New Faces 2026 are:

Veronika Černe (Radio Študent, SI)

Veronika is a sound engineer, event organiser and music journalist. She is active in the alternative electronic music scene as a DJ and producer under the alias Raketa. Her entry into the business side of the music industry began at Radio Študent, where she started as a sound engineer and music journalist and later took on several organisational roles.

She is the head of Tresk Festival (Radio Študent), host of the radio show Vibe Check, and creator of the event series Ghetto Babes (Gala Hala), focusing on ghetto-tech music, highlighting FLINTA artists and fostering safer club spaces. As an in-house sound engineer, she works at Channel Zero, Gala Hala, Gromka and Klub K4 / Zorica.

Her long-term goal is to combine her work in the music industry with educational activities through DJ, sound engineering and radio workshops.

Jan Robek (Kapa Records, KREH, SI)

Jan is a musician, booker, concert organiser, promoter and label manager. In 2017, he began organising events for the local skate collective LYC, including concerts and DJ showcases.

In 2022, he took over the underground label Kapa Records, overseeing the release of nine albums to date and organising two Balkan tours for the bands auto and Čao Portorož. He later expanded into booking, organisation and promotion for Gala Hala and his own platform KREH.

Through KREH, he collaborates with clubs in Metelkova City, local artists, organisers and designers. In 2024 and 2025, he worked as stage manager at MENT Ljubljana. He also performs in the band mal pre mal.

Dona Ilijevska (Gola Planina, Mrtov Konj, MK)

Dona is a young creative working as a graphic designer, booking manager and artist manager for the collective Naked Mountain (Gola Planina) and its label Dead Horse (Mrtov Konj).

She focuses on highlighting underground culture while supporting the growth of Macedonia’s independent music and arts scene. Currently, she works as a booker and manager with local bands such as Mallard and Kaliko and has contributed to shaping events across North Macedonia as well as venues and festivals throughout the Balkans.

Luka Toshev (Dina Jashari, Studio Ilinden 3, MK)

Luka is a musician, music enthusiast and creative professional with a strong affinity for theatre, live performance and behind-the-scenes work. He works in booking, tour management and public relations.

He currently serves as tour manager, booker and PR for Dina Jashari and regularly tours with her. He also has experience organising events through MKC Skopje and CinEdays Festival, as well as producing concerts in Skopje. Additionally, he is active as a theatre composer and sound designer.

Luka is the founder of Studio Ilinden 3 and Grainy Scrapbook and a member of the collective Dope Kukjata.

Ana Konstantinović (Liveurope, RS)

Ana is a cultural manager and producer working across music, festivals and contemporary culture. She has been involved in major projects and organisations including Liveurope, Arsenal Fest, Sarajevo Film Festival, Olympiad Paris and the concert agency Long Play, collaborating with international artists such as Manu Chao, Steve Vai, Nouvelle Vague and Circa Waves.

In addition to festival production and artist coordination, she develops accompanying programmes and creative concepts and hosts a radio show dedicated to alternative scenes and subcultures. When not working on her next project, she explores hidden spaces or watches classic films.

Boško Strugar (KST, RS)

Boško is a music and cultural programmer, producer and event organiser with a strong focus on concert production and club programming. As a member of the management team and programme editor at Klub studenata tehnike (KST), he actively shapes seasonal concepts, leads music and cultural events and coordinates multidisciplinary teams across production, technical, design, PR and multimedia departments.

He has been involved in organising numerous club nights and concerts featuring local, regional and international artists. His creative practice also includes DJing and music curation.

David Mandić (Radio Tvornica, HR)

David holds a Master’s degree in Communication Studies, Media and Journalism and has experience in print and digital media, including Jutarnji list, 24sata and Glazba.hr.

He is an editor and radio host at Radio Tvornica, shaping the station’s programme and musical identity through the show Večernji pogon. He is also the creator and host of Scenica!, a platform dedicated to promoting local and regional independent music. Scenica! is an innovative multimedia concept connecting radio broadcasting with live performances at Tvornica kulture.

David is a member of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND), a jury member of the Rock&Off awards and an alumnus of the Rock&Off School of Music Journalism.

Matea Božić (yem, HR)

Matea is a communications and media professional specialising in music, concerts and contemporary culture. With a background in photography, video production and journalism, she developed her storytelling skills producing and writing TV reports for HRT4, covering music, visual arts, theatre and the broader creative scene.

She currently works in marketing and public relations at yem., leading campaigns for artists, record labels and major festivals, including Zagreb Beer Fest, Pine Fest and Beat na moru. She collaborates closely with artists and creative teams, connecting visual expression, digital platforms and strategy to build authentic narratives around music projects.

Zhelyazko Ganchev (Zvuk I Kartina / BubbleGum Records, Samodiva Society, BG)

Zhelyazko is an independent music professional based in Sofia, working in artist development and organisation. Together with colleagues, he runs Zvuk I Kartina / BubbleGum Records, an independent music label, and collaborates with Samodiva Society, an NGO supporting independent artists.

He oversees artist development, project coordination, release and campaign planning, as well as daily operations. He also has extensive experience in high-pressure festival environments, including venue and stage management, backstage coordination, task delegation and on-site troubleshooting to ensure smooth programme delivery.

Georgi Kazasov (Smiles Music, Caravan Party, BG)

Georgi is an event coordinator and music professional working with the family-run concert company Smiles Music. For more than a decade, he has played a key role in developing the Caravan Party Festival in Arapya, hosting leading Bulgarian artists and supporting emerging talent.

He has also produced a one-day summer festival featuring Incognito and AKAGA and managed two national tours for Orlin Goranov. Trained in opera, he holds a degree in Music Business and Management from BIMM London. His goal is to expand Smiles Music and position Bulgaria as a global destination for international concerts.