If there is one place where I could imagine myself spending eternity and never getting bored, that’ll be the front row on A38: I considered a Sziget festival front row, but that would probably be a hot, dusty, crowded, back-aching one. A38 on the other hand is as cool as it gets in all senses of the word: the breeze blows gently from the river, the lights of the city twinkle as the evening moves in, you can lounge in the nose bar or up on the deck before the show. For yes, A38 is boat- a former Ukrainian freight boat, Artemovsk 38, now docked near Petőfi bridge, its hull converted into a concert hall. There is another smaller stage on the top level, and a restaurant in between – which occasionally offers special concert menus that you can buy together with your ticket.
When the show is particularly wild you can feel the whole boat sway a little and imagine yourself travelling immersed in a sea of sound. The musical genres on offer are varied, but the size of the hall makes it impossible to host too commercially successful acts, which is a blessing that keeps A38 an oasis for lovers of indie artists. Their bookers are top class though, and occasionally organize concerts in larger venues when the name proves too big for the boat to handle, so always double check your ticket lest you have an unfortunate surprise – talking from experience here.
