PARTNER COUNTRIES 2026
This year, we are paying special attention to guests from Japan, whose contemporary music scene brings inspiring and unexpected perspectives on world music, jazz and alternative. However, as is tradition, we will also welcome representatives from partner countries Poland and Slovakia, as well as domestic Czech performers.
This year's program will also include several "wild cards" - exceptional projects that the playwrights discovered during their musical journeys around the world.
JAPAN
BAKUROCHO BAND (JAP)
Bakurocho Band is based on traditional Japanese songs, which they transform into contemporary musical demand with playfulness and openness. Acoustic instruments, original instruments and rhythmic experiments meet here with polyrhythms and inspiration from different corners of the world. Their music connects tradition with the discovery of new possibilities and reminds us that folklore can be as playful as it is contemporary.
BILLYRROM (JAP)
Billyrrom brings a fresh take on contemporary Japanese urban music, fusing a neo-soul groove aesthetic with modern pop production and R&B influences. Their songs are built on strong rhythms, elegant harmonies and a natural flow that allows for both catchy melodies and musical detail. This creates a stylish and contemporary sound and music that pulsates with the energy of the big city and the relaxed atmosphere of nightclubs.
SHOWMORE (JAP)
Showmore fuses contemporary Japanese pop with influences from R&B, hip hop, and soft jazz harmonies. The duo builds their songs on sensitive vocals, minimalist arrangements, and modern production that lets both mood and melody shine. Their sleek, contemporary sound blends a club aesthetic with a subtle songwriting sensibility.
UKRAINE
ZGARDA (UA)
ZGARDA draws on the deep roots of Ukrainian folk music, bringing it to the stage in a contemporary and lively form. Traditional songs, polyphonic singing and acoustic instruments create a powerful musical statement that combines the ritual power of folklore with the energy of the contemporary concert scene. They draw the audience into a musical world where old melodies are reborn with the urgency of today.
WILD CARDS
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KANAZOÉ ORKESTRA (FR/BF)
Kanazoé Orkestra grows out of the rhythmic traditions of West Africa, whose heart is the virtuoso playing of the balafon. The band, led by Burkinabe musician Seydou “Kanazoé” Diabaté, combines the energy of African rhythms with jazz improvisation and contemporary world music sounds. The result is a captivating musical flow full of groove, joy and infectious concert energy.
SŪN BYRD (NO)
Sūn Byrd 's music is rooted in the classic soul tradition of the 60s and 70s, which they transform into an energetic and contemporary sound. The six-piece band from Oslo relies on strong vocals, a distinctive brass section and a rhythm that naturally connects soul, funk and modern groove. Their music brings joyful concert energy and reminds us how timeless the honest soul tradition can be.
Singer-songwriter Beata Bocek combines gentle acoustic songs with a distinctive musical imagination and sensitive work with language. On stage, she creates a captivating musical world in which accordion, guitar, ukulele and looper meet, and where Czech and Polish naturally blend with language that arises right in the moment. The result is fragile, playful and deeply personal songs that prove that music can be the most natural way of communication.
Circus Brothers are an energetic band from the Czech world music scene, effortlessly combining Balkan brass with elements of rock, electronics and modern groove. The six-member "circus" band relies on distinctive brass instruments, violins, synths and polyphony to create a sound full of color, rhythm and infectious energy. On stage, they transform into an energetic musical show that will not let the audience stand still.
LIDOVĚK is an original project by musician and actor Matěj Metoděj Štrunec, who returns to Czech folk songs with respect and courage. Traditional melodies in his performance acquire a new sound thanks to the combination of dulcimer, violin and acoustic instruments with modern production and contemporary musical aesthetics. The project opens up a space where the power of folklore naturally meets today's musical imagination and brings a new perspective on how a traditional song can sound nowadays.
CZECHIA
BEATA BOCEK (CZ)
CIRCUS BROTHERS (CZ)
LIDOVĚK (CZ)
TERNE ČHAVE (CZ)
Terne Čhave is one of the most prominent bands on the Czech Roma music scene and has been bringing an energetic and distinctive sound for several decades. Their own style grows from their Roma musical roots, which unabashedly combines elements of rock, ska, blues and world music. The band creates wild, rhythmic and infectious "rom'n'roll", in which the raw energy of Roma melodies meets the untamed concert dynamics.
POLAND
DUALITY (PL)
Duality is a Polish duo that draws inspiration from the folk melodies of the Polish-Belarusian borderland and transforms them into a contemporary musical language. Violins, rhythms, electronics and traditional "white singing" create a space where the raw energy of folklore meets modern production and improvisation. Their music opens up a hypnotic sound world in which tradition naturally blends with experimentation and contemporary club aesthetics.
SHRON (PL)
SHRON is a project from Wroclaw, Poland, that moves on the border of downtempo soul, ambient and contemporary indie sound. The band's instrumental compositions are based on soft harmonies, organic grooves and cinematic soundscapes. SHRON creates atmospheric music that connects the modern urban pulse with an intimate and captivating sonic imagination.
SLOVAKIA
MILOŠ BIHÁRY DJANGO GYPSY JAZZ TRIO (SK)
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NEHA! (SK)
Miloš Bihary Django Gypsy Jazz Trio brings a spirited form of gypsy swing inspired by the legacy of the legendary Django Reinhardt. The young virtuoso musicians build on the energetic dialogue of piano, violin and rhythm and revive the tradition of European jazz swing in distinctive arrangements. The trio creates music full of lightness, virtuosity and infectious concert energy that transports listeners to the golden era of gypsy jazz.
Neha! is an energetic female vocal ensemble from Slovakia that combines traditional songs from different cultures with distinctive polyphonic harmony. The six singers create a strong musical ensemble in which folk roots, contemporary world music energy and a distinctive female voice naturally meet. This creates a captivating vocal experience on stage that combines fragility, strength and the joy of singing together.