Garden of Encounters: Bucharest’s Revolution Square hosts cultural, community events this week

Grădina Întâlnirilor (Garden of Encounters) will transform the northern side of the Memorial of Rebirth in Bucharest’s Revolution Square into a public space for gathering, culture, movement, and community, replacing the parking area for a week.

The project, developed by Străzi pentru Oameni Association (SpO) in partnership with Arcub and the Museum of Communism in Bucharest, welcomes Bucharest residents to a reading corner and outdoor workspaces, public discussions with community and administration representatives, sports and creative activities for children, mornings with coffee provided by local cafés, and, in the evening, tastings offered by local restaurants.

A highlight of the week will be the Mobile Museum: History Outdoors project of the Museum of Communism in Bucharest, scheduled to take place on the weekend of September 26–27. The interactive museum recreates a part of a typical home from the communist period and uses various items and hands-on experiences to explore aspects of everyday life, as well as the hardships and injustices of the regime.

Throughout the week, the sides of Revolution Square will also host the exhibition Garden of Memories, dedicated to the 1989 Revolution and the end of the communist regime.

The project will measure pedestrian flows, the amount of time people spend in the square, participants’ feedback, and the results will later be made public.

Grădina Întâlnirilor responds to a wish expressed during a community consultation carried out by the non-profit Străzi pentru Oameni in spring 2026. Of the 276 respondents, nine in ten supported the temporary conversion of the parking area into a pedestrian space, while 84% gave the idea the highest possible rating.

Grădina Întâlnirilor is the latest step in the project Grădina Revoluției (Revolution Garden), where Străzi pentru Oameni is working with institutional and community partners to reclaim Revolution Square for pedestrians. The project began with the report “Grădina Revoluției: A Discussion on the Urban Regeneration of Revolution Square in Bucharest,” launched in May 2025. This was followed by the Garden of Memories in December 2025, when Revolution Square was cleared of cars for the first time in 35 years and visited by thousands of Bucharest residents, the community consultation in spring 2026, and a community event held this May.

The full program is available here.