The new festival will feature a diverse line-up of internationally renowned acts including the Beastie Boys and Basement Jaxx.
"Zamárdi is pleased to host Balaton Sound," said mayor Gyula Csákovics. "We hope many young people will rediscover the 'Hungarian Sea' with the help of this festival."
Károly Gerendás, who heads Sziget, the company organising the festival, says demand is growing in Hungary for festivals with a "higher comfort level" and the beach at Zamárdi, with its fine view of the Tihany Peninsula, serves as an excellent venue for this purpose. Visitors to Balaton Sound can stay at a special camp site with several pubs, cocktail bars and restaurants equipped with accoutrements absent from Hungary's other summer music festivals.
Balaton Sound's organisers have also tried to make the event unique by filling two-thirds of the programme with international acts and inviting Hungarian performers who rarely appear on the summer festival circuit.
Other international acts Zamárdi will host, in addition to the Beastie Boys and Basement Jaxx, will be The Austrian trip-hop duo Kruder & Dorfmeister, whose Balaton Sound appearance will be one of just two in Hungary this year, reggae star Patrice, who effortlessly combines reggae, folk, soul and blues, Oi-Va-Voi, who mix Yiddish and Eastern European folk music with techno beats, Saian Supa Crew, the French hip-hop stars, and the UK electronica duo Client. Playing on a purpose build stage on the lake's shore will be France's Nouvelle Vague, the Austrian "acapella" hip-hop band Bauchklang, Madrid de los Austrias and José Padilla, who pioneered ambient chill-out music with his Café del Mar series of albums. New York house DJ Roger Sanchez and Pink Floyd remix master Eric Prydz will appear on the festival's Arena stage. Other DJs to spin at the venue will include Hernán Cattaneo, Ferry Corsten, Junkie XL and Darren Emerson. Hungarian acts performing at the festival will be Quimby, Emil Rulez!, Belga, Hiperkarma and Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra.
Advance day-tickets for Balaton Sound are available for HUF 6,000 and the four-day pass is HUF 14,900. At the gate, day-tickets will cost HUF 6,900 and four-day passes may be had for HUF 16,900. Combined passes for the VOLT Festival in Sopron and Balaton Sound are available for HUF 25,000.
