Georgia ready for first electronic music festival
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Monday, August 8
The first electronic music festival, GEM Fest, will be held on August 9-14 in Anaklia on the Black Sea coast, within the Check in Georgia project, wherein famous foreign musicians hold concerts in Georgia.
The event will be attended by approximately 40,000 guests.
According to the Government administration, the project is almost completely funded by the Cartu Foundation, established by Georgia’s ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, with about 20 million GEL.
Preparatory work for the festival was attended by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
The PM hoped the GEM Fest would contribute to the image of the country internationally, increased investment, infrastructural and economic development, as well as employment and income growth.
"Serious work has been done, and we are waiting for 40, 000 guests. The infrastructure is ready. This place will gradually develop and attract more and more visitors. I think that this festival will become an important engine for regional development,” stated Kvirikashvili.
The PM recommended that everyone go and attend the event.
“Only top quality equipment is installed there. I want to thank Giorgi Sigua, the organizer, and his team, who worked here 24 hours, for several months, as well as foreign volunteers who came to help. Lots of people are working on preparations for the festival,” stated Kvirikashvili.
According to the PM, the festival is important for the local population.
“The Samegrelo region's hotels are fully booked, and the local people will have more income then usual thanks to this festival,” stressed Kvirkashvili.
According to him, because of GEM Fest, several hotels in Anaklia and Ganmukhuri upgraded their equipment and one more hotel was built this year.
The PM stressed it was symbolic that a famous DJ from the occupied Abkhazia region would play at the event.
