Festival and Travel Planner 2025

Chris_Yannick said:
You’re not just going to dance. There’s also the added value of traveling and gaining valuable experiences. Unless you’re wearing blinders all weekend and never appreciate a single thing outside of the dancing place, it’s not such a fair comparison to make.
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I'm afraid the real addicts don't do anything else than dancing. If you do both afternoon and night parties then the rest is sleep and eat. They see only airports and dancefloors. 30 minutes for the Eiffel Tower I don't count as Paris traveling experience.

Chris_Yannick said:
P.S. 370Euros all in for L2M is very cheap for single occupancy. Not sure how you were able to swing it. My estimate was between 400-500euros had I gone.
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Low cost carriers charge often only 30 euros per flight - and hand luggage only works for dancing.
Food I didn't count as an extra because I eat decent and at home I go having lunch outside as well sometimes.
 
Offbeat said:
WhatsApp group is replacing FB groups?
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Seems to be becoming more common but a backward step in my opinion. As new people join the group they can't see any earlier messages and so the same questions get asked repeatedly. At least with FB groups you could just scroll back or have all the replies under your own post rather than interspersed with a dozen other messages.
 
RandomBeat said:
Seems to be becoming more common but a backward step in my opinion. As new people join the group they can't see any earlier messages and so the same questions get asked repeatedly.
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Yes that’s the problem with WhatsApp. Something like discord solves that.

I prefer WhatsApp. It is a close group.


RandomBeat said:
At least with FB groups you could just scroll back or have all the replies under your own post rather than interspersed with a dozen other messages.
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Never been on FB. Don’t wish to be.
 
Anyone got event recommendations for the second half of 2025 (August - November)? Looking to add 1-2 more events.

Currently plan on attending Back2Mambo, SFSBK, and Porto weekend.

On my radar:

- Paris marathon/shine mambo/salsaficado: haven’t found any reviews from last year’s events.
- CoBeatLive: hotel seems far from BCN? Kinda worried about a Monday morning return flight.
- BPM: review didn’t seem overly positive.
- Mambo City Sardinia: anyone attend?
 
Mambosero said:
Anyone got event recommendations for the second half of 2025 (August - November)? Looking to add 1-2 more events.

Currently plan on attending Back2Mambo, SFSBK, and Porto weekend.

On my radar:

- Paris marathon/shine mambo/salsaficado: haven’t found any reviews from last year’s events.
- CoBeatLive: hotel seems far from BCN? Kinda worried about a Monday morning return flight.
- BPM: review didn’t seem overly positive.
- Mambo City Sardinia: anyone attend?
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Transilvania and El Sol?
 
Mambosero said:
Anyone got event recommendations for the second half of 2025 (August - November)? Looking to add 1-2 more events.

Currently plan on attending Back2Mambo, SFSBK, and Porto weekend.

On my radar:

- Paris marathon/shine mambo/salsaficado: haven’t found any reviews from last year’s events.
- CoBeatLive: hotel seems far from BCN? Kinda worried about a Monday morning return flight.
- BPM: review didn’t seem overly positive.
- Mambo City Sardinia: anyone attend?
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You're not telling what you like and what you are looking for. These events are very different.

Welcome to the salsa forums! How much do you dance? What kind of music you like?
 
Smejmoon said:
You're not telling what you like and what you are looking for. These events are very different.
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I have only attended one European event and that was L2M a couple weeks ago. I was there for both weekends and enjoyed the first weekend significantly more than the second one. Big fan of day socials but overall open to trying most recommended events at least once.

Smejmoon said:
Welcome to the salsa forums! How much do you dance? What kind of music you like?
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Thanks! I dance about 3-4 times a week. I like mambo the most but I do also listen to dura and a little bit of romantica here and there. Not a fan of timba.
 
Only event with a lot of mambo I've been to was paradoxically Bachaturo in Warsaw, long time ago. In 2025 you can safely expect there will be very little mambo played. Better don't expect and get surprised.

