MMB is the first and biggest international music business conference and showcase festival in Romania. Dedicated to all music enthusiasts, MMB is the place where both independent artists and key music business professionals are offered the opportunity to meet with leading experts in the local and international industry, learn from them and interact with them directly.
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The Global Gateway: Export Strategies for Today’s Music
Expanding into international markets takes more than great music—it requires the right strategy, partnerships, and timing. This panel explores how artists and music professionals can successfully grow their careers beyond their home territories, from choosing the right markets and building international networks to making the most of showcase festivals, export offices, and digital opportunities. Join industry experts as they share practical insights into navigating today's global music landscape.
Anca Lupeș is one of the most experienced professionals in Romanian music business. One of her most important advantages is that during her career in the music business she has activated in almost all the areas of this industry – mass media (press, radio, TV), concert organising... Read More →
Head of European Affairs and Gender Equality, Centre National de la Musique
Corinne Sadki has been working for more than 25 years in record companies (EMI, BMG, Sony Music) developing marketing and communication strategies with a never ending passion for music. In 2016, she joinded the french music export office in Paris (Le Bureau Export) and got involve... Read More →
Behind countless albums, tours, TV shows, and live performances are session musicians, the highly skilled professionals who bring other artists' music to life. But what does it actually mean to build a career as a session musician, and is it a viable full-time profession?
This panel explores the realities of life as a session musician, from finding your first gigs and building a reputation to navigating the freelance nature of the job. How do session musicians get hired? What skills and mindset are essential? How stable is the income, and what are the biggest challenges and opportunities in this career path?
Andrei Ilie is 28 years old and is one of the most active drummers on the Romanian rock & pop scene. Frequently, though, as a member of the projects he was involved in during the years, he found himself taking care of band tasks which often went beyond drumming duties, particularly... Read More →
At Untold, Visa built a partnership that puts creators front and center, not as content vendors, but as voices worth investing in. In this panel, the key players behind the collaboration share how the model was designed, what the business case looked like, and what it means for a brand of Visa's scale to genuinely back emerging talent. A conversation for anyone working at the intersection of artist management, festival programming, and brand partnerships.
Music business conferences are events that, in theory, are pretty straightforward. But if you want to really understand the ways in which you can profit most from three days of panels, workshops, and showcases - here is a playbook from the founder of MMB, Anca Lupeș.
Anca Lupeș is one of the most experienced professionals in Romanian music business. One of her most important advantages is that during her career in the music business she has activated in almost all the areas of this industry – mass media (press, radio, TV), concert organising... Read More →
Tuesday September 1, 2026 12:15 - 12:55 EEST LAURA STOICA ROOMHOTEL CARO
Anais Vacariu - Born in Australia and raised in Romania, Anais now splits her time between Bucharest and Berlin, where she writes and produces her own music. What started as a consistent, distinctive presence on social media has turned into something tangible: a fan community that doesn’t just double-tap but shows up. Their momentum helped land her a slot at Electric Castle 2026 and continues to drive ticket sales for her live shows and steady demand for her merch.
Her debut show in Expirat Club, Bucharest, confirmed the depth of that connection, filling the room with an audience that knew the songs word for word. With a sound she describes as dark pop orchestral rock, built around powerful vocals and emotionally charged performances, Anais is currently finishing her debut album, the next chapter of a project that has grown organically from social media to stage.
In the music industry, a crisis is never a question of if, but when. A leaked statement, a cancelled show, a controversy that spirals overnight — reputation can take years to build and hours to lose. This session looks at what actually happens when things fall apart: how artists, managers, and labels respond under pressure, what separates those who recover from those who don't, and why some careers even come out stronger on the other side.
Drawing on real cases from the music business, we'll break down the anatomy of a reputational crisis — from the first spark to full-blown storm — and explore practical strategies for navigating it: when to speak, when to stay silent, who should deliver the message, and how to rebuild trust with audiences, partners, and the media.
Because in the end, it's not the storm that defines you. It's what you make of it when it breaks.
