Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music returns to Bucharest between August 28 and 30, 2026, for its 13th edition. This year, the festival moves to Tei Park, where concerts, art, food and late-summer gatherings will take over a large green space on the shore of Lake Tei.
Under the theme “The Sounds of Heritage. The Rhythm of Now”, Balkanik Festival 2026 explores how traditional music continues to travel, change and find its place on contemporary stages. Artists from Armenia, France, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Poland and Serbia will perform alongside musicians whose work draws on Iraqi and Yemeni roots.
The three-day line-up includes Ladaniva, Zdob și Zdub, Taraf de Caliu, Baba Zula, Bubliczki, Shiran & Bakal, Cümbüş Cemaat, Kristijan Azirović Orkestar and the special festival production Romica Puceanu Reimagined.
Balkanik Festival 2026 line-up
Ladaniva brings together Armenian folk music, Balkan rhythms, jazz, reggae and contemporary pop. The French-Armenian duo has become one of the most recognisable names on Europe’s new world music scene, with concerts built around infectious rhythms and a strong connection with the audience.
Zdob și Zdub return to Bucharest with their unmistakable mix of rock, punk, ska and Moldovan folk music. After more than three decades on stage, the band remains one of Eastern Europe’s most energetic live acts.
Taraf de Caliu represents the living tradition of Romanian lăutărească music. Led by violinist Gheorghe “Caliu” Anghel and featuring musicians connected to the history of Taraf de Haïdouks, the group brings the sound of Clejani to the Balkanik stage.
Baba Zula arrives from Istanbul with electric saz, percussion, dub, improvisation and Anatolian psychedelia. Bubliczki combines Polish and Kashubian traditions with klezmer harmonies and Balkan brass, while Cümbüş Cemaat draws on songs and rhythms from the Balkans, Anatolia and the Middle East.
Shiran & Bakal connects Iraqi and Yemeni musical roots with Arabic songs, analogue synthesisers, heavy bass and contemporary club production. Kristijan Azirović Orkestar completes the international line-up with the speed, brass and raw energy of a Serbian Balkan orchestra.
Romica Puceanu Reimagined
The 13th edition of Balkanik Festival is dedicated to the memory and musical legacy of Romica Puceanu, one of the defining voices of Romanian urban lăutărească music.
Created especially for the festival, Romica Puceanu Reimagined brings together Romanian artists working with traditional music, world music and contemporary fusion. Her repertoire will return to the stage through new voices, electronic elements, percussion and instruments associated with the lăutărească tradition.
The concert will feature Corina Sîrghi, Mădălina Pavăl, Paulina, Raluca Radu and Ioana Tătărușanu, alongside Valeriu Borcoș on electronics, Lucaz Molinaz on percussion, Nelu Răducanu on cimbalom and additional musicians from the contemporary lăutărească scene.
Balkanik Festival 2026 programme
Friday, August 28
18:00 – Musical procession from Obor to Tei Park with Kristijan Azirović Orkestar
18:30 – Kristijan Azirović Orkestar
20:30 – Shiran & Bakal
21:30 – Ladaniva
Saturday, August 29
17:30 – Romica Puceanu Reimagined
19:30 – Baba Zula
21:30 – Taraf de Caliu
Sunday, August 30
17:30 – Bubliczki
19:30 – Cümbüş Cemaat
21:30 – Zdob și Zdub
More than concerts
Balkanik Festival extends beyond the main stage. During the three festival days, Tei Park will host DJ sets, jam sessions, a crafts fair, contemporary art exhibitions and installations, international food, workshops for children and adults, talks, video mapping and relaxation areas.
Activities on Lake Tei and the park’s waterfront location add a new dimension to the festival. Visitors can spend the afternoon exploring exhibitions and workshops, watch the sunset by the lake and stay for the evening concerts.
The festival opens to the public at 16:00 on Friday, August 28, and at 12:00 on Saturday and Sunday.
Balkanik Festival 2026 tickets
Presale three-day passes cost 180 RON plus fees and are available in limited numbers. The full-price three-day pass at the entrance costs 250 RON plus fees, subject to availability. Single-day tickets cost 130 RON plus fees.
A limited 3+1 promotion is also available for festival passes.
Children aged nine or younger have free admission when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Children between 10 and 15 receive a 50% discount on passes and single-day tickets.
A limited Student Pass is available for 120 RON. The amount is converted into a Payvent card that can be used for food and drinks during the festival. The pass is available to students and master’s students with valid identification, and entry must take place before 17:00 each day.
How to get to Balkanik Festival at Tei Park
Tei Park is located in Sector 2, on Bulevardul Lacul Tei, in the northern part of Bucharest. The festival area is set beside Lake Tei and can be reached by public transport, taxi or ride-sharing services.
