LWE & Junction 2 present
2nd - 9th September 2020
Dhërmi, Albania
FIRST ACTS ANNOUNCED
ALTIN BOSHNJAKU • B.TRAITS • BEN UFO
DANIEL AVERY • DAX J • DJ MASDA
HELENA HAUFF • HESSLE AUDIO • JEFF MILLS
MARIBOU STATE • NICOLAS LUTZ • PANGAEA
PEARSON SOUND • TOMI GJ • VOIGTMANN
FIRST MUSIC PARTNERS ANNOUNCED
EAT YOUR OWN EARS • HALF BAKED
JUNCTION 2 • KRANKBROTHER
PICNIC • VBX
ALTIN BOSHNJAKU
B.TRAITS • BEN UFO
DANIEL AVERY • DAX J
DJ MASDA • HELENA HAUFF
HESSLE AUDIO • JEFF MILLS
MARIBOU STATE • NICOLAS LUTZ
PANGAEA • PEARSON SOUND
TOMI GJ • VOIGTMANN
FIRST MUSIC PARTNERS ANNOUNCED
EAT YOUR OWN EARS
HALF BAKED
JUNCTION 2
KRANKBROTHER
PICNIC
VBX
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ION is a different kind of music event, one where you’re invited to get outside the usual festival fences and have a real holiday experience.
For everyone who chooses to come with us on this extended summer party, ION will be a week filled with new encounters and 3,000 like-minded friends, all soundtracked by electronic music’s best artists.
The Main Stage is an open-air haven, a safe harbour set into a private cove. Here you can keep on dancing until the early morning when the warm sunrise spreads over the brilliant blue sea.
Hidden away from prying eyes, this huge indoor space of blasted concrete pillars and labyrinthine passageways is one of the most atmospheric buildings we’ve ever seen.
For lazy days and balmy nights, our beachside stage is a spacious outdoor area in which to enjoy the music of those selectors who know how to soundtrack summer memories.
An intimate, sandy paradise on the water’s edge. As the heat of the afternoon gives way to night-time hedonism, this stage transforms from a chilled-out sun trap to dance central.
Jutting out over the Ionian Sea from its position on top of a rocky outcrop, festival goers can dance into the wee hours and enjoy the coast’s epic panorama from this slick, modern terrace.
Located near to Gjipe beach, the stage is enclosed by a dramatic, imposing rock face and is only accessible by boat and is set to provide one of the most memorable parties of the week.
Up on a rocky hill, where it commands stunning views of the clear blue seas below, this hulking, abandoned castle was built in the early 19th century. Spectacular is an understatement.
This ex-military submarine base is an untapped techno behemoth set into the side of a mountain. All stone and rusting steel, this underground lair is now only used for navy training.
The Main Stage is an open-air haven, a safe harbour set into a private cove. Here you can keep on dancing until the early morning when the warm sunrise spreads over the brilliant blue sea.
Hidden away from prying eyes, this huge indoor space of blasted concrete pillars and labyrinthine passageways is one of the most atmospheric buildings we’ve ever seen.
For lazy days and balmy nights, our beachside stage is a spacious outdoor area in which to enjoy the music of those selectors who know how to soundtrack summer memories.
An intimate, sandy paradise on the water’s edge. As the heat of the afternoon gives way to night-time hedonism, this stage transforms from a chilled-out sun trap to dance central.
Jutting out over the Ionian Sea from its position on top of a rocky outcrop, festival goers can dance into the wee hours and enjoy the coast’s epic panorama from this slick, modern terrace.
Located near to Gjipe beach, the stage is enclosed by a dramatic, imposing rock face and is only accessible by boat and is set to provide one of the most memorable parties of the week.
Up on a rocky hill, where it commands stunning views of the clear blue seas below, this hulking, abandoned castle was built in the early 19th century. Spectacular is an understatement.
This ex-military submarine base is an untapped techno behemoth set into the side of a mountain. All stone and rusting steel, this underground lair is now only used for navy training.
ION benefits from having the majority of its accommodation in the village of Dhërmi and nearby Dhërmi town. This means attendees can get the most out of their experience without having to spend time travelling to venues or having problems getting home after a long night.
There will be a range of options for festival goers, with all rooms being in clean, modern hotels, many of which have stellar views of the gorgeous scenery, all at excellent prices. Best of all, no boiling hot tents or sleeping on the hard ground.
2 people from £252pp
3 people from £215pp
4 people from £196pp
2 people from £269pp
3 people from £237pp
4 people from £223pp
2 people from £585pp
3 people from £436pp
ION benefits from having the majority of its accommodation in the village of Dhërmi and nearby Dhërmi town. This means attendees can get the most out of their experience without having to spend time travelling to venues or having problems getting home after a long night.
There will be a range of options for festival goers, with all rooms being in clean, modern hotels, many of which have stellar views of the gorgeous scenery, all at excellent prices. Best of all, no boiling hot tents or sleeping on the hard ground.
All tickets to ION are sold with accommodation. This is to avoid overinflated rates during the festival week and to ensure sustainable prices for ION for this year and beyond.
We aim to provide the best festival experience and being able to manage the accommodation for our guests enables us to deliver a smoother event. We charge hotels and apartments the same commission as Airbnb, so this makes your price better too.
We will also be operating the following payment plan options for tickets. Please note there will be no additional costs to take advantage of these:
Festival ticket and accommodation
Festival ticket, accommodation and flights
In addition to its week-long run time, the immersive and secluded nature of ION means there’s also plenty of time and opportunity for everyone to experience a wide range of activities outside of music.
