Untold 2025 starts on a national day of mourning: the festival will not be affected

Cluj-Napoca is getting ready to host, starting Thursday, August 7, the tenth edition of the Untold festival, one of the largest music events in Europe. The festival’s opening takes place on the day Romania observes a national mourning day in memory of former president Ion Iliescu.

The government adopted a decision on Tuesday regarding declaring August 7 as a national day of mourning. However, the organization of the festival will not be affected by this decision.

Emil Boc: "Everything will proceed according to the initial schedule"

The Mayor of Cluj, Emil Boc, stated to Actual de Cluj that the opening festivities of Untold will take place as planned.

"Everything will proceed according to the initial schedule," the mayor stated when asked if the national mourning day would influence the event.

According to legal norms, on national mourning days, public institutions are required to fly the flag at half-mast, and television and radio stations adjust their programming. These regulations do not directly affect festival-type activities or private cultural events.

Hundreds of thousands of participants and over 250 international artists

Untold 2025 brings over 250 artists from around the world to Cluj, including some of the most renowned international DJs, alongside Romanian artists. Organizers estimate a presence of over 300,000 participants during the four-day festival.

Although the context is atypical, local authorities and organizers emphasize that the observance of the mourning day will be in accordance with legal provisions, without the event being suspended or postponed.

Former President Ion Iliescu passed away on August 5 at the age of 95. The government decided that August 7 would be a national day of mourning, a decision that sparked controversies in the political space, especially given the divergent reactions from parties regarding the political legacy of the former head of state.

The Untold festival takes place between August 7 and 10 in Cluj-Napoca and represents a major attraction for both the Romanian public and electronic music fans worldwide.