The iMapp Bucharest video mapping festival, now in its tenth edition, will be organised this year in partnership with the Gumball 3000 international rally and the Food Truck Festival, an anniversary edition will take place on 20 and 21 September in Constitutiei Square, according to ARCUB.
The theme of this year’s festival of video projections on buildings is ‘Art Is All Around,’ celebrating the omnipresence of art – from the city’s architecture to the charm of visual projections.
‘The artists will transform the façade of the Parliament building into a captivating visual experience of shapes, colours and textures drawn from everyday life, reminding us that art is not confined to museums – it lives in public spaces, in communities, in architecture, in the urban hustle and in human expression,’ ARCUB says.
On Saturday, between 16:00 and 23:00, iMapp Bucharest will showcase the best artists in the field – winners of seven partner festivals: Chongqing International Light Art Festival (China), Genius Loci Weimar Festival (Germany), Jakarta Light Festival (Indonesia), Luma Projection Arts Festival (USA), 1minute Projection Mapping Competition (Japan), Video Mapping Festival (France), Zsolnay Light Festival (Hungary).
These artists will compete for the Grand Prize of iMapp Bucharest 2025. At the end of the evening, a jury of international experts will announce the winner. Spectators will also be invited to vote for their favourite work via SMS at a standard rate, with the audience award determined through this system.
Two video mapping works by Carmen Lidia Vidu and Mindscape Studio will be dedicated to George Enescu and Constantin Brancusi, reaffirming the organisers’ commitment to promoting art and cultural education.
CREART and ARTEXIM will present a special moment to mark the closing of the George Enescu International Festival: an excerpt from Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by George Enescu, performed by the Orchestre National de France under the baton of conductor Cristian Macelaru.
Additionally, the Romanian Cultural Institute will launch a video mapping work announcing the opening of the exhibition „BRANCUSI – The Birth of Modern Sculpture,” which will be open until January 2026 at the Hart Museum in Amsterdam, thanks to a collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, home to the largest and most representative Brancusi collection.
The event will also feature popular DJs such as: DJ Varer, DJ Christian Thomson, Adrian Saguna, Arias, HVMZA (Belgium).
‘A truly special moment of the anniversary edition of iMapp Bucharest will be the collaboration between HVMZA and maestro Gheorghe Zamfir – the most important pan flute virtuoso of all time – accompanied by the Bucharest Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Jinga,’ ARCUB announced.
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Sunday, 21 September, in the interval 12:00 – 23:00, the public is invited to Constitutiei Square for the Gumball 3000 international rally.
‘After the 2016 Dublin-Bucharest rally ended in front of the Palace of Parliament, Gumball 3000 now returns more spectacular than ever. Over 100 cars will participate in this adventure, driven by celebrities, influencers, sports stars, music legends, gamers, YouTubers and business leaders from over 40 countries. Vehicles range from customised classics to the latest and most impressive hypercars,’ ARCUB said.
„The evening programme includes performances by Afrobeats sensation Adekunle Gold, Grammy-winning rapper EVE and Dutch DJ Afrojack, a global icon of electronic music. The night will conclude with a back-to-back set featuring Afrojack and Sidemen superstar Vikkstar,” the source mentions.
Gumball 3000 begins in Istanbul and ends in Ibiza, passing through over eight countries and turning each stop into a true festival of cars and music.
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The Food Truck Festival, a travelling celebration of street food, will also arrive in Bucharest and join iMapp Bucharest in Constitutiei Square, bringing flavours and dishes from a wide range of international cuisines, along with local DJs to keep the atmosphere lively.
Admission to all events during the weekend of 20 to 21 September is free of charge.
AGERPRES
