Untamed sounds, musicians on their way to fame, a platform for the local artists and an epicentre of all that’s new and trendy – these are just a few of the best Positivus Festival components. The I Love You stage in particular has been a long standing favourite with both mainstream and alternative music aficionados – it’s where young, ambitious artists meet well-known, seasoned musicians.

This festival will be no different – I Love You lineup features both renowned as well as emerging acts. Masters of noise-rock Chomsky Chess Club, alternative rock veterans Pienvedēja Piedzīvojumi, the ironic duet Tehnikums, psychedelic rockers The Pink Elephant and many more will infuse Positivus Festival’s 10th anniversary with a special atmosphere.

Tired of mainstream music? Then the I Love You stage is meant for you. Alongside previously mentioned projects, the stage will also host Estonian indie rockers The Boondocks, atmosphere creators Mionia, local hip-hop virtuoso Kashuks, indie electro-pop project NOËP, Swedish act Blue House, British band Brothers Water, indie performers Irving Ark, as well as Lithuanian singer Markas Palubenka.

The I Love You stage has expanded in tight synergy with one of Riga’s own music and entertainment hotspots – I Love You bar. The stage coincidentally also became the catalyst for establishing one of the bravest Latvian record labels. Bruno Roze, I Love You stage curator, admits that one of the leading impulses for creating the stage was the desire to showcase the local talent.

“Our objective from the very beginning was to showcase up-and-coming Latvian acts – provide them with a platform to display their talent. In time the concept has shifted – our stage transformed from the Latvian music stage to a Baltic music stage, having had additions from Scandinavia and the UK, with this year’s line-up acts also representing Central-European countries,” says Roze. He added that, throughout the years, the I Love You stage has considerably increased in size, with some of his favourite milestone performances including Estonian indie superstars Ewert And The Two Dragons, emerging Latvian pop band Carnival Youth, fascinating British performers Sons of Noel and Adrian and many more.

However, this year I Love You stage curators will break one of their most cherished traditions – Saturday night’s Secret Act, which has been a beloved custom since the very first year. “This time, due to the scale of the event, it seemed like a real shame to keep it under wraps, so this year the act will be announced prior. Previous Secret Acts have included Zvani, Mācītājs on Acid, Instrumenti, Carnival Youth, Pienvedēja Piedzīvojumi, Vecais Stenders, Aurora and Aparāts,” reminisces Bruno Roze.