Weekend calendar: Namaste India, Sânziene fair, Sibiu International Theater Festival
From events celebrating the local folklore fairies Sânziene to those dedicated to Indian culture, Bucharest hosts numerous outdoor happenings. Meanwhile, Sibiu is all about theater as its large international event dedicated to the genre kicks off this weekend.
In Bucharest:
Bucharest Opera Festival
Until June 22
Twelve evenings of opera, ballet and music theater, with productions by Romanian and international companies. More details here.
Bucharest Design Festival
Until June 21
Exhibitions, installations, and urban interventions connect new generations of creatives with design professionals, and specialized communities with the general public. More on the program here.
World Press Photo
Until June 19
The free-entry exhibition, held in University Square, gathers the most striking stories of the past twelve months, on topics such as the overreach of power, the climate crisis, war and conflict, but also resilience, rebuilding, and the dignity of people who refuse to give in.
Open Streets
Until October 11
For 25 weekends, the capital’s central area will host various concerts, shows, parades, workshops for children, sports activities, and guided tours. Calea Victoriei becomes pedestrian again, and, as a novelty this year, the route is extended to Ion Brezoianu Street, which is included in the program for the first time. More info here.
Art Safari
Until July 19
The art event returns with another edition featuring exhibitions dedicated to Nicolae Vermont, Mihai Eminescu, and one gathering works by Felix Aftene. More details here.
Concerts @ George Enescu Philharmonic
June 18, 19
Thomas Dausgaard conducts the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra for a program of works by Carl Nielsen, Mieczysław Weinberg, and Johannes Brahms. Cellist Mario Brunello is the soloist. More details here.
Felipe Cohen: Concretion
June 19 – July 25
The Brazilian artist’s second solo show with Gaep is an exhibition of new reliefs and sculptures. It deepens the artist’s “pursuit of giving tangible form to time, natural light, the atmosphere of a place, and the interplay between them.” More details here.
Liliana Basarab - Not Cruel, Truthful
Until June 26
Liliana Basarab’s solo exhibition, open at Sandwich Neurohope, welcomes the public with works that bring into focus “routines recovered through a drifting gaze, one that shifts from what is expected to be seen toward the peripheral, toward underexplored social niches.”
Ramon Sadîc – Supernova
Until June 26
Ramon Sadîc’s first solo exhibition in collaboration with Sandwich brings together a series of paintings through which the artist “probes his position within a context marked by social and political instability, constructing a visual meditation on contemporary uncertainty.”
Sânziene fair @Peasant Museum
June 19 – June 21
The fair gathers approximately 50 craftsmen, antique dealers and artists who will exhibit and sell traditional objects, handcrafted items, and old pieces from the peasant household. More details here.
Namaste India
June 20 – June 21
The event that puts the spotlight on Indian culture and traditions will hold this year’s edition at the Dimitrie Brândză Botanical Garden in Bucharest. The program covers art, spirituality, living traditions, and the cultural dialogue between India and Romania. More details here.
In the country:
Tears That Laugh, Laughs That Cry
Until June 21
The exhibition, open at NOCA Oradea, explores the multiple facets of crying and laughter by bringing together twenty intergenerational and multicultural artistic positions. More here.
Transilvania International Film Festival
Until June 21
The largest film event in the country kicks off in Cluj. The opening film is Tudor Giurgiu’s 3 Days in September. More details on this year’s edition here.
Sibiu International Theater Festival
June 20 – June 29
The large theater festival returns to Sibiu with more than 800 events, local and international productions, and guests such as Fanny Ardant, Wim Vandekeybus, Emma Dante, and Elfriede Jelinek, among others. More details here.
Flight Festival
June 19 – June 21
More than 80 Romanian and international artists will perform on the festival’s five stages for what has been described as the event’s largest edition yet. The festival takes place at the Banat Village Museum in Timişoara. More details here.