What does it take to turn a festival concept into a world-class live experience? From stage design and technical production to artist hospitality, logistics, and last-minute crisis management, producing a large-scale event requires precision, teamwork, and the ability to adapt under pressure.
This panel brings together experienced production professionals to discuss the realities behind major festivals and concerts. Topics include production planning and budgeting, advancing with artists and crews, coordinating multiple stakeholders, sustainability and safety, managing unexpected challenges, and the technologies shaping the future of live event production. An essential session for anyone interested in the operational side of the live music industry.
Roxana Luca is an experienced events professional who began her career in 2006. She has delivered major projects from concept to execution, including Pope Francis’ visit to Blaj, Romania, as well as international productions for ARTmania, Emagic, Pozitif Live, and other promoters.Combining... Read More →
Zsolt Szabó is a live event production professional with more than a decade of experience, primarily working in Hungary while also gaining extensive experience on international projects across concerts, festivals, arena-scale productions and major events. His career has taken him... Read More →
Tuesday September 1, 2026 14:00 - 14:40 EEST LAURA STOICA ROOMHOTEL CARO
DJ at Kiss FM for 13 years, Program Director for a year. One of the organizers of the largest music industry conference in Romania, Mastering the Music Business, with experience in booking and artist management.
The festival market is becoming increasingly crowded, making it harder than ever for festivals to stand out, remain relevant, and build lasting relationships with their audiences and partners. With so many events competing for the same audiences, attention, funding, and resources, success often depends on having a clear and distinctive position.
But what does “positioning” actually mean for a festival? It goes beyond having a strong identity or a catchy slogan — it is about defining what makes a festival unique, who it is for, and why people should choose it over the many alternatives. It is also about understanding how a festival positions itself towards potential partners and sponsors: what it can offer them, what makes the partnership meaningful, and how its identity, audience, values, and cultural relevance can translate into a compelling proposition for brands.
This panel will explore how festivals can define and communicate their position, differentiate themselves in a competitive market, and build partnerships that go beyond traditional sponsorship models.
Alin is the founder of the Jazz in the Park festival in Cluj-Napoca and the executive director of the Fatte Association, the implementing organization of the festival. He has been working in the cultural field since 2009, especially in the field of music, being responsible for hundreds... Read More →
Nibiru’s journey is a story of ambition, rapid growth and rethinking what a festival can become. Starting from a large-scale event concept, Nibiru has evolved into a broader entertainment destination, bringing together music, experiences, hospitality, food, leisure and community in one space.
In this session, we’ll explore the vision and strategy behind this transformation: how do you build an entirely new entertainment ecosystem, scale an event into a destination, and create an experience that goes beyond the traditional festival format?
From the challenges of infrastructure and operations to programming, branding, audience development and long-term growth, this conversation will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how Nibiru is shaping a new model for entertainment in Romania.
DJ at Kiss FM for 13 years, Program Director for a year. One of the organizers of the largest music industry conference in Romania, Mastering the Music Business, with experience in booking and artist management.
Are cover bands a good way to earn a living in the music business? And are they an accelarator or a brake for an emerging artist trying to promote their music - Can cover bands provide a sustainable career in today's music industry? For many musicians, performing covers offers a reliable source of income, valuable live experience, and opportunities to build a loyal audience. But does it also come with creative limitations?
This panel explores the role of cover bands in the modern music business, examining whether they serve as a financial foundation, a career destination, or a stepping stone toward an original artist career.
Andrei Ilie is 28 years old and is one of the most active drummers on the Romanian rock & pop scene. Frequently, though, as a member of the projects he was involved in during the years, he found himself taking care of band tasks which often went beyond drumming duties, particularly... Read More →
Helda is the anatomy of the courage to celebrate music beyond any template that has existed on the local scene so far. The mission is simple: to create the moment when each of our dreams is woven into silk and distortion, all of us together, beneath the same pool of light. In 2026, things change. Let’s set out. We are Helda.
