Tom Leek on Building UNUM Festival and Albania’s Underground Music Scene

In this episode of Loud & Unfiltered, we sit down with Tom Leek - owner of UNUM Festival - to explore the story behind one of Europe’s most respected underground electronic music festivals. This conversation dives into how a once-overlooked destination became a global hotspot for underground music culture. Tom shares the origin story of UNUM, the vision behind building a festival in Albania, and the realities of creating a destination festival from the ground up. We explore the unique relationship between UNUM and the Albanian government, how the country embraced the festival’s cultural impact, and why Albania has become one of the most exciting emerging destinations in electronic music. Tom also opens up about the behind-the-scenes reality of running a destination festival - from logistics, artist programming and production challenges, to building a loyal global community around the UNUM brand. Along the way, we discuss the evolution of underground dance music culture, the importance of authentic festival experiences, and what it really takes to build a world-class event in a rapidly growing scene. Subscribe to Loud & Unfiltered for more unfiltered conversations with music industry leaders, innovators and cultural entrepreneurs, and connect with us on Instagram @loudandunfilteredpod Also @unumfestival @tomm_leek @alexjukebox @gregoibiza