ARE YOU LOST?
Good.
Everything was getting a little too easy to find anyway.
The algorithm knows what you like.
The industry knows what sells.
Alternative became a marketing category.
Underground became an aesthetic.
Nostalgia discovered digital marketing.
Everyone found their niche and every niche found its audience.
Buy. Stream. Like. Repeat.
Meanwhile, the same circles keep circling.
Radio remembers the nineties.
The internet remembers everything.
AI learns from yesterday while musicians are still being asked to sound like tomorrow’s version of last year.
Everyone wants something new.
Preferably something that already works.
Is anyone else bored?
We believe music should still confuse you.
Surprise you.
Annoy you.
Move you before you know what to call it.
So if you’re lost, stay lost for a while.
STAY CURIOUS.
You might discover a BRAVE NEW SOUND.
Whether you’re a music enthusiast, industry professional or simply curious about emerging artists, MENT offers a platform for discovering new sounds and connecting with the music scene.
MENT Ljubljana is a music discovery festival facilitating, in symbiosis with the conference, the presentation of music performers from all over Europe in front of international music professionals and audiences. Its primary focus is on promoting emerging talent, fostering creativity and facilitating networking opportunities within the independent music industry. At the twelfth edition (February 2026) 78 artists from 26 countries performed across four days on 13 stages around Ljubljana.
The international conference focuses on the music industry and creativity. The conference was attended by 700 foreign and local music professionals (festival organizers, concert promoters, booking agents, managers, journalists, representatives of record labels, networks, and others). The participating delegates came from more than 30 countries.
“MENT remains a rarity: a showcase festival curated so that whichever path you choose, every discovery feels like a win.” Antonio Poscic, The Wire
“MENT isn’t just a festival, it’s infrastructure for the future of independent culture.” Darek Mazzone, KEXP
“If there’s something that threads everything together, it’s that MENT is a place to put aside any preconceptions and lean into the unfamiliar.”
Sasha Mills, Clash
Tickets on sale soon.
Be the first to hear about tickets and the festival programme: https://ment.si/ment-newsletter/
Produced by Kino Šiška
Conference co-produced by SIGIC
