Between September 5 and 7, 2025, Bucharest will become a vibrant stage for music, dance, and art at the Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music, backed by OSCAR Downstream. Under the motto "Joy is an act of resistance," the festival will bring Gradina and Strada Uranus back to life, celebrating shared joy, community, and reinvented traditions.
For three days, Gradina Uranus, open to the public only once a year, and Strada Uranus will transform into a living museum of reimagined traditions, global rhythms, and crafts vital to communities.
Festival Schedule
Main Stage, Gradina Uranus (Admission via ticket/season pass)
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Friday, September 5
- 18:00 – Karpov not Kasparov (Romania)
- 19:30 – MiASiN (Armenia – France)
- 21:30 – Lupii lui Calancea (Moldova)
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Saturday, September 6
- 17:30 – Kottarashky & The Rain Dogs (Bulgaria)
- 19:30 – Ivo Papasov & His Wedding Band (Bulgaria)
- 21:30 – Omar Souleyman (Syria)
- Sunday, September 7
- 17:30 – Kanizsa Csillagai (Hungary)
- 19:30 – Balkan Taksim (Romania)
- 21:30 – Mahala Rai Banda ft. Jony Iliev (Romania – Bulgaria)
Water Tower Stage, Gradina Uranus (Admission via ticket/season pass)
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Friday, September 5
- 16:00 – Miko Baghdasarian & Lari Cash
- 23:00 – Ligia Kesisian feat. Lucas Molina
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Saturday, September 6
- 16:40 – Surprise act
- 23:00 – Andrei Rautz & Daniel Mitulescu (back to back)
- Sunday, September 7
- 15:30 – DJ Keti Lula Baluba
- 23:00 – Ligia Kesisian & Miko Baghdasarian
On Strada Uranus, the Balkanik Fair transforms into an urban dance floor accessible to everyone, where DJ sets accompany a craft market, creative workshops, and relaxation areas, all for free.
The event will take place along Strada Uranus, from the intersection with Calea Rahovei to the intersection with Calea Sabinelor, running from 7:00 AM on Friday, September 5, until 10:00 PM on Sunday, September 7. Traffic management will be coordinated by the Local Police of Sector 5, ensuring access for emergency vehicles.
Balkanik Talks
At Balkanik Talks, sponsored by BRD Groupe Société Générale, the festival creates a space for reflection on art, community, and ecology. Under the theme "Reimagining the Balkan Space through Art and Ecology," artists and researchers from Romania and the region will explore community interventions and heritage protection to transform our environment.
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Saturday, September 6:
- 16:00 – 17:30: Discussions on revitalizing industrial spaces and forgotten communities with guests like GCV, Andreea Dorobat, and Teodora Rotaru.
- Sunday, September 7:
- 16:00 – 17:00: Focus on Balkan and Eastern European artistic identity in an international context, featuring Platforma 13 (Anca Stoica & Sergiu Dita) and Platforma RHEA (Anca Munteanu).
Balkanik Talks serves as a reflective counterpoint to the festival’s energy, examining the connections between tradition, contemporary art, and community.
Workshops and Exhibitions
Gradina Uranus will act as an open-air workshop where tradition and creativity meet. Marius and Diana Iosub will showcase wood sculpture, PAPPO Craft will demonstrate broom weaving, and MotherBee.ro will reveal secrets about bees and natural wax candles. Additionally, there will be silver and copper jewelry, floral arrangements, and Tiffany glass artworks, creating a vibrant space for inspiration and experimentation.
Exhibitions will bring stories to life:
- Bucharest Collage Collective invites the audience to engage in participatory collage workshops.
- Celula de Arta combines textile art with contemporary poetry.
- Revolutionare – Armenian Women Who Changed the World highlights portraits of influential women, created by artist Maretta Aivazian.
The Safiticuminti project merges digital art with crafts, featuring workshops like "Paint Your Own Totebag" (September 6, 14:00-17:00) and "Linogravura" (September 7, 14:00-17:00), open to all ages. Children can enjoy arts & crafts, painting, modeling, and juggling workshops.
OSCAR Downstream, the main sponsor for the third consecutive year, will host an interactive space featuring zodiac predictions, a photo corner with giant vinyl records, a Matching Vinyl game, treats with notes, and workshops for dreamcatchers and bracelets. The Water Tower in Gradina Uranus will come alive with a video mapping show by Adistu, supported by Epson Romania, where visitors can instantly print festival photos with EcoTank printers as a sustainable way to cherish the Balkanik Festival experience.
Tickets and Accessibility
Balkanik Festival passes for Gradina Uranus are now available at 280 lei through networks like Livetickets, Iabilet, and Eventim. Daily tickets are priced at 140 lei, while on-site ticket prices will be 168 lei. Children under 9 enjoy free admission when accompanied by adults. The fair and activities on Strada Uranus are free of charge.
The Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music #12, fueled by OSCAR Downstream, is organized by the Cultural Association Metropolis and co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund, sponsored by BRD Groupe Société Générale, with support from the Union of Armenians in Romania, the Armenian Cultural Center in Bucharest, Queen’s Nata de Coco & Queen’s Aloe Vera, the European Food Safety Authority, Pop Cola, Vitamin Aqua, and technical partner Epson Romania. Hospitality partners include Hotel Caro and Hotel Minerva, and research partner Cult Market Research.
