Kazantip

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For the geographic headland, see Kazantyp.

Coordinates: 45°17′31″N 33°02′18″E / 45.29194, 33.03833

Image:Kazantip 2005 opening.jpg

Kazantip 2005 opening

KaZantip (also known simply as "Z") is an electronic dance music festival held every year on the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine. The entrance ticket is called a "viZa". It takes place for 4-6 weeks in the summer and more than 100,000 "paradiZers" visit each year. There is a cult of orange colored fashion and yellow suitcases associated with the festival.

The festival is named for the Kazantyp headland near which it was held from 1995-1999. Each year the festival is held at a beach resort on the Black Sea, or Azov Seas, but not always at the same location. It advertises itself as a "virtual republic" with over 300 DJs on more than 14 dance floors which play 21 hours per day.

The first festival was held in 1991 when Ukraine was still part of the former Soviet Union and has as similar long tradition as Loveparade, Burning Man and Streetparade.^{[citation needed]}

The president, creator, and initiator of Kazantip (Republic Z), is Nikita I (actual name, Nikita Marshunok). In the beginning the festival was very low-key and was nothing more than a bunch of windsurfers partying after a hard day's wave riding. But later Nikita decided to include trance and techno music party to celebrate the end of the season. This gave birth to the festival as it is today. There is also a special celebration called "Mayovka" or "Happiness Parade" which is held as a rule from 30 to 31 of May. This is the Z-national holiday dedicated to spring, friendship and happiness. During these days Z-people dance, take part in a Happiness Parade, show their happiness to each other and prepare for the big summer events. Mayovka could be called the dress rehearsal before the summer festival.

The festival is often misspelled and may also be known as Kasantip, Kazantyp or Kazantyp.