We deeply believe in the positive connection between music, nature and wellbeing. As a result, ION’s vibrant musical programme is accompanied by restorative activities to enhance your trip, inviting you to decompress and make the most of the unspoiled surroundings as you move between festival and holiday modes.
ION will cover dietary requirements with a wide range of locally-sourced food options that are fresh and reasonably priced. For those who haven’t visited Albania before, the food is often described as a tasty mix of Greek, Italian and Turkish flavours, so there’s plenty of dishes you’ll already know in addition to the rich, slow-cooked recipes that the country’s known for.
As it’s on the coast, the seafood in this region is also especially good. All the fruits and vegetables used in the local restaurants are fresh, and we think that attendees will love the choice, value and quality on offer. Don’t miss the opportunity to try burek, an indigenous pastry that can be either sweet or savoury and is loved throughout the Balkans.
No, all ION tickets are sold with accommodation. This is to avoid over-inflated rates during the festival week and to ensure sustainable prices for ION for this year and beyond. We aim to provide the best festival experience and being able to manage the accommodation for our guests enables us to deliver a smoother festival. We charge hotels and apartments the same commission as Airbnb so this only makes your price better.
Local tickets and packages will be available via our partner Rave Travel. You can email us on info@ionalbania.com to join the waiting list for local tickets and we will notify you when these go on sale.
ION takes place in Dhërmi, a coastal village on the Albanian Riviera located between the cities of Sarandë and Vlorë. It is the most beautiful spot on the entire coastline and a true hidden gem.
We recommend coming in via Corfu, which offers lower flight prices and an easier, more picturesque journey to Dhërmi. We organise boat transfers from Corfu port to Himarë or Sarandë for passport control, then the final leg of the trip is by bus. The bus, which is included in the price, will drop you off at a location near your accommodation in Dhërmi.
Alternatively, you can fly to Tirana but you would have to arrange your own transportation to ION. Taxis from Tirana cost around 70€-100€ per journey.
The best option is to take a taxi from the airport to Corfu Port (Kerkira). It takes about 15 min.
You can see the transfer timetable during the booking process.
No, transfer tickets can only be purchased during the booking process.
We will let you know when we need these and details, as well as how they need to be inputted.
You can come for the full week Wednesday-Wednesday, from Friday-Monday or anytime in between! We have three arrival days (Wednesday 2nd, Thursday 3rd, Friday 4th September) and three departure days (Monday 7th, Tuesday 8th, Wednesday 9th).
All accommodation options are shown during the booking process, based on how may are in your party.
Yes. Name changes incur an admin fee of £20 per name. Changes of flight times or dates should be dealt with directly with the airline. Please be aware that airlines may also charge their own fees. We allow name changes until a few weeks prior to the event. Accommodation and date changes are also possible, these also incur an admin charge of £20pp. please contact us in info@ionalbania.com with any questions.
Absolutely, we strongly recommend going out and exploring the country. To do this you will need to book a package without flights (ticket & accommodation only). This way you can book your own travel arrangements to Dhermi and explore where you would like. Please note that there is no car hire available in Dhermi, but you can get a taxi to Saranda after the festival to hire a car and explore further.
There are only 3000 tickets available this year.
Many hotels are within walking distance of ION, there will also be a regular shuttle bus running to and from the festival for any guests staying in Drymades or Dhërmi town. Tickets for the shuttle bus are available via the ticket page or manage booking.
Dhërmi is a small coastal village, there are medical services, bars, restaurants and several small shops. There is only one ATM in Dhermi and another in Drymades. You will need cash for restaurants and local shops but the festival area (bars, festival market) are contactless and you can use your RFID wristband to pay there.
Restaurants are cheap and a meal will cost between £5 - £15. It's hard to say if places will increase prices during ION as this happens at a lot of festivals in Croatia from experience but customers will still be able to get cheap meals. Supermarkets are limited but do sell alcohol. Drink prices will vary from bar to bar ranging from €4-€8 depending on the selected drink.
The festival program is designed to allow for days to party, relax and explore the incredible surroundings. Besides the music events, we also offer a roster of fun-filled activities and wellbeing content, from yoga and beach massages to kayaking, snorkelling, paragliding and day excursions to explore the natural wonders of the Albanian Riviera.
The festival takes place between Wednesday 2nd and the early hours of Wednesday 9th September. There will be smaller venues and stages open every day, although the main acts perform between Thursday and Monday.
Running times vary during the week. Some stages are open only during the day, while others will host sunset sets and some will run through the night till sunrise. The full schedule will be released closer to the event. A lot of thought has been put into programming each stage in careful balance to each other. There will be peaks and crescendos, as well as adequate time for decompression and restoration. To round out our time together, the week will come to an end with a unifying closing party.
Our Restoration program includes yoga, meditation, sound journeys and beach massages, inviting you to decompress, soothe aching limbs and reconnect with your surroundings as you move between festival and holiday modes.
No. Restoration sessions and treatments at a charge of €8 each, to discourage drop-outs. Places are limited, make sure to reserve your spot via this website once the Restoration timetable is announced. This year we are donating the proceeds of the Restoration program to national Albanian charity, Fundjave Ndryshe, who build houses, schools and hospitals for those living in poverty across Albania, as well as providing earthquake relief.
INFO@IONALBANIA.COM
