Friday at Budapest Ritmo kicks off with an international conference program featuring panels, podium discussions, sustainability workshop, and other networking opportunities for national and international professionals. The conference will be held in English.

Before the evening concerts begin, audiences will have the exclusive chance to watch Amadou & Mariam: The Blind Couple from Mali, a powerful documentary that has not yet been screened in Hungary before. The film traces the inspiring journey of the legendary West African duo Amadou & Mariam, whose music and story have captivated audiences around the world. The audience may remember their unforgettable, sold-out performance at Budapest Ritmo in 2022 – the film shows their remarkable life behind the music.

The evening concert program welcomes audiences open to musical adventures at three illustrious halls of the House of Music Hungary: Ritmo’s spirit moves into the Concert Hall, Lecture Hall and into the Foyer too. On Friday, Slovenian singer Nika Prusnik will perform accompanied by pianist Rok Zalokar, and the audience will also have the opportunity to hear Ilka Kisgyörgy’s freshest band, Stories from the Apple Garden. Serbian band Naked will be performing alongside Kossuth and WOMEX award winner Mónika Lakatos’s new FolkTrio, while Hakumba, one of the most exciting Hungarian bands of recent years, promises an exhilarating and energetic concert. The line-up of international performers is followed by the Parisian band Ko Shin Moon, whose music creates a unique psychedelic sound with traditional Mediterranean instruments and analog synthesizers. Korean duo dal:um also promises a unique musical experience, evoking the most beautiful traditions of South Korean folk music in a minimalist-experimental jazz style. Besides the concerts DJ sets by Conga Heaven, Bongo Hell! duo and Croatia’s Tondini will fill up the Foyer with the best of global beats.