarchy of dance, every single night.
Self-proclaimed. But still. Jealousy it seems, takes many forms.
One of the best festivals is always the one where you needn’t worry for showering, taking naps, snaps and chicken wraps because you can do all that at the beach tomorrow, and then head on back to the festival that night.
Year after year this tiny Spanish town takes us in with our blowup Lilo mattresses in the town fountains, in the beaches, on the hills, on top of crowds, the limit is with your imagination, my new friends.
The festival has a stellar lineup every time and an excellent Spanish reputation for making you sweat out your sleep from about 5 am til 9am, and then it’s straight down the beach til the music starts again at 4pm. I’m telling you, Benicassim is raw and it’s great and for €350 all included? You’d be stupid not to.

More on the Sonar Festival:
The Sonar Festival is an amazing experience to be enjoyed in Barcelona, Spain. There’s nothing like it and its authenticity and creative spark drive the increasing popularity from year to year. It was founded in 1994 as a festival for advanced music and multimedia art and was modestly attended with media coverage from the first event. The hype after the shows closed continued across the next two years as it expanded and sent some notable performers into the global music scene. In fact, the Sonar Festival is part of the reason that electronic music has continued to evolve and gain traction over the last 20 years.
The festival takes place in the city center of Barcelona every June when it is flooded with approximately 80,000 visitors. The electronic music rumbles through the streets from gigantic venues and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement across crowds of hip, exciting music fans. Famous performers rub elbows with festival attendees and Barcelona happily opens their doors to everyone.

However, the festival is more than just an opportunity to bring great, new music to adoring fans. The Sonar Festival, since its emergence two decades ago, is dedicated to living up to its name as a festival for advanced music and multimedia art. Offering conferences, film screenings, demos, online content, and exhibitions are just some of the ways that they meet these goals of supporting the artistic communities. One of the extra special features of the festival is its intentional design as an open laboratory, rather than a traditional fair format. Technology enthusiasts can experience hands-on workshops and demos with professionals in the industry. It really is more than just a cut-and-dry music festival, it’s an experience that lives up to the hype as one of the biggest events on the European calendar.