Brass Bands Tune up for Guca Festival

Serbia's "ethno-tourist" equivalent to the Exit pop festival,the Guca Brass Band Festival, gets going for the 54th time in the town of Guca on August 6.

With plenty of good food, cheap alcohol and round-the-clock parties on offer - featuring traditional brass bands from around the region and the world, as well as many popular Serbian folk singers - the festival has become one of Serbia’s biggest tourist attractions.

Organisers of the week-long brass band extravaganza expect about 450,000 visitors this year.

Revellers will have the chance to listen more than 1,000 musicians, including some of the country’s most talented brass bands, as well as bands from Macedonia, Italy, Moldova and Slovenia.

In addition to the music at the heart of the festival, guests will also have an opportunity to enjoy the work of local craftsmen and see art exhibitions.

Participants this year will include the Serbian folk stars Svetlana Raznatovic aka "Ceca" and Miroslav Ilic.

On the closing day of the festival, 17 bands will gather in a competition, including 24-year- old Danijela Veselinovic, who will become the first woman to compete.

“I am overjoyed because this year we will perform for the first time side by side with the most famous Serbian trumpet players,” Veselinovic told Serbia's Tanjug news agency.

In contrast to the high hotel prices charged at many big European festivals, prices for accommodation at Guca are modest, ranging from €5 per night in the camp to €30 in motels.

Police are monitoring the festival area, to ensure the safety of visitors. About 150 officers are to be deployed in Guca itself, while several dozen others are keeping an eye on the wider area.