Organized by the Bucharest Municipality through CREART – Centre for Creation, Art and Tradition, this international competition is a pioneering project in Romania and global reference point for New Media Art. It is also a proud member of ILO – International Light Festivals Organisation.
The contest showcases the best artists in the field, winners of its seven partner festivals, who will compete for the Grand Prize of iMapp Bucharest 2025, awarded by an international jury. Meanwhile, the public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite work during the event night, deciding the winner of the Public Choice Award.
From a technical standpoint, iMapp Bucharest is a remarkable example of expertise, unique in Romania, transforming Bucharest into the world capital of creativity and light. Every September, it brings a spectacular fusion of visual arts and technology to the 23,000-square-meter façade of the Palace of the Parliament – the largest projection surface in the world.
At Bucharest City Days, we celebrate 566 years since the first documented mention of the city that inspires us and brings us together. Bucharest 566 is a tribute to its vibrant spirit - a symbolic space of encounters, dreams, and ongoing transformation. It is an opportunity to reaffirm cultural values and urban identity, while also recognizing the deep connection between the city and its community. Bucharest belongs to the people who live it, love it, and shape it every day, and this anniversary invites us to reflect on its heritage and on how past and present meet in the urban landscape.
This anniversary weekend also marks 10 years of iMapp Bucharest - the biggest video mapping event in the world. This year’s edition brings together, for the first time, two remarkable partnerships: the legendary international rally Gumball 3000 and Food Truck Festival, an event dedicated to street food culture. For two days, the capital becomes a meeting point for New Media art, street food culture and the adrenaline of motorsport.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH, BETWEEN 16:00 – 23:00
IMAPP BUCHAREST – WINNERS LEAGUE
Since its first projection on the façade of the Palace of the Parliament, iMapp Bucharest has grown into a global phenomenon, attracting top visual artists and millions of spectators. The event showcases the work of Romanian and international artists who express themselves through video mapping at the world’s leading festivals, offering a one-of-a-kind visual spectacle on the largest projection surface in the world - the 23,000-square-meter façade of the Palace of the Parliament, which transforms into an open-air digital gallery, bringing art into public space and into the heart of the city. This year’s competition theme - ART IS ALL AROUND - celebrates the omnipresence of art in our lives, pulsing through the city’s architecture, the dynamics of its communities, the colors that surround us, in every projected pixel and in every emotion we experience.
From 21:30, the competition that transforms the city into a true global capital of light and creativity takes place – iMapp Bucharest - Winners League. The event will showcase the best artists in the field, winners of the 7 partner festivals: Chongqing International Light Art Festival from CHINA, Genius Loci Weimar Festival from GERMANY, Jakarta Light Festival from INDONESIA, Luma Projection Arts Festival from the USA, 1minute Projection Mapping Competition from JAPAN, Video Mapping Festival from FRANCE, and Zsolnay Light Festival from HUNGARY. Discover the participating teams and partner festivals: https://www.instagram.com/imappbucharest.
A jury of international experts will designate the Grand Winner of the iMapp Bucharest - Winners League competition and award the Jury Prize. The public is also invited to take part actively by voting for their favorite entry – Public’s Choice Award, via a standard-rate SMS, sent to a number available on the evening of the event.
As part of this year’s edition, the organizers and partners will pay tribute to two Romanian artists of global cultural heritage - George Enescu and Constantin Brâncuși - through two video mapping artworks created by Carmen Lidia Vidu and Mindscape Studio. CREART and ARTEXIM will present a special moment built around a fragment from Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by George Enescu, performed by the Orchestre National de France conducted by Cristian Măcelaru, marking the conclusion of the George Enescu International Festival 2025. Romanian Cultural Institute will unveil at iMapp Bucharest a video mapping artwork announcing the opening of the exhibition “Brâncuși – The Birth of Modern Sculpture”, which can be visited until January 2026 at H’art Museum Amsterdam, in collaboration with Centre Pompidou, custodian of the largest and most representative Constantin Brâncuși collection.
The musical program of iMapp Bucharest #10 brings beloved DJs to the stage. DJ Sylvio kicks off at 16:00, followed by DJ Varer and DJ Christian Thomson with a melodic techno and afro-house set at 18:00. At 18:30, an electrifying back-to-back performance takes over with Adrian Șaguna and Arias, joined by their special guest - drummer Emil Vergo.
Belgian DJ HVMZA, known for his distinctive style that redefines the boundaries of house music, takes the stage at 20:00 to lead us on a journey where rhythm and emotion intertwine.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, BETWEEN 12:00 – 23:00
IMAPP BUCHAREST X GUMBALL 3000
On September 21st, 2025, the capital hosts the renowned international rally Gumball 3000, which returns to Bucharest after nearly a decade. The city was chosen as a pit stop on its European route thanks to the international prestige of the iMapp Bucharest festival - which has become a global landmark in digital art.
Over 100 supercars - from custom builds to classics and ultra-rare hypercars - will be driven by an international lineup of celebrities, influencers, artists, renowned athletes, actors, YouTubers and business leaders from over 40 countries. The parade will arrive in Constitutiei Square starting at 19:30, for a festival dedicated to cars, music and projections. In a special surprise exclusive for Bucharest, at 18:15 Gumball 3000 is set to host the global public unveiling of the Koenigsegg Jesko ‘Cobyx’, one of just 125 units of this ultra-rare hypercar ever made!
The audience will enjoy DJ sets performed by Gumball 3000 celebrities and a live light mapping show on the façade of the Palace of the Parliament. The evening’s musical lineup, brought by Gumball 3000, includes: afrobeats sensation Adekunle Gold at 20:30, Grammy-winning US rapper EVE at 21:00, and Dutch DJ Afrojack at 21:30. The show will conclude with a special back-to-back DJ set featuring Afrojack and Sidemen superstar Vikkstar at 22:30.
Gumball 3000 marks its 26th edition with a 4,828 km route from Istanbul to Ibiza. After Bucharest, the rally continues in Belgrade (September 22nd), Florence (September 23rd), Nice (September 24th), and Valencia (September 25th), concluding in Ibiza on Friday, September 26th. Throughout the rally, Gumball 3000 will raise funds for the Gumball 3000 Foundation, supporting initiatives dedicated to young people around the world.
Food Truck Festival - the street-food caravan that has toured cities all across Romania - brings to iMapp Bucharest, over two days, international cuisine and energizing sets from local DJs, starting right from the moment the gates open. This year, the atmosphere will be elevated by three special guests, ready to turn Constitutiei Square into a true celebration of flavours and music: DJ Sylvio kicks off Saturday at 16:00, while Larisa and Lemon take over on Sunday, at 12:00 and 15:30, respectively.
On September 20th and 21st, during Bucharest City Days, we celebrate together 566 years of Bucharest and 10 years of iMapp Bucharest - where art, technology, and emotion meet under the Capital’s sky, in Constitutiei Square! Be part of the story and let yourself be carried away by light, color, sound and rhythm, in an experience that transforms the city into an open-air gallery and every person from the audience into an explorer of contemporary art. FREE ENTRY.
Program – https://www.creart.ro/program-imapp-bucharest-2025
Participation and access disclaimer – https://www.creart.ro/regulament-de-participare-si-acces-imapp-bucharest-2025
Road traffic restrictions near the event and transport information - https://www.creart.ro/restrictii-de-trafic-rutier-in-proximitatea-evenimentului-informatii-transport
Facebook: creartpmb / iMappBucharest
Instagram: creartbucuresti / imappbucharest
Website-uri: www.creart.ro / https://imapp.ro/ro/
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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