SAMC Focus 2025: How Romania Built a Music Engine

Romania has long had the talent. What’s new is the infrastructure, the vision, and the coordinated momentum behind its music industry. Over the past decade, the country has transformed into one of the most dynamic and self-sustaining ecosystems in Central and Eastern Europe — and it’s doing it on its own terms.

From the global impact of artists like INNA, Minelli, and Irina Rimes to the rise of cutting-edge producers and homegrown indie acts with export potential, Romania is building more than careers — it's building a framework. Major labels are investing with intent, festival brands like Electric Castle are driving regional tourism and artist discovery, and a generation of professionals are rewriting the narrative of what a “local scene” can do.

This panel brings together key figures who have shaped — and continue to shape — Romania’s trajectory.