Romania edition of Sunwaves Festival to come to an end after 18 years
The iconic festival will go ahead at its current location in Mamaia Nord one last time next month
The team behind Romania’s Sunwaves Festival have announced the end of its flagship event after 18 years.
The minimal techno and house-focused festival will go ahead in Romania one last time next month, they announced in an Instagram post yesterday (April 28). “With a heavy heart we're making this announcement."
Sunwaves’ final Romania edition, SW35, will go ahead from May 1 - 6 on its regular site, Sunwaves Beach in Mamaia Nord, signalling the end of an era for the famed Ro-minimal event.
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“The #SW35 edition will be our last in Romania,” they revealed. “We've built this scene in our country for the past 18 years, we grew this amazing community, and we promoted our country on the world stage.”
Though its next edition will be its last in Romania, the festival revealed that it will move to a different country for its spring edition in 2026, with details still yet to be announced.
The team behind Sunwaves didn’t give a reason behind the end of its flagship event, but instead explained: “Unfortunately things are the way that they are and it's out of our control.”
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“Our love for our country and our local audience will always be part of #SW,” they said. “We'll meet like we did before on various continents, in countries that share our values, in places where our community is treated with respect.”
Sunwaves Festival began in 2007 as a twice-yearly event, welcoming the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Chris Stussy, Margaret Dygas, Seth Troxler, Sonja Moonear, and more over the years. Other editions have gone ahead in Spain, Zanzibar, and the UAE.
The final edition of Sunwaves Festival in Romania kicks off this weekend, with a line-up featuring East End Dubs, Mason Collective, tINI, Raresh, and many more.
Check out Sunwaves' full statement below.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter