Balkan Fest Connect: Expanding Cultural Frontiers Through Collaboration project aimed to strengthen the performance, skills, and capacities of music festivals across the Western Balkans. By responding to the region’s need for greater knowledge, innovation, and cooperation, the project promoted mentorship, peer-to-peer learning, best-practice exchange, multicultural programming, and joint co-production, creating conditions for long-term festival sustainability, broader regional outreach, and a more resilient cultural sector.
One of the project’s key achievements was the strengthening of links between the cultural and tourism sectors. This was particularly evident in the “Festivals as Destinations” workshop, which brought together stakeholders from both fields and demonstrated how festivals could support regional development and creative tourism.
The project also laid the groundwork for the strategic transformation of Mostar Summer Fest (MSF) from a traditional evening event into a full-day festival concept with camping. Through the mentorship programme, the MSF team developed a detailed relocation plan that included daytime activities, educational workshops, and leisure zones. The mentorship segment of the project led to visible improvements: the most recent MSF edition introduced a design competition and exhibition, the festival’s first merchandise shop, and daytime youth workshops, marking the initial steps toward a comprehensive full-day festival model.
Beyond programme development, the project significantly strengthened regional visibility and audience mobility. For the first time, MSF gained substantial promotional reach in Montenegro through dedicated events, media coverage, and coordinated online campaigns, resulting in increased cross-border attendance. At the same time, Lake Fest expanded its visibility in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reinforcing regional cultural exchange. The project further enhanced artistic mobility, enabling emerging performers to access new stages and audiences across the Western Balkans and enriching the regional cultural landscape.
Finally, the mentorship process produced two practical tools, a Guide for Festival Organizers and a Campsite Rulebook, which will support MSF’s future expansion and provide lasting value to other cultural actors developing full-day festival concepts.
Implementing partners: Association for Promotion of Urban Culture in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (BiH) and NVO Sinteza (MNE).
The Balkan Fest Connect: Expanding Cultural Frontiers Through Collaboration is supported by the British Council through the Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans project, funded by the European Union. CC4WBs aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.