Harder music in Europe is probably in Romania. They have many nice events, check your logistics, because not all of them are easily accessible.
 
Mambosero said:
- CoBeatLive: hotel seems far from BCN? Kinda worried about a Monday morning return flight.
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It is 60 km northeast of Barcelona, takes about two hours to get to the airport.
Mambosero said:
I have only attended one European event and that was L2M a couple weeks ago. I was there for both weekends and enjoyed the first weekend significantly more than the second one.
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Interesting: what were your downsides for the second weekend? I've been only at the first.
 
AguaDulce said:
Boston Salsa Fest 2025

Berlin Salsacongress 2025

Perfectly Mambo

Denver Salsa Congress CALDAC

NYISC

On2 Salsa Congress Italy

​

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Thanks! I attended CALDAC last year and the average level was pretty low. I saw this year they are bringing in higher profile artists so maybe that will draw a different crowd?

Any thoughts on Berlin and perfectly mambo?
 
Mambosero said:
Thanks! I attended CALDAC last year and the average level was pretty low. I saw this year they are bringing in higher profile artists so maybe that will draw a different crowd?

Any thoughts on Berlin and perfectly mambo?
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Perfectly Mambo is a small but friendly crowd. Good level of dancing, but you will be repeating since it's a small crowd. A lot of French speaking people in that part of the country so you get some people from France as well as other parts of Europe.

Berlin is big. Good daytime dancing. Lot's of follows. Nice city. Not crazy about the organizers, but there is usually a good crowd there.

Never been to Denver, but I hear more people talking about it.
 
MamboJazz said:
It is 60 km northeast of Barcelona, takes about two hours to get to the airport.
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The organizer gave me a couple of options but if I have an early morning flight the only option is a taxi. Don’t really want to spend $150 on a taxi.
MamboJazz said:
Interesting: what were your downsides for the second weekend? I've been only at the first.
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Here’s my breakdown.

Coffee/tea: second weekend they had the machines on only for very short periods and it felt very random. First weekend the machine was on the vast majority of the time. They did have 4 machines the second weekend but not very helpful when I can’t use them.

Water: second weekend had one tap to pour yourself which created a long line. first weekend we had 50+ bottles on the table with easy access.

Food: first weekend had sandwiches and pretty good variety with constant restocking. Second weekend the variety was minimal, no sandwiches, and I think the restocking was just a whole new variety of food but only once a night.

Venue: first weekend was nicer and more intimate. Second weekend felt a bit like a concert hall and the stage was packed with people because it was 10x the size of the first weekend. Made it hard to find anyone.

Level: felt like there was a drop in average level the second weekend. I still had amazing dances but felt way more hesitant to ask people and was definitely more selective. I think anyone who did both weekends was pretty fatigued and it was evident (myself included). I think people opted for Amsterdam congress and NYSBKZ instead. We even had artists leave in the middle to attend Amsterdam.

General second weekend items: day socials were an hour shorter, they had a performance in the middle of the preparty, less walkable area, music felt a bit repeated from the first weekend and a couple of sets were rough, and less spaces to sit off the dance floor when taking a break.
 
Mambosero said:
Level: felt like there was a drop in average level the second weekend. I still had amazing dances but felt way more hesitant to ask people and was definitely more selective. I think anyone who did both weekends was pretty fatigued and it was evident (myself included).
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I think they already announced the 1st weekend will be at the Novotel next year, essentially switching the venues.
 
Mambosero said:
Thanks! I attended CALDAC last year and the average level was pretty low. I saw this year they are bringing in higher profile artists so maybe that will draw a different crowd?

Any thoughts on Berlin and perfectly mambo?
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I don't really like Berlin, but maybe as a lead you will enjoy it more than I do. For me, it has none of the "mambo feeling", it's huge, the location is void of any atmosphere, lots of elevator music. Longer lines at the bar, staff not particularly friendly, so water situation could be improved on ;-)
 
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