Tuesday September 1, 2026 20:30 - 21:00 EEST Expirat - Indoor StageStrada Doctor Constantin Istrati 1, 040542 București, Romania
𝗶𝗺𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶 is a Romanian-born, internationally-raised singer-songwriter whose music sits at the intersection of cinematic pop and deeply personal storytelling. She crafts songs that feel both intimate and expansive, layering raw feeling with meticulous sonic detail. From her breakout support slot on the Abor & Tynna European tour to her semifinalist run at Eurovision România 2026, Franci has established herself as an artist who doesn’t just perform emotion, she engineers it. “Traces of Us” is her most sonically daring release yet, a song that opens in deceptive calm, turns itself on its head, and lands in the stillness of acceptance.
Tuesday September 1, 2026 21:05 - 21:35 EEST Expirat - Garden StageStrada Doctor Constantin Istrati 1, 040542 București, Romania
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 (Estonia) - since their humble beginnings in the small coastal town of Pärnu, they've made a name for themselves with a catalogue that already spans five acclaimed albums. Influenced by British guitar pop, post-punk and early R&B, theirs is a multi-layered affair: a gritty, hard-hitting, guitar-oriented rock'n'roll sound — rough and rebellious — set against polished image, pop melodies, biting wit and laid-back grooves.
Long-time critical darlings, The Boondocks have dominated the Estonian scene for a decade. Their accolades include Newcomer of the Year (Radio 2, 2016), Album of the Year (Radio 2, 2018), and back-to-back Rock Album of the Year wins at the Estonian Music Awards for "Soup Can Pop Band" (2021) and "Silver Buzz" (2025) — plus Album Design of the Year in 2026 for their visual aesthetic.
Their latest, "Silver Buzz" (2025), is their most ambitious era yet: retro-inspired sonics meet modern production, with a full orchestra woven in — a nod to the band's collective obsession with cinema, and proof of a group still pushing its sound forward after ten years.
Tuesday September 1, 2026 21:40 - 22:10 EEST Expirat - Indoor StageStrada Doctor Constantin Istrati 1, 040542 București, Romania
𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘂 is an emerging singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, exploring a sound where contemporary R&B and soul intertwine with influences from Romanian folk music.
Performing solo, she uses live looping to build layered compositions from vocals, guitar, synths and the caval, creating an intimate and emotionally charged live experience.She first gained wider recognition in 2024 through her appearance on The Voice of Romania, where her performance of “Of, Leliță Mărioară” went viral and led to the release of her debut single.
A self-taught musician, she produced her first songs independently and is currently working on her debut EP, inspired by contemporary reinterpretations of traditional Romanian folk songs.
Tuesday September 1, 2026 22:15 - 22:45 EEST Expirat - Garden StageStrada Doctor Constantin Istrati 1, 040542 București, Romania
𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗮 is a Bucharest-based artist and producer whose work has evolved from indie-leaning psychedelic rock and shoegaze into a raw, high-energy psychedelic rock sound.
Entirely self-produced and shaped by years of writing and producing for other artists, his music is driven by fuzz-drenched guitars and immersive textures, offering a critical view of modern society and its emotional impact. His latest album “Fuzz Panic,” recorded at Avanpost Studio, marks this shift and is built for an intense live experience.
Tuesday September 1, 2026 22:50 - 23:20 EEST Expirat - Indoor StageStrada Doctor Constantin Istrati 1, 040542 București, Romania
𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗺𝘂𝘀 is one of the most representative bands of the Romanian alternative scene, with a career spanning over two decades. Hailing from Cluj, they’ve built a solid, consistent track record: six studio albums and a constant presence on both local and international stages.
Over the years, Grimus have shared the stage with world-renowned artists, opening for the likes of Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Placebo, Hurts, Kasabian, Deep Purple, Roxette, Eros Ramazzotti and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Beyond Romania, they’ve toured the UK, India, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Bulgaria and Moldova.
With every live performance, Grimus stand out through an intense, refined sound and authentic, vibrant shows that reflect the depth of their musical universe.
Tuesday September 1, 2026 23:35 - Wednesday September 2, 2026 00:20 EEST Expirat - Indoor StageStrada Doctor Constantin Istrati 1, 040542 București, Romania
