Romanian Creative Week X Bucharest 2026 opens the conversation about the future of the creative industries and art journalism, and explores the present through dance and cinema
Romanian Creative Week—the largest event dedicated to the creative industries in the European Union—returns from October 2 to 8, 2026, with the second edition of RCW X Bucharest, the event’s autumn capsule. Held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, the program brings projects spanning art, new media, fashion, film, and dance to Bucharest. It also features two RCW Academy sessions that shift the conversation from the presentation of creative work to the infrastructure required for its growth: cultural policy, education, funding, specialized journalism, and international networking.
On October 5 at 4:30 PM, in the Carol I Hall of the Central University Library, the roundtable discussion “Creative Romania: Observatory & Laboratory of Creative Ecologies”—hosted by Marlene Herberth—will explore how Romanian creativity can be recognized, connected, and supported in the long term. The gathering brings together creators, institutions, researchers, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers, proposing two complementary tools—an Observatory and a Laboratory of Creative Ecologies—designed to allow practical experience to inform research, collaboration, and the formulation of cultural policies.
The meeting will be attended by Ms. Mirabela Grădinaru, partner of the President of Romania, and Mr. Nicușor Dan, continuing the dialogue with the RCW community that began at the 2025 Bucharest edition. Scheduled speakers include architect Teodor Frolu (founding member of the Bucharest Urban Space Association), visual artist Andrei Cozlac (RCW New Media District curator), Andrei Boncea (President of the Film Producers Alliance), designer Ioana Ciolacu (President of the Romanian Fashion Council), Anca Lupeș (President of RAW Music & Founder of Mastering The Music Business), and Bogdan Trâmbaciu (Director of the Project Management Unit at the Ministry of Culture).
“Romania needs to improve at recognizing, connecting, and supporting the creativity it already possesses. Through my work at the intersection of heritage, contemporary art, and communities, I see how heavily the continuity of an idea depends on the relationships supporting it: who passes on knowledge, who provides space for experimentation, who offers funding, and who opens up access to the public. At Creative Romania, we aim to discuss these conditions together—creators, institutions, researchers, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers. We are proposing a Creative Ecologies Observatory and Laboratory: a space where practical experiences can help shape cultural policies. My hope is that we leave this meeting with more precise questions, potential partners, and solutions ready for testing,” stated Marlene Herberth, the event host, RCW curator, and Culture and Education Coordinator for the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession from Romania.
The event is supported by UniCredit Bank, with the backing of Pepsi, Jidvei, and Printco.
On October 6, at 4:30 PM, in the same Carol I Hall of the Central University Library, RCW Academy will launch a conversation about one of the fragile links in the cultural ecosystem: art journalism. Titled “Contemporary Art – A View from the Future,” the roundtable—hosted by Bogdan Crețu—brings together representatives from cultural institutions, academia, the media, the financial sector, the art market, and the creative industries. The discussion takes as its starting point the rapid evolution of media channels and audience behavior, seeking solutions for the training, support, and professionalization of a new generation of journalists specializing in contemporary art. The event is supported by UniCredit Bank, Jidvei, and Printco, alongside partners HotNews and Curatorial. Attendance is by invitation only.
Participants include Flaviu “Avi” Cicirean, Cosmin Ciotloș, Andrei Jecza, Patricia Marinescu, Carmen Mușat, Dan Popescu, Alex Radu, Ioana Iuna Șerban, and Roxana Tolici.
“The event aims to spark a debate among representatives of cultural institutions, academia, the media, and the financial and political sectors—as well as professionals from the art market and creative industries—regarding the training and support of a new generation of journalists specializing in contemporary art. Concrete projects will be launched to provide opportunities beyond the academic sphere, such as scholarships, training internships, journalism residencies, mentorship, sponsorships, and funding for editorial projects,” stated writer and literary critic Bogdan Crețu, a professor at the Faculty of Letters of “Al. I. Cuza” University in Iași.
HazarDance: from street dance and workshops to contemporary performance
HazarDance—curated by Ștefan Lupu and supported in Bucharest by Pepsi—builds its program at the intersection of contemporary dance, street dance, physical theater, education, and performance. For the Bucharest edition of RCW, the project takes place in diverse settings, ranging from the National Dance Center Bucharest and George Enescu Square to… Cuibul Artiștilor retains one of the ideas that defined its identity within RCW: dance as an experience to be watched, practiced, and lived within a community.
The program begins on October 2. *Layers of Movement* is a three-day international contemporary dance intensive led by choreographer and teacher Viktoriia Medviedieva, based on the Totem Dance Theatre methodology. The workshop takes place at the Studio Hall of the National Dance Center Bucharest on October 2 (18:00–22:00) and October 3–4 (10:00–14:00). The work combines release technique, floorwork, weight and momentum, coordination, musicality, partnering, and improvisation with physical theater tools. Participation is by registration only, limited to 13 people, and attendance is required on all three days.
Also on October 2, starting at 18:30 at Ichigo Garage, *HazarDance Battle #6* presents two 1-on-1 formats: All Styles and Hip-Hop Junior. Oxi will serve as the judge, Waana as the MC, and Drei will handle the music selection. Registration for the competition is free and takes place online, subject to the conditions announced by the organizers.
