Sunny Hill Festival

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}{{Infobox recurring event

| name = Sunny Hill Festival

| logo = Sunnyhill_Festival.svg

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| image = Bühne und VIP-Tribüne Sunny Hill Festival .jpg

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| caption = 2018 Sunny Hill Festival

| genre = Performing arts festival

| frequency = Annually

| location = Sunny Hill Festival Park
(Pristina, Kosovo)

| coordinates = {{Coord|42.70785312|21.12538523|display=inline,title}}

| years_active = 2018–2019, 2022, 2024–present

| first = {{start date|2018|8|10|df=y}}

| founder_name = Dukagjin and Dua Lipa

| last = 25 – 28 July 2024

| next = 1 – 3 August 2025

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| organised = {{nowrap|Sunny Hill Foundation{{cn|date=June 2022}}}}

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| website = {{URL|https://sunnyhillfestival.com/|sunnyhillfestival.com}}

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The Sunny Hill Festival is an annual international music festival in Pristina, Kosovo, organised by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa and her father Dukagjin Lipa. It has established itself as the largest music festival in Kosovo.

History

= 2018–2019 =

The Sunny Hill Festival was organized by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa and her father Dukagjin Lipa to raise money for the Pristina-based Sunny Hill Foundation charity organization.{{Cite web |last=Soichet |first=Aude |last2=Valiente |first2=Alexa |title=How Dua Lipa went from aspiring singer to one of today's top global female pop stars |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dua-lipa-aspiring-singer-todays-top-global-female/story?id=58393549 |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=ABC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://sunnyhillfoundation.org/about-us/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Sunny Hill Foundation}}

The inaugural edition of the festival took place from 10 to 12 August 2018 at the Germia Park in Pristina, and was headlined by Dua Lipa, Martin Garrix, and Action Bronson. Her father also performed with his band, ODA, and belonged to another line-up alongside many artists from Kosovo and Albania.{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Shaun |date=2018-08-05 |title=Dua Lipa's father stages music festival for 'peace-loving' Kosovo |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/05/dua-lipa-father-organises-kosovo-music-festival |access-date=2024-07-31 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}

The festival's second edition took place from 2 to 4 August 2019, headlined by Miley Cyrus, Calvin Harris, and Gashi.{{Cite web |date=2019-07-01 |title=Dua Lipa announces Sunnyhill headliners |url=https://prishtinainsight.com/dua-lipa-announces-sunnyhill-headliners/ |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Prishtina Insight}}{{cite web |date=2 April 2019 |title='Sunny Hill Festival 2019' mbahet më 2, 3 dhe 4 gusht 2019 |url=https://telegrafi.com/sunny-hill-festival-2019-mbahet-2-3-dhe-4-gusht-2019/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402172844/https://telegrafi.com/sunny-hill-festival-2019-mbahet-2-3-dhe-4-gusht-2019/ |archive-date=2 April 2019 |access-date=13 August 2021 |work=Telegrafi |language=sq}}

= 2020–2022 =

After forcibly taking a break in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,{{Cite web |date=2020-05-22 |title=The 'Sunny Hill 2020' festival is postponed until next year |url=https://telegrafi.com/en/festivali-sunny-hill-2020-shtyhet-per-vitin-e-ardhshem/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Telegrafi |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-05-22 |title="Sunny Hill" festival is canceled |url=https://www.koha.net/en/kulture/anulohet-festivali-sunny-hill |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Koha Ditore |language=en}} the festival returned in 2022. Since 2019, organizers had been advocating for a larger space to expand the festival.{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Associated |date=2022-06-20 |title=Dua Lipa’s Father Will Host His Music Festival in Kosovo After All |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/dua-lipa-father-sunny-hill-festival-kosovo-1235090346/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} Procedural issues delayed securing a new location, and by June of that year, state institutions and organizers had not reached an agreement, leading to an announcement of the festival's potential move to Tirana, Albania.{{Cite web |title=Sunny Hill goes to Tirana, this is the announcement for those who have already bought the tickets |url=https://www.periskopi.com/en/Sunny-Hill-goes-to-Tirana--this-is-the-announcement-for-those-who-have-already-bought-the-tickets/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Periskopi |language=en}}

After significant public pressure, a consensus was reached with the government and the municipality of Pristina. As a result, the festival was once again held at Germia Park from August 4 to 7, 2022, with plans to continue working on a permanent location for future editions. This announcement was followed with criticism due to the legal status of the as a protected landscape and concerns for pollution.{{Cite web |last=Xharra |first=Jeta |last2=Zeqiri |first2=Ardita |date=2024-07-25 |title=‘We Have built a Name’: Kosovo Sunny Hill Festival Founder Eyes Record Year |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2024/07/25/we-have-built-a-name-kosovo-sunny-hill-festival-founder-eyes-record-year/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Balkan Insight |language=en-US}} In addition to the festival in Pristina, a separate festival with a different lineup would be hosted in Tirana from August 26 to 28.{{Cite web |title=Tirana Edition 2022 |url=https://sunnyhillfestival.com/tirana-edition-2022/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Sunny Hill Festival}} The Pristina event was headlined by Dua Lipa, J Balvin, Diplo, and Skepta,{{Cite web |date=2022-08-05 |title=Dua Lipa Thrills Fans Performing on First Day of Sunny Hill |url=https://prishtinainsight.com/dua-lipa-thrills-fan-performing-on-first-day-of-sunny-hill/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Prishtina Insight |language=en-US}} while the Tirana event was headlined by Action Bronson, Stormzy, and Hardwell.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/sunnyhillfestival/p/ChhU8yjom2D/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.instagram.com}} That year's festival theme was a call for visa liberalization for Kosovo under the slogan "Set Me Free."{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

= 2023–present =

After the complications of the previous year, the 2023 festival was cancelled while the organizers looked for a permanent location.{{Cite web |last=Albania |first=Euronews |date=2023-06-01 |title=Sunny Hill Festival 2023 cancelled, organizer Dua Lipa explains why |url=https://euronews.al/en/sunny-hill-festival-2023-cancelled-organizer-dua-lipa-explains-why/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Euronews Albania |language=en-US}} In 2024, the festival moved to the Sunny Hill Festival Park in the {{III|Bërnicë e Epërme|sq|Bërnica e Epërme}} village of Pristina, its new permanent location. It was held from July 25 to 28, and headlined by Bebe Rexha, Burna Boy, Stormzy, DJ Snake, Black Coffee, The Martinez Brothers, Groove Armada, and The Blaze.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-01 |title=The first tickets for the "biggest edition" of the "Sunny Hill" festival go on sale |url=https://www.koha.net/en/kulture/dalin-ne-shitje-biletat-e-para-per-edicionin-me-te-madh-te-festivalit-sunny-hill |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Koha Ditore |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C9zTKGeomAV/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.instagram.com}}

The 2025 edition of the festival will be held from August 1 to 3. Headliners include Dua Lipa and Peggy Gou.{{Cite web |title=Confirmed: Dua Lipa returns to Sunny Hill Festival 2025 |url=https://insajderi.org/en/Dua-Lipa-confirmed-to-return-to-Sunny-Hill-Festival-2025/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Insajderi |language=en}}