10 of the most awe-inspiring natural venues in the world

At Unsound Festival in 2015, only the boldest of attendees decided to explore the salt mines of Wieliczka, 125 meters below ground. Only one elevator was operational, which meant it was inconvenient to even enter the venue, but those who decided to explore were greatly rewarded. With a lineup that was mostly kept secret, the festival offered many surprises and rumours circulated amongst festival goers. Many were convinced that Burial would play his first ever live set within the ballroom of the salt mines, but this rumour was proven to be false when Kode9 appeared instead, shattering any remaining Burial dreams. But still, fans received quite a treat when DJ Richard performed an ambient set and King Midas Sound played with Christian Fennesz. It is said that the high ceilings of the ballroom inside the mine provide some of the best acoustics in Europe and the venue holds events there on New Year’s Eve each year.

For the past two years, Nina Kraviz has taken her loyal followers on a journey to the outskirts of Reykjaví­k, Iceland for an intimate rave inside a cave. In complete DIY fashion, the Трип crew uses generators to keep the party going and the after movie was shot on a VHS camera. As Mixmag’s own Seb Wheeler describes it: “These parties go back to the roots of rave, bussing dancers to a remote location so they can have it from dusk 'til dawn to the heaviest underground music.”

The Трип crew also perfectly explain the ethos behind the event: “Each raver feels special and has a reason to go with us - after all, not everyone would sit on a bus for 3 hours and trust us to take them somewhere special. People are coming for the music and experience - the best reasons we think. The little details are important to us - keeping the ticket prices low and therefore inclusive, no line-ups, surprising our guests with free food and drinks, using locations that no one else has before us. Knowing that we have it all in hand, allows people to fully immerse in the experience and enjoy the music, without a care in the world, and this produces an electric unfathomable energy.”

With the cave raves resulting in great success, you can be sure Nina Kraviz will continue the tradition. Look out for more news, which is hopefully coming soon.