The Ministry of Culture has announced a significant change in the access policy to cultural events, by drastically reducing the number of protocol invitations. The seats thus released will be transformed into reduced-price tickets, intended for categories that often fail to participate in such events for financial reasons: pupils, students and pensioners. "It is a measure aimed at moving from a culture of formality to one of real participation", the Ministry said in a press release.
• Enescu Festival 2025 - a new model of cultural access
The first application of this policy takes place at the George Enescu International Festival, considered the most important cultural event in Romania and one of the most prestigious classical music festivals globally. For the 2025 edition, the Ministry of Culture will reduce the number of official invitations by approximately 40%, and will put on sale tickets with a 50% discount for young and elderly audiences.
Minister of Culture, Demeter Andras, emphasized that the decision reflects a change in vision: "Major cultural events must be real encounters with the public, not exercises in representation. Culture lives through those who seek it, support it and value it - and their place is in the hall.” The minister also reiterated the institution's commitment to continue this approach in the case of other cultural events organized or financed from public funds.
• Protocol does not disappear completely, but becomes rational
The ministry specifies that it will continue to retain a limited number of seats for institutional guests and diplomatic representatives, especially in events with an international dimension. However, the focus will shift towards inclusive and genuine participation of the general public, especially the economically vulnerable.
• Access to culture - not a privilege, but a right
The Ministry's new policy is presented as part of a broader strategy to democratize cultural access. "Artistic excellence must go hand in hand with cultural equity. Access to culture must not be a privilege, but a real chance for everyone - to learn, to feel and to find themselves in the great story of art that unites us,” the official statement says. This initiative comes in a context in which, for years, seats at the most valuable cultural events have been mainly reserved for protocol invitations, to the detriment of general access.
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