We’re back! This is the fifth year of us hosting Sunny Hill Festival in Prishtina, and somehow it still feels like a dream. The energy, the people, the music – it all comes together in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’re standing right there in the middle of it. What started as an idea my dad, Dukagjin Lipa, had for a one-off charity show has turned into something bigger than all of us could have expected, and watching it grow has been one of the proudest experiences of my life.
When I lived in Prishtina, Kosovo’s capital city, between the ages of 11 and 15, music was everything to me – but rarely did my favourite artists come and perform here. Our city wasn’t part of the global circuit. So now, to be able to bring artists we love right into the heart of Kosovo, as well as celebrating all the local talent, and to help the younger generation to experience music up close is incredible. It’s not just about the show. It’s about shifting how we, as Kosovars, see ourselves – and how the world sees us.
At the core of the festival is the Sunny Hill Foundation, which my family and I also founded, and is the heart behind everything we do – championing young people across Kosovo and the Balkans, helping to fund creative education, backing emerging artists, investing in grassroots projects and, above all, believing in the power of ideas born right here. This region is full of untapped brilliance, and we’re here to help bring it into the light.
This year, we took that commitment a step further and teamed up with the Institute of Psychology at the University of Prishtina to launch a campaign focused on protecting mental health. With experts offering support on-site throughout the festival, we created a safe, welcoming space where attendees could care for their mental wellbeing, have real conversations and have access to professional guidance. Because creativity thrives where people feel supported – emotionally as well as artistically.
I missed being on the Sunny Hill stage last year (even though it did mean I was able to just focus on partying instead!), so on the Friday night I stepped back into it with a mix of nerves and an overwhelming amount of excitement. My heart was full, and it was made even fuller by the fact I was able to share the stage with my dad to sing his song Era from when he was in his band, ODA.
I’ve spoken before about how much this festival means to me and my family, but this year, I wanted you to really see it. Because it’s not just my story – it’s my brother and sister working behind the scenes to bring the lineup together, making sure every artist and guest has the time of their life. It’s my dad, who had the courage to dream something so wildly ambitious into existence and never backed down from it. It’s my amazing mother, who is our absolute rock and the glue that holds the family together. And it’s all our friends and all you festival-lovers out in the crowd, dancing and helping it keep growing. It’s chaotic, joyful, exhausting, but most of all: completely unforgettable.
Every time I see the festival site, step onto the stage or see a young local artist perform in front of thousands for the first time, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. This isn’t just a weekend for us – it’s a movement. And the best part? We’re only just getting started.
Sunny Hill has big plans. We’re thinking beyond borders, beyond genres, beyond just one moment in the year. We want to grow the Foundation’s reach, launch new creative hubs, songwriting camps and connect even more young people with real opportunities. We want to show that talent and innovation don’t need to leave home to succeed – they can reach success right here.
So, to my incredible Service95 community – come and join me even closer behind the scenes, backstage at Sunny Hill Festival 2025 in this video. Come dance with us, dream with us, and be part of what’s next.
Të dua, Prishtinë! Always.
Dua x
