5th international Gipsy Song Day

On 8 August 2026 – the birthday of legendary North Macedonian singer Esma Redžepova – the International Day of the Gypsy Song will be held for the fifth time. As in previous years, related events will take place at several venues in Hungary – and, in an ever-widening circle, abroad – on the initiative of Mihály Rostás “Mazsi” (founder and bandleader of Lakatos Mónika és a Romengo and MazsiMó – GipsyMó), organised by the International Roma and World Music Network. The face of the world’s largest one-day festival this year is Esma Redžepova, in honour of the legendary singer, who passed away ten years ago. The Hungarian central venue for the 5th International Day of the Gypsy Song this year is the House of Music Hungary, where Serbian trumpeter Bojan Krstić will perform with his band, as well as WOMEX Lifetime Achievement Award and Kossuth Prize winner Mónika Lakatos and Romengo (guest: cimbalom artist Jenő Lisztes), and the Polish artist Megitza.

The festival is supported by Szerencsejáték Zrt.

The International Day of the Gypsy Song celebrates diversity with the participation of legendary Roma and non-Roma artists, with an increasingly rich array of venues and programmes year after year, and with free concerts. In 2026, the audience will be welcomed by nearly fifty performing bands. “From flamenco to Balkan brass bands, from traditional Roma ballads to jazzy rhythms, we are enchanted by the joie de vivre, dynamism and depth of Roma culture alike” – the organisers encourage everyone to immerse themselves in unforgettable musical experiences, getting to know and experiencing not only Roma culture but also our own cultural diversity more deeply. 

An interesting feature of the programme of the non-Roma bands is that they incorporate Roma songs into their own repertoire, and at every venue the bands will sing together, at the same time, the international Roma anthem, the song Gelem, Gelem.

One of the most colourful and richest nationalities in Europe, the Roma have a unique, still living and evolving musical culture, which throughout history has contributed to the development of European musical culture at many points. There is no other ethnic group present in all the countries of the Union, and in this way the Roma are a very important cohesive force for the European community. Roma culture unmistakably bears its own characteristics while also reflecting the traits of the nations with which it comes into contact. From the elegance of Spanish flamenco to the captivating power of Serbian brass bands, it is capable of embracing the whole of Europe and the world, proclaiming Roma customs, language and boundless joy of life. One of the most splendid parts of this culture is the one that has been flourishing alongside the Hungarian nation for centuries, yielding such fruits as restaurant gypsy music, Vlach Roma music and dance, and Hungarian string folk music.

Mihály Rostás “Mazsi”, the originator, artistic director and chief organiser of the Day of the Gypsy Song, has performed over the past decades on four continents, in more than thirty countries, as the leader and manager of Kossuth Prize and WOMEX Lifetime Achievement Award-winning Mónika Lakatos and the band Romengo. Drawing on his experience and his ability to communicate in Romani with the various countries’ Roma music festivals and Roma bands, he launched the International Day of the Gypsy Song as a gap-filling initiative, as well as the International Roma and World Music Network, which works in many ways to foster international Roma music collaborations. 

The Hungarian central venue of the 5th International Day of the Gypsy Song this year is Budapest, the House of Music Hungary.

Main organiser: International Roma and World Music Network
Festival director: Mihály Rostás “Mazsi”
Supported by: Szerencsejáték Zrt.

Mónika Lakatos and Romengo
Romengo is one of Hungary’s best-known and internationally acclaimed authentic Vlach Roma folk music ensembles. The band was formed in 2004 by the exceptionally voiced singer Mónika Lakatos and her husband, Mihály “Mazsi” Rostás. Their mission is to preserve and pass on the traditional Vlach Roma musical heritage, while presenting the genre as one of the defining voices of the world music scene.

The basis of Romengo’s music lies in Roma melodies passed down through generations, virtuosic singing, and traditional instrumentation and rhythmic patterns. At their concerts the audience can encounter ancient communal songs, dance tunes and spiritually charged compositions at the same time. Their performances are characterised by extraordinary energy, emotional depth and directness.

The ensemble has performed in numerous European countries, as well as in North and South America, at prestigious festivals and concert halls that host the world’s leading world music performers. A central figure in Romengo’s work is Mónika Lakatos, who in 2020 received the WOMEX Artist Award, considered the WOMEX lifetime achievement award, as the first Central and Eastern European Roma artist.

Romengo’s concerts offer not only a musical experience but also an insight into the rich cultural traditions of the Vlach Roma community in Hungary. Their music preserves the values of the past while speaking to today’s audiences, building bridges between cultures, generations and communities.

Bojan Krstić Orkestar
Bojan Krstić and his band live in the town of Vladičin Han in southern Serbia. For decades this small town has been well known as the origin of the best trumpeters and brass bands in the entire Balkan region. The great musicians from there have gained international fame as a result of touring all over the world, recording film soundtracks, and appearing in films and theatrical productions. As a result, the local traditional melodies have become worldwide hits. The Bojan Krstić Orkestar is following exactly this tradition. Every musician has learned his instrument from early childhood, and Bojan Krstić himself has become one of the most brilliant and wonderful trumpeters in the whole region. This very high level of musical skill and immense joy of playing drives the energy they present to large audiences at weddings, concerts and traditional events in the Balkans and beyond. At the famous annual competition in Guča, the “Woodstock of the Balkans” with several hundred thousand visitors every year, Bojan Krstić won the “Golden Trumpet” in 2015, the “First Trumpet” and the “Best Band” award in 2016, in 2017, as well as numerous other awards for the fantastic performances of him and his musicians. In 2016, the band took part in the making of the album Balkan Herbal Clinic by the German band of Mr Žarko, which resulted in exclusive performances with both bands on stage and gave the Balkan styles an unprecedented new momentum.  
 

Megitza
Megitza is a singer of Goral (Polish highland) origin who spent 12 years in the United States. As a young artist she began her musical career in Chicago, where her distinctive musical style took shape, blending elements of blues, country and rock. Her special voice, rooted in her highland origins, is impossible to confuse with anyone else’s.

Over the course of her career she has given thousands of concerts around the world, including at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Vienna Jazz Fest in Austria, the Pol’and’Rock Festival and LuxFest in Poland, and in the United States at Music Without Borders, Chicago SummerDance and the Lotus Festival.

Megitza has won the Golden Buzzer (Złoty Guzik) award of the Polish talent show Mam Talent!, and reached the final of the programme Must Be the Music. To date she has released eight studio albums.