In 2026, the Slovak city of Trenčín will become the European Capital of Culture, and one of its flagship initiatives will be the ambitious international project Zvuky demokracie or Sounds of Democracy. Developed in collaboration with the Pohoda Festival team, the project will explore Europe’s democratic movements through music, film, discussions, and interactive art. More about the project with Mária Janušová, chief dramaturge of Trenčín 2026.
Zvuky demokracie web Máte problém s prehrávaním? Nahláste nám chybu v prehrávači.
Janušová: This project was prepared in cooperation with the Pohoda Festival team. It focuses on European democratic history and aims to present various revolutions across Europe that contributed to democratic processes.
Throughout 2026, the project will introduce audiences to key European revolutions of the 20th century.
Janušová: Together with the Pohoda Festival, we’re preparing a series of multi-genre events that will include music concerts, discussions, lectures, film screenings, and creative workshops. Our goal is to reach as many people and social groups as possible with the message and context of the struggle for democracy.
The first events will begin on November 14, taking place at the Hviezda Cultural and Creative Centre in Trenčín.
Janušová: We start at 5 p.m., and the event is expected to last until 10 p.m. It will be a multi-genre evening in Trenčín dedicated to the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. The audience can look forward to a discussion titled The Velvet Under the Window, featuring people from Trenčín who were part of the revolutionary movement Verejnosť proti násiliu or Public Against Violence.
The discussion will also include participants who were members of the Občanské fórum or the Civic Forum movement, and it will be hosted by Michal Havran, who is well-known in Slovakia for his talk shows that take a critical and in-depth look at social phenomena.
Janušová: Afterward, the first concert of the evening will take place, featuring the band Karpatské chrbáty. This will be followed by a screening of the film The Singing Revolution, which took place in the Baltic states and is known for the way protesters sang as a form of peaceful resistance to the regime—hence its name. The audience will see a documentary capturing this nonviolent revolution. The event will conclude with a concert by the Polish folk-rock band Hańba!
From November 14 to 18, visitors to Trenčín will also find educational and interactive installations in the city center in the form of large cubes that will further illustrate the context of the Velvet Revolution.
Janušová: In the foyer of the Hviezda Cultural and Creative Centre, there will be a samizdat workshop with a typewriter, where visitors can try creating their own underground publications. In the city center, pop-up cube installations will each focus on a different aspect of the Velvet Revolution. These will include documents, photographs, and period newspapers published by Public Against Violence, provided by the State Archive in Trenčín. This way, people will be able to compare the situation of the past with that of today. When we studied these archival materials, we realized that the current situation is very similar to the one from the past—which is both fascinating and perhaps even alarming.
The organizing team plans to continue the Sounds of Democracy series in cooperation with cities that will hold the European Capital of Culture title in the coming years. The good news is that all events will be free of charge.
Janušová: The next event will take place on April 25, marking the Carnation Revolution in Portugal. For this occasion, the organizers will collaborate with the Portuguese city of Évora, which will hold the European Capital of Culture title in 2027. Another event will be held on May 9 for Europe Day, followed by one on June 5, the Day of Freedom and Civil Solidarity in Poland, in cooperation with the city of Lublin.
The Sounds of Democracy project will continue to resonate in Trenčín in the second half of 2026 as well. On September 6, the Trenčín 2026 team will host a special event dedicated to the already mentioned Singing Revolution.
Janušová: And on October 3, which marks the Day of German Unity—the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany—the project will commemorate that historic moment. Naturally, the Velvet Revolution will also be remembered next year, and this two-day event will serve as the culmination of the entire project.
According to the organizers, the Sounds of Democracy project also has a strong connection to current global political developments.
Janušová: I believe this project is very important given the current political situation in Europe and around the world, where we see the rise of extremism, populism, and radical conservatism. It feels as though we are returning to the darker periods of history instead of moving forward and building on the founding principles of Europe and the European Union.
Sounds of Democracy is more than a festival—it’s a reflection on Europe’s shared history of struggle, courage, and solidarity. By linking past revolutions with today’s social and political challenges, the project invites citizens to think critically about democracy’s fragility and resilience. Through art, music, and dialogue, Trenčín 2026 aims to remind Europe that the fight for freedom is ongoing—and that its sounds still resonate today.
