Public access granted by Romanian Ministry of Culture for reserving seats at significant events
The Romanian Ministry of Culture has announced a new policy aimed at increasing public access to major cultural events, with the 2025 edition of the George Enescu International Festival serving as the first event to implement this strategy.
Impact on Public Access
This policy shift aims to reduce the number of seats reserved for institutional protocol, cutting the number of official invitations by approximately 40%. These reductions will primarily target events with an international dimension, ensuring a limited number of seats remain for diplomatic and institutional guests.
In place of these seats, discounted tickets will be introduced, with a focus on providing half-price tickets to students, pupils, and pensioners. This move is intended to increase diversity and inclusivity among festival attendees, transitioning from a protocol-driven to a people-centered approach.
Culture Minister Demeter Andras emphasised the importance of this change, stating, "Major cultural events should be real encounters with the public, not exercises in representation." The goal of the new policy is to foster broader and more inclusive participation in major cultural events.
Implementation and Availability
Discounted tickets for the 2025 George Enescu International Festival will be available for purchase online through Eventim.ro and in physical stores, including Carrefour hypermarkets and certain bookstore chains such as Cărturești and Humanitas.
The first sale of discounted tickets took place on July 28, allowing interested individuals to plan ahead for the festival. These tickets will primarily be allocated at events with an international dimension.
Priority for these discounted tickets will be given to students, pupils, and pensioners. This initiative is expected to make major cultural events more accessible to a wider segment of the public, enhancing inclusivity and fostering genuine cultural engagement.
- The policy change in the Romanian Ministry of Culture for the 2025 George Enescu International Festival will make entertainment more accessible by offering half-price tickets for music events, which will be primarily available to students, pupils, and pensioners.
- The 2025 George Enescu International Festival will see a shift from exclusive protocol events to a more inclusive approach, as a significant number of seats previously reserved for institutional guests will now be replaced with discounted entertainment tickets for the public, including music events.
