Bucharest kicks off a 6-month-long street festival

It will start off in the city centre in May, and gradually move through the neighbourhoods

Last weekend, Bucharest held the first event of the Open Streets festival (Străzi deschise-promenadă urbană) which is supposed to take place almost every weekend until the end of October. The festival is organised by the city and will travel to a different location every weekend, starting from the city centre and slowly migrating to residential neighbourhoods.

The event is a great opportunity for people who will stay in the city during the holiday season. At the same time, the fact the festival will venture into neighbourhoods far from the epicentre of cultural life offers the residents the opportunity to reimagine their local area as more than a place to sleep.

A ‘movable fest’

According to a statement by Mayor Nicusor Dan, around 30,000 people attended the first edition of the Open Streets Festival, on Calea Victoriei, a boulevard in Central Bucharest. Mayor Dan explained that until the end of May, the festival will be mostly contained in the city centre.

However, starting in June, the mobile festival will reach the city’s neighbourhoods, in every sector and expand people’s access to culture. The programme throughout the season will feature exhibitions, games for children, as well as performances from several of Bucharest’s cultural institutions like theatres and the circus.

Additionally, the closed streets represent a symbolic reclaiming of the space for pedestrians and communication, as opposed to cars, which can make for only one use of urban space.

Mayor Dan pointed out that this year the festival streets will also be closed to cyclists. He explained that usually local authorities make a very big distinction between motor transport and bikes, however, with the crowds the event plans to attract, bike traffic would risk causing too many injuries.