Apex

During a conversation with friends, I heard about Apex. Not knowing anything about it, but quickly intrigued by the line-up, I didn't hesitate very long before booking my ticket. To enjoy the festival in the best possible conditions, I once again chose to go by bus.

Apex, in short, is Germany's growing indoor hardstyle festival. In 2024 it was the second edition of this festival, which took place inside the Mainmarkt Halle, in Mannheim, Germany. Here's some feedback.

The queue

So... I think we were on the whole too polite (or not smart enough, depending). The entrance to the Mainmarkt Halle is on the side of the road. This meant that queues quickly formed on the sidewalks on either side of the entrance, along the road.

I don't know whether this was due to an organizational problem, or whether we really came too late, or whether the body search was taking too long, but we had to wait almost 1 hour on the pavement before it was our turn to set foot on the festival grounds. I must admit that impatience quickly gave way to frustration as we watched the clock tick away, and missed out on the first set of the evening.

The lockers

Tip: reserve your locker online. You'll receive your allocated numbers and secret codes that very morning.

We've done it, and I can confirm that it's a real time-saver on site to come in, be able to drop off your stuff, and immediately go party. Lockers and catering are grouped together in a hall. It's a really practical set-up, as it means you can go back and forth to nibble or access the locker throughout the event, without any fuss.

By way of comparison, on the Qlimax side, the lockers are outside the stadium, and are no longer accessible until all festival-goers have entered the enclosure. This means that if you're planning to pick up merchandise, you'll have to wait before dropping it off. Fortunately, on this point, Apex manages very well and it's much simpler.

Tokens

Festival often rhymes with tokens. In 2024, tokens cost 4.5€. And as usual, tokens are sold in packs of 5.

In my opinion, don't get greedy by taking too many tokens at once. We came across a few desperate people who were trying to resell, not without difficulty, the tokens they had taken in excess during the evening.

Eco-tokens

A word about eco-tokens, which were also part of the event. As a reminder, the eco-token is a deposit that allows you to collect a container (plastic cup or can), and pay only for the contents. Otherwise, the container costs 0.5 token.

For example, the first beer costs 1 token + 1 eco-token. The next costs 1 token + your empty glass. And when you no longer wish to keep your glass or can, you return it, and the waiter gives you an eco-token in exchange.

Well, I don't think this system has been understood by the waiters. We all received 1 eco-token at the door. Except that after a few drinks I found myself carrying 3... The math wasn't right.

Catering

The choices were relatively limited and not necessarily qualitative for my taste.

We had to choose between a portion of fries for 1.5 tokens (6.75€), half a reheated frozen pizza or a modest-sized burger for 2 tokens (9€). For drinks, we had a choice between water, the flagship sodas and 3 types of beer and a few spirits. It cost 1 token (4.5€) for 30cl. It calms down quickly.

On a positive note, there were plenty of bars, and the service was very fast! I didn't have to wait once to be served, and that's really nice!

The volume

I had to mention it. But what a joy to have worn festival plugs. It really was!

I can't stress this enough to the people I'm lucky enough to accompany to festivals, but we only have two ears for life (surprise!). And let's just say that in Germany... their volume management is... let's just say... different from other countries.

During the evening, I had the misfortune of wanting to test the ambient volume by removing one of my earplugs, and believe me, I was quick to put it back in. My heart goes out to the people I met who weren't wearing them.

Overall

Well, I've come away conquered!

Leaving aside the logistical aspect, which is a little less remarkable than during a 4-day festival such as Defqon.1, it's all there. The line-up had a lot to do with it, of course, but I have to concede that for a festival of this size (which is like a baby to me), there were all the ingredients for the mayonnaise to take hold.

Lights, sound, atmosphere, crazy DJs, lasers, pyrotechnics, smoke, lots of screens, the show was there, and I clearly enjoyed myself! The big plus of this kind of party is its size. The capacity is relatively limited. Which means that even if you stay at the back of the room, it's easy to spot the DJs. **The intimacy is undeniable!

Will I go back to Apex? That's less certain.

The range of festivals is wide, and of those I've been to so far, this one didn't have the taste of reviens-y that I like to have, followed by the nostalgia that accompanies it. In any case, I'll be keeping an eye on the line-ups, that's for sure!