SoAlive Brings EU Culture Commissioner to Sofia

The event will feature over 800 delegates, 150 speakers, and 50 showcase performances across the city.

A key highlight will be the first official visit to the Balkans by European Commissioner of Culture Glenn Micallef, who will present the European Culture Compass. Micallef will also take part in a keynote Q&A on EU cultural policy and funding, covering topics such as Creative Europe, mobility, digitalisation, sustainability, inclusion, and under-representation in Southeast Europe.

The programme also includes a keynote by Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation, exploring themes of independence, artistic identity, and adapting to the digital and AI-driven music landscape.

Other sessions will bring together leading festivals, agencies, and music companies including Primavera Sound, Roskilde, Mad Cool, EXIT, Wasserman, UTA, CAA, Live Nation, Universal Music Group, Partisan, and Beggars. Panels and workshops will cover areas such as touring, diversity and inclusion, safety, artist development, sync, and new market opportunities.

Alongside its conference programme, SoAlive will host showcase performances across multiple venues in Sofia. The event also launches a new PRO+ networking platform to connect delegates before, during, and after the conference.

Ruth Koleva, Program Director, SoAlive:

“SoAlive was built to connect the Balkans’ reality to Europe’s decision-making. Hosting the Commissioner’s first Balkans visit alongside a keynote by Rob Garza signals what this week is about: culture as strategy, and talent meeting the global industry on equal terms.”

SoAlive Music Conference is South East Europe’s largest industry gathering, combining a four-day summit with live performances to connect artists, festivals, agents, labels, tech platforms, media, and policymakers.