Two generations, two different musical languages, one country - at the Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala 2026 festival, Moldova will be represented by two outstanding yet completely different musical groups. On July 24, at the festival's opening night, the folk-rock legend Zdob și Zdub will take the stage of the Dzintari Concert Hall for the first time. And on July 25, the long-time festival friends and audience favorites - the saxophone and dance music virtuosos Sunstroke Project - will return to Jūrmala. Together, these two groups will reveal the power of modern Moldovan music and the diversity of its artistic forms.
Founded in 1994 in Chișinău, the band Zdob și Zdub has been connecting the seemingly unconnectable for over thirty years - the roots of Moldovan and Romanian folklore with the energy of punk rock, ethnographic accuracy with the irony of urban culture. The ensemble, led by Roman Iagupov, has released ten studio albums and is the only performer in the history of Eurovision to have successfully passed the semifinals three times: in 2005 with the song "Boonika bate doba", in 2011 with "So Lucky", and in 2022 together with Frații Advahov with the internationally beloved "Trenulețul", which took seventh place in the final and became a true cultural ambassador for Moldova across Europe. From the legendary "DJ Vasile" and "Videocronica" to early collaborations with Emir Kusturica's No Smoking Orchestra, their sound always balances between tradition and bold artistic experimentation. On the opening night, this music will be accompanied by a live festival orchestra.
Sunstroke Project, founded in 2007 in Tiraspol, is a name that the festival audience has known and loved for many years. Twice participants in Eurovision: in 2010 together with Olya Tira with the song "Run Away", whose global fame was ensured by the legendary internet phenomenon Epic Sax Guy, saxophonist Sergey Stepanov, and in 2017 with the electropop hit "Hey Mamma", which took third place in the final - the best result for Moldova in the history of the contest. This year, the band experienced a new bright turn in their career: Sergey Stepanov with the song "Run Away" reached the semifinals of the 19th season of the popular British show Britain's Got Talent, where his joint performance with British artist KSI became one of the season's highlights and received praise from judge Simon Cowell. Meanwhile, the song "Run Away" has already held positions in global dance charts for the fourth consecutive year. The magnificent voice of the lead singer, the synthesis of saxophone and modern dance music, charismatic stage presence, and impeccable sense of rhythm turn each of their performances into a sparkling show filled with light and live energy.
"Moldova is a small country with an incredibly powerful musical voice. With Zdob și Zdub and Sunstroke Project, we give our audience the opportunity to discover two completely different faces of Moldovan music, both of which offer exactly what we value most in the festival: authenticity, energy, and musical freedom," comments Laima Vaikule.
The Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala 2026 Festival will take place from July 24 to 26 at the Dzintari Concert Hall.
