Belgrade Music Week Finale: INNA Closes the Festival
The festival's eighth edition at Usce runs four days for the first time, and Romanian pop star INNA closes the final night on Sunday, June 28, before tens of thousands of fans.
- The eighth Belgrade Music Week at Usce runs 4 days for the first time, June 25 to 28.
- Romanian pop star INNA closes the festival tonight, Sunday, June 28.
- Jala Brat and Buba Corelli, Dara, Gzuz, Rasta, Teodora and Devito all performed over the weekend.
- Organizers expect tens of thousands of visitors from Serbia and the region.
Belgrade Music Week heads into its final night, and on Sunday, June 28, Romanian pop sensation INNA takes the Usce stage to close the biggest music weekend of the summer in the Balkans. The festival’s eighth edition has been extended to four days for the first time, giving the audience an almost non-stop run of concerts by local and international names from Thursday through Sunday.
Jala Brat and Buba Corelli opened the festival on Thursday with a three-hour exclusive set that, according to the organizers, set the tone for the entire weekend. Usce was packed from the first night, with a steady rotation of performers who have spent years filling the region’s largest arenas sharing the bill with its biggest regional stars.
The production is handled by SKYMUSIC, the team that has turned Belgrade Music Week into one of the most attended open-air events in this part of Europe over recent seasons. This year, with a four-day format, the festival has clearly set out to compete with the major regional brands.
Who performed over the weekend?
Saturday was arguably the strongest night in terms of headliners. Bulgarian Eurovision winner Dara came to Usce, and German rapper Gzuz, whose appearances in the region are rare and therefore in demand, lit up the crowd. Alongside them, the lineup featured Rasta, Cunami, Teodora, Devito, Gazda Paja and other acts that draw a younger audience.
That mix of the local scene and foreign guests is exactly what sets Belgrade Music Week apart from classic pop concerts. On the same stage, within a few hours, trap, pop and regional hits follow one another, so the festival manages to bring together generations and tastes that rarely meet in one place.
Organizers also introduced clear entry rules. Admission is barred for anyone under 14, while the VIP zone is reserved strictly for adults over 18. With that, the festival tried to address concerns from previous seasons about safety and the makeup of the audience at gatherings this large.
Why does an INNA finale matter for Usce?
INNA is no accidental choice for the closing night. The Romanian singer is one of the best-selling artists from the region on the global market, with hits that topped European charts for years. Her arrival gives the Usce festival international weight and confirms the organizers’ ambition to position Belgrade Music Week as a regional event, not just a domestic one.
For Belgrade, a finale on this scale is also a serious test of infrastructure, from traffic around Usce to managing entry for tens of thousands of people in a single evening. If everything goes as planned, the four-day format could become the standard for coming seasons.
One question will linger after tonight’s final beat: is Belgrade ready to host global names at festivals like this on a regular basis, or is this a one-off to remember? Who do you think should close Belgrade Music Week next year?
