The 12th edition of Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music, fueled by OSCAR Downstream, takes place between September 5–7 and brings to the stage artists who, through reinvented traditions, sonic fusion, and storytelling, celebrate a kind of joy that doesn’t ignore reality, but confronts it with beauty, energy, and solidarity.

Artists of the 12th edition

Omar Souleyman (Syria)
The legendary artist began performing in 1994, initially at weddings, where over 500 albums were recorded and distributed to the newlyweds, later sold in local kiosks. His music is an irresistible hybrid of traditional dabke and electronic beats, with appearances at Glastonbury, Roskilde, Bonnaroo, and the Nobel Peace Prize Awards. He has collaborated with Björk and Four Tet. With his dark sunglasses and hypnotic rhythms, he brings an unforgettable oriental rave to the stage.

Lupii lui Calancea (Republic of Moldova)
Founded by Alex Calancea, the band electrifies Moldovan folklore with rock, funk, traditional shouts, and theatrical energy. They’ve collaborated with the Osoianu Sisters, held major shows at Sala Palatului and in Chișinău, and recently released Lelea, an album that reinterprets rural roots through a modern artistic revolt.

Mahala Rai Banda & Jony Iliev (Romania – Bulgaria)
A long-awaited comeback: Mahala Rai Banda, famous for the hit “Mahalageasca,” reunites with the emblematic voice of Jony Iliev after their success in the supergroup Gypsy Queens and Kings. Romanian brass, Balkan vocal elegance, and Romani groove come together for a concert full of emotion and explosive energy.

Ivo Papasov & His Wedding Band (Bulgaria)
Legendary clarinetist Ivo Papasov reinvented wedding music by fusing jazz, Roma traditions, and Balkan complexity. With his Wedding Band, Papasov delivers frenzied shows with dizzying rhythms and solos that melt the boundaries between folklore and avant-garde.

Kottarashky & The Rain Dogs (Bulgaria)
A sonic lab blending field recordings from Bulgarian villages with blues and highly cinematic electronic music. Kottarashky is the architect of an unexpected sound world where tradition becomes raw material for innovation. Alongside The Rain Dogs, he crafts a Balkan film noir atmosphere.

MiASiN (Armenia–France)
MiASiN (meaning “together” in Armenian) is a collective project from the Armenian diaspora that fuses jazz, rock, and traditional instruments (duduk, zurna) with deep themes of identity. Their music is a form of poetic resistance, a sonic space where ritual blends with memory.

Kanizsa Csillagai (Hungary)
The "Stars of Kanizsa" bring to the stage the raw power of Roma tradition, passed down through generations. Their music isn’t “reinterpreted” — it’s lived. A surge of emotion and truth.

Balkan Taksim (Romania)
Trip-hop with Balkan textures, heavy beats, and oriental incantations. Balkan Taksim is a duo making future music out of old vinyl fragments and forgotten ballads. Disko Telegraf established them on the European scene as a hypnotic, distinctive voice of the new Eastern sound. At Balkanik Festival, they’ll perform alongside musicians from northern Romania and mythological figures.

Karpov not Kasparov (Romania)
Two pioneers of ironic, refined Eastern European synth-pop, Karpov not Kasparov bring a retro-futurist sound inspired by the '80s, packaged into a danceable show with sonic chess moves and kitsch aesthetics turned into artistic statement.

500 early bird passes for Balkanik Festival are now available at the price of 150 RON via Livetickets, Iabilet, and Eventim.
Once sold out, the next 500 passes will be available at 200 RON, and after that, general admission will be 250 RON. Children up to 9 years old have free access when accompanied by an adult.

In addition to live concerts, this year’s festival will feature a craft fair, artisan demonstrations, debates, jam sessions, video mapping on the old water tower, workshops for both children and adults, international cuisine, and everything else that makes Balkanik Festival a one-of-a-kind event in Eastern Europe.

This year’s debate theme:
"Joy as a form of cultural and communal resistance," with guests from the fields of arts, philosophy, anthropology, and activism.

 Written by News.ro | 20 iunie 2025, 10:41