On September 20th – 21st, 2025, CREART marked 566 years of Bucharest and a decade of iMapp Bucharest with a spectacular two-day festival in Constitutiei Square. Held under the Bucharest 566 program initiated by the Bucharest Municipality, the event brought together the world’s biggest video mapping competition, the international Gumball 3000 rally, and Food Truck Festival – blending visual arts, music, gastronomy and motorsport into a memorable urban experience for locals and tourists alike.

Saturday night was dedicated to the international iMapp Bucharest – Winners League competition, which showcased the artworks of the winners of some of the world’s most prestigious light festivals on the 23,000-square-meter façade of the Palace of the Parliament – the largest projection surface in the world: Chongqing International Light Art Festival from CHINA / winner DEPICTING TERRITORY from CHINA, Genius Loci Weimar Festival from GERMANy / winner mammasONica from ITALY, Jakarta Light Festival from INDONESIA / winner THE VISUAL 084 from VIETNAM, Luma Projection Arts Festival form USA / winner GLITCH from BELGIUM, 1minute Projection Mapping Competition from JAPAN / winner VALI CHINCIȘAN from ROMANIA, Video Mapping Festival from FRANCE / winner HANS BOLZ from GERMANY, Zsolnay Light Festival from HUNGARY / winner ELEKTRICK.ME from BULGARIA.

The competition theme – Art is All Around – celebrated the presence of art in everyday life, transforming the city into an open-air digital gallery. Artists explored the theme creatively, offering a captivating visual experience of shapes, colors, and textures drawn from daily life, reminding us that art lives in public spaces, communities, architecture and human expression.

The Jury Prize was awarded to ELEKTRICK.ME from BULGARIA, which presented at iMapp Bucharest the artwork „Eclipse”, while the Public’s Choice Award went to GLITCH from Belgium – for the artwork „Ratio²”.

The event paid tribute to Romanian cultural heritage through dedicated projections honoring Constantin Brâncuși and George Enescu, created by Carmen Lidia Vidu and Mindscape Studio. On European Heritage Days, CREART’s partnership with ARTEXIM marked the grand finale of George Enescu International Festival – when Bucharest becomes the capital of classical music – with an artwork set to Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by George Enescu, performed by the Orchestre National de France under conductor Cristian Măcelaru. Meanwhile, the collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute announced the opening of the exhibition Brâncuși – The Birth of Modern Sculpture, on view until January 2026 at the H’art Museum Amsterdam, in partnership with Centre Pompidou Paris – custodian of the world’s largest Brâncuși collection.

Music vibes were kept alive by Varer, Christian Thomson, Adrian Șaguna, Arias, and drummer Emil Vergo, the night culminating in the much-anticipated set by Belgian DJ HVMZA. His beats, paired with video projections by Dorel Naste (Mindscape Studio) and live façade VJ-ing by Bogdan Nedelcu (Apart Vision), created a stunning multimedia spectacle — an unforgettable open-air party, a dazzling fusion of sound and color that captivated the crowd.

A special moment was the artistic collaboration between HVMZA and maestro Gheorghe Zamfir, blending electronic music with the unmistakable sound of the pan flute. This fusion offered a unique experience – a bridge between cultures and generations and a musical gift to Bucharest.

Sunday, September 21, Bucharest City Days continued with iMapp Bucharest x Gumball 3000, turning Constitutiei Square into a celebration of supercars, music and projection art. Romania’s capital was the official host of the 26th edition of the Gumball 3000 rally, returning to Bucharest after nearly a decade. Over 100 supercars – driven by celebrities, influencers and athletes from more than 40 countries came in Constitutiei, ranging from custom and classic models to ultra-rare hypercars. The spectacle included a global premiere: the launch of the Koenigsegg Jesko “Cobyx”, unveiled for the first time in Bucharest.

Cindrelul – Junii Sibiului Professional Folklore Ensemble, Romania’s oldest folk ensemble, brought a unique moment to the stage: Călușul, a ritual dance listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Reimagined with contemporary beats by a DJ, the performance blended Romanian tradition with today’s multicultural pulse.

The evening continued with a music program curated by Gumball 3000, featuring top international artists: Adekunle Gold, EVE, and Afrojack, who closed the night with an electrifying back-to-back set alongside Vikkstar.

Throughout both days, the Food Truck Festival added flavor to the festivities, offering international cuisine and dynamic DJ sets from local artists – turning the square into a true celebration of taste and sound from the moment the gates opened.

This event was part of the Bucharest City Days – Bucharest 566 program of the Municipality of Bucharest: a celebration of the city, a reaffirmation of cultural values and urban identity, and a meeting point between past and present, heritage and innovation. Bucharest was lived, celebrated and rediscovered through light, color, sound, and rhythm and transformed into a space of art and connection.

Facebook: creartpmb / iMappBucharest
Instagram: creartbucuresti / imappbucharest
Websites: www.creart.ro / https://imapp.ro/ro/

Organizers: Bucharest Municipality, through CREART – Centre for Creation, Art and Tradition

Event held under the auspices of Bucharest City Days – Bucharest 566.

With the support of: Parliament of Romania – Chamber of Deputies

Cultural Partners: ARTEXIM, Ministry of Culture, Romanian Cultural Institute, ICR Bruxelles

iMapp Bucharest – Winners League Private Partners: Gumball 3000, Food Truck Festival

Sponsors: Coca-Cola, Domino’s

Media Partners: KISS FM, MAGIC FM, ROCK FM, AGERPRES, TVR, Invent Media

With the support of: Bucharest Transport Company STB SA, Bucharest – Ilfov Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport, Apa Nova Bucharest

iMapp Bucharest is a member of ILO – International Light Festivals Organisation

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, George Enescu International Festival