On October 3 and 4, between 16:30 and 19:00, the “Inflatable Theatre” outdoor stage in George Enescu Square will host choreographic pieces by students from the Acting and Choreography Department of UNATC “I.L. Caragiale” Bucharest. This series of short works and performances brings the next generation of artists into the urban landscape. The program includes, among others, *Moartea P*, *SEEN.ME.*, *Three Sisters, not by Chekhov*, *Lolita*, *Și bărbații plâng câteodată*, *Ctrl*, *From touch to touch*, *Felul Principal*, *Stockholm*, and the performance *It’s not goodbye. It’s turn heads later*, directed and choreographed by Ștefan Lupu. Admission to the program in George Enescu Square is free.
On October 5, at 19:30, the CNDB will host *Maybe by 2301 we won’t need another feminist show*, featuring performers Maria-Luiza Dimulescu, Mariana Gavriciuc, and Anca Stoica. The show explores normalized everyday experiences, contradictory roles, and the gender norms that continue to shape women’s lives. Conceived and choreographed by Camelia Neagoe and Maria-Luiza Dimulescu, the production is by the Delazero Association, in co-production with the National Dance Center Bucharest (CNDB).
The performance is recommended for audiences aged 16 and older and features strobe lighting; admission is subject to the event’s published participation terms. On October 6, at Cuibul Artiștilor, –EM will hold two performances, at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. The show—featuring artistic direction and production by Victor Țăpeanu—was created by Anastasia Preotu and Vlad Furtună; they developed the concept and choreography and perform together in a piece exploring closeness, tension, dependency, attentiveness, and everything that cannot be done alone. Admission is subject to the conditions announced on the event page.
“In Bucharest, HazarDance perhaps best demonstrates its freedom: it shifts from battles to workshops, from university settings to performance art, and from the stage to the heart of the city. The Inflatable Theatre—a stage-installation designed by architects—once again becomes a meeting place, while our collaboration with the National Dance Centre Bucharest allows us to further develop the educational aspect. I would like the audience not just to see HazarDance, but to feel its vibration. Dance possesses a simple yet irreplaceable power: it sets people in motion, brings them closer together, and reminds them that joy is also a way of being alive,” stated Ștefan Lupu, HazarDance curator.
Three films, one shared social wound: migration
Cinema joins the RCW X Bucharest program on October 4 at the Auditorium of the National Museum of Art of Romania with the film showcase “Three Perspectives on Migration,” curated by Gabriela Suciu and Caterina Pruteanu. The showcase marks the first collaboration between Romanian Creative Week and the Film Producers Alliance (APF)—involving its president, Andrei Boncea—and is supported by Pepsi, Raiffeisen Bank, Jidvei, and Follow Art. The selection examines migration from three angles that converge on a shared area of vulnerability: children left behind, parents who emigrate, women working for other families, and relationships rebuilt around absence.
The program begins at 16:00 with *De capul nostru* (On Our Own) by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu—a 2026 Romania-Italy co-production and winner of the CICAE Award in the Berlinale’s Forum section. At 18:00, the screening features *Malul Vânăt / A River’s Gaze* by Andreea Cristina Borțun—a Romania-France-Slovenia co-production selected to represent Romania in the Smart7 international competition. At 19:45, directors Radu Jude, Andreea Cristina Borțun, and Tudor Cristian Jurgiu will participate in a roundtable discussion moderated by Erwin Kessler, Director of the National Museum of Art of Romania. The evening concludes at 21:00 with *Jurnalul unei cameriste* (Diary of a Chambermaid) by Radu Jude—a 2026 Romania-France co-production that premiered at the *Quinzaine des Cinéastes* in Cannes in 2026. Admission to the Film Showcase is subject to the participation conditions outlined on the event’s official website.
Weekend of October 2–4: New media, installations, and exhibitions in Bucharest
This weekend, contemporary art and new media take center stage at RCW X Bucharest. Starting October 2, the Arts program—supported by UniCredit Bank with the backing of Pepsi, Ploom, Jidvei, and Printco—includes exhibitions such as *Hidrophoria*, *PORTAL*, *… and Portraits*, *The Mirror Stage*, and *Fragile Thoughts*. On October 3, the *New Media District – One Night Only* event, powered by Ploom and curated by Andrei Cozlac and Andrei Botnaru, brings together 14 artists, digital installations, and performances at the Royal Palace. The evening’s program continues with *Splendido Splendente – Discoteca Italiana* and *Fantastic Posse*, while the *Fantastic Posse*—a monumental installation by Sebastian Comănescu—can be viewed in the Courtyard of Honor.
On October 7 and 8, Romanian Fashion Week concludes RCW X Bucharest at TVR, featuring a record number of designers and their Spring/Summer 2027 collections. Participating names include Ioana Ciolacu and Maria Marinescu, Lena Criveanu, Irina Schrotter, and Tudor Halațiu. Makeup is provided by the Lancôme team, led by Alexandru Abagiu, and hairstyling by the Philips team, led by Sorin Stratulat. RFW is supported by Ploom, Pepsi, and L’Oréal Professionnel, and admission is by invitation only.