What has been the most significant growth element at Iulius Town that’s added most impact to the lives of shoppers in the area since its 2019 opening?

The extension of Iulius Mall into Iulius Town brought about an enhanced shopping experience and a unique leisure and entertainment venue centred around the park and the new spaces created in the mall. Almost 30 000 sqm of retail GLA were added in order to accommodate the new, enlarged store formats of Zara and other Inditex brands, and the new entry of Peek & Cloppenburg. In addition to an increased fashion offering, shoppers also gained the largest world-class gym in Romania with its half-Olympic-sized pool, a refurbished Cinema City with 12 screens, a kindergarten, a new events hall and a kids entertainment park.

Were there special celebrations for this birthday?

It has been four years since Timișoara locals and visitors from all over the western region and even across the border discovered in Iulius Town a leisure destination where they can unwind with friends at the terraces and restaurants, shop for internationally acclaimed brands, and attend special outdoor events. By now the four-day-long ‘Picnic in My Town’ has become a birthday tradition, and this year it included concerts, stand-up comedy, kids’ activities and the Street Food Festival. The festival, incidentally, has become Europe’s largest network of culinary events, and brought acclaimed Romanian guest chefs and dozens of food trucks with delicacies representing international and local cuisine to the 55 000 sqm Iulius Gardens. It attracted around 190 000 visitors over the weekend of 7-10 September.

This has also been Timișoara’s year as European Cultural Capital – how has this programme involved Iulius Town?

Iulius Town has hosted many of the events around the programme, as befits its role as a key part of the community. It started with the opening event in January, which featured a spectacular aerial display by 150 drones on the Timișoara skyline, and an impressive musical and visual project and concerts by beloved Romanian artists.

There’s also been concerts by international artists such as Lepa Brena, a pop-folk music icon from the Balkans and one of the most beloved singers in this part of Europe, as well as by Eurovision winner Jamala. The Culture of Nightlife conference was another success hosted by Iulius Town, with special guests sharing unique perspectives with Timișoara locals on how nightlife culture can contribute to community development.

This past summer was full of events, from the Timișoara Music Awards, fashion shows, photography exhibitions and wood-engraving workshops, to the WCF International Cat Show, interactive-educative exhibitions for children, sports events, movie nights, puppet theatre and various fairs.