Celebrating all things Balkan, the Balkan Trafik! Festival opened its doors for the 17th edition on Thursday, taking place in both Brussels and Namur from Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 April.
For its opening, the festival will descend on the Delta in Namur, but from Friday onwards, Balkan Trafik will take its festivities to the Grand Place and Place Brouckère in Brussels where "traditional rhythms from the Balkans" and "know-how from Southeastern European countries will be given a platform".
Originally, the festival took place from Thursday to Sunday, but this year the organisers decided to cancel Sunday's programme.
Despite it being a shorter edition, revellers can expect the usual, including a wine bar, workshops and film showings. In terms of music, the line-up includes BALKAN BEAT BOX, Dubioza Kolektiv, Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar, BaiLDSA and more.
A celebration of the Southeast cultures
"With this unique event, Balkan Trafik aims to build bridges between the capital of Europe and creativity from South-Eastern European countries, as well as provide a unique showcase for the cultural richness of the Brussels diaspora and all Balkan minorities," said the Balkan Trafik! organisers.
"We are delighted to welcome the 17th edition of Balkan Trafik to the heart of Brussels. This event is a true celebration of the cultures of the Southeast and allows the public in Belgium and the rest of the world to (re)discover the traditions, talents and folklore of the Balkans through music, dance, film, gastronomy and a variety of other workshops," said Delphine Houba, City of Brussels Councillor for Culture, Tourism and Major Events.
As part of Balkan Trafik, two new murals in Brussels by Balkan street art artists were also unveiled earlier. "The Balkan Trafik! Festival invites graffiti artists from the Balkan region to express themselves on the walls of the capital. The new urban generation in the Balkans is in full intellectual, social, cultural and aesthetic turmoil, giving rise to a wide range of collective identities and performances. This year, two artists have been invited to create a mural in Saint-Josse and one in Brussels City," the organisers said.
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'Haunted', for instance, aims to try to depict the effects and consequences of femicide. The work by Fitore Berisha, Kosovar activist and feminist artist, shows "the pain and sorrow that femicide causes, and the way past injustice continues to haunt us."
Istanbul-based artist 'No More Lies' has then placed the native flower of specific Balkan countries next to the Brussels yellow iris on a wall in Brussels with his work 'Flora balcanica'.
Both pieces are located on Rue des Fleuristes in Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode.
