The international music festival Balkan Fest 2025 was officially opened this evening in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Banja Luka. Over the course of two days, 41 performers from eight countries will take the stage.
In addition to participants from the former Yugoslav republics, performers from Latvia, Bulgaria, and Malta will also be featured.
The festival is organized by the Slavic Cultural Center. The event’s general patron is the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and it is supported by the City of Banja Luka.
Festival director Nikola Deretić stated that the mission of the festival remains to nurture young talents and give them the opportunity to appear on larger international stages.
“We are opening doors for young talents to attend other international festivals. For years, we’ve maintained successful cooperation with the Slavianski Bazaar in Belarus, where we send our best performers,” Deretić told reporters in Banja Luka.
Artistic director Dragoljub Sladojević explained that this year’s edition will include two program segments: First Applause and Europe Sings.
“First Applause is an international original song competition with 22 performers, while Europe Sings features 19 participants performing previously released songs — world and domestic hits — accompanied by our orchestra. The program is intended for young performers aged 8 to 35,” Sladojević noted.
The festival will also include award presentations, with one grand prix for each program and three additional prizes in the 8–14 and 15–35 age categories.
The total prize fund amounts to 6,000 KM.
Source: RTRS
