Festivals

Started way back in 1965 and is the largest forum for authentic music, folklore, rites and customs held in Bulgaria.

The Festival of Essential Cultures and Tourism is a newer version of the traditional Rose Festival in Strelcha in response to the changing conditions in the sector of rose production, with which the holiday was inextricably linked. On one hand, an emphasis in the festival program is the cultivation of essential crops and in particular the rose bush as the main livelihood of the population, and on the other hand, the program has been expanded with new elements that present the rich palette of tourist products that the Municipality of Strelcha has developed and offered in recent years.

The guests of the festival have the unique chance to enjoy the colourful mosaic of songs, dances and folklore traditions of different ethnicity groups, to meet the culture and try the home cooking and specialties of Bulgarians, Karakachans, Roma, whose representatives live and work on the territory of the town of Maglizh.

Few people know that Celts also lived on our lands. According to some historical sources, in the 3rd century BC they founded their kingdom in central Thrace with the capital Tile (Tilis), the location of which is possibly today's Tulovo near Maglizh.

Celtic Sun Festival BELTEN in the Valley of the Thracian Kings. The holiday recreates customs, traditions and games from thousands of years ago. Belten is the biggest Celtic holiday marking the beginning of summer.

Festival of rock music – aimed at the wide rock audience and strives to support and develop Bulgarian original music. The festival takes place in the area of Ravnya, about a kilometre from the town of Maglizh. The place provides a very good opportunity for setting up tent camps. There are food and drinks available in the festival area.

Cherry Festival (third week of June) – with the cherry picking ritual and three-day participation of local and visiting amateur groups, with songs and dances among the cherry orchards of the village of Gabarevo, the livelihood of the population is celebrated.

The kuker holidays of Sirni zagovezni in Pavel Banya – this holiday takes place during the so-called Sirna Week and the local population calls it the "Carnival" and the kukers are called "Old Men." The kuker games are a colourful, spirited pre-spring folk custom. At the end of winter, they were expected and greeted with great interest by young and old.

The Lavender Festival attracts more and more people who want to immerse themselves in the beauty and magic of the fragrant herb. It is traditionally celebrated every year on the last Saturday of June.

One of the most remarkable holidays in the Municipality of Karlovo, dedicated to the beauty and flowers, spring and the fragrance of the priceless Karlovo rose. Karlovo celebrates Rose Day on the last Saturday of May every year. The tradition of celebrating dates back to the early years of the 20th century and continues with small interruptions to this day. On the festive day, the town is filled with beauty and good cheer, dances and songs, with the irresistible fragrance of Her Majesty the Rose.

The International Fireworks Championship is unique to the Balkans and since 2013 has been held in May or June in three competition days in the town of Panagyurishte on 20th of April Square. The organizers of the event are the Municipality of Panagyurishte and Fiery Chrysanthemum Ltd. – a leading company for pyrotechnics in Bulgaria. In addition, every night the pyrotechnics festival includes a rich musical program organized by the Municipality of Panagyurishte, in which popular Bulgarian performers and groups are taking part.

The fair is held annually on the territory of the Tuida Fortress, and the event is one of the main activities developing the site. The organizer is the Municipality of Sliven. During the festival days, visitors can see life style, culture and military work from the period of Late Antiquity, the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdoms. Clubs for historical re-enactments, reconstructors and craftspeople from the country and abroad are taking part.

National children's and youth theatre festival. The three days of the festival consist of a competition part, festival performances and accompanying entertainment programs. Visitors can also enjoy the now traditional "Celebration of Friendship" organized as part of the festival. Both theatre ensembles and individual performers can participate in the competition part in two age groups: up to 14 years and from 14 to 19 years.

One Hundred Voivodes Festival – The festival is held annually, starting in 2016. Traditionally, on both days of the event, there is also an exhibition with products of various local food and beverage producers. Visitors to the Festival have the opportunity to taste the best products from the Sliven region and get to know the people who produce them.

The "One Hundred Voivodes" festival restores the traditions of the Sliven fair of 1756 and demonstrates the achievements of local producers nowadays.

It is held every year in Sliven, in the Karandila area, on the last Friday and Saturday of August. The fair is one of the traditional events organized by the Federation of Cultural and Educational Societies of Karakachans in Bulgaria (FKPDKB). The role, purpose and task of the Federation is to preserve the distinctive culture of the Karakachans as part of the Balkan and World cultural heritage.

It takes place in the second half of July and is organized by the Municipality of Sliven, the Regional Directorate "Agriculture and Forestry", the Peach Testing Station, the Mayor’s Office in the village of Gavrailovo, the Slantse People's Community Center, the village of Gavrailovo, etc., and it is under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture. Through it, the locals try to unite basic values such as creative work, folklore heritage and fun.

The most significant event of the year. Throughout May, a number of cultural events are held on the territory of the Municipality of Sliven, organized by the Municipality of Sliven, cultural institutes, schools, and volunteers. The celebrations traditionally begin with the lighting of the symbolic fire. Sliven has been one of the most significant centres in Bulgaria since the National Revival, with remarkable traditions in our national culture. Many educators, artists, scientists and intellectuals, who shaped the culture of Bulgaria, came from Sliven.

On the coast of Ancient Seuthopolis, by the waters of the Koprinka Dam, opera performances are held annually on an open stage. The expanse of the picturesque shore of the dam is inspiring. The combination of natural features and the thousand-year history of this place perfectly complement the magic of the most impressive opera and musical performances.

The event takes place within a few weeks in the month of June and during this period Hisarya is the stage for various cultural events. With numerous concerts, exhibitions, painting in the open for children and teenagers, a theatre festival, a literary salon – with the participation of authors from the town and the country, sports competitions, fun quizzes, a literary and musical performance, the event is attended by over 20,000 guests.

The White Yard House fascinates not only with its beautiful yard, but also with its rich ethnographic and artistic exposition. Here you can draw, model, learn various painting practices. Various demonstrations, trainings, and courses are held.

Festival of the Rose and Mineral Water – in 2005, the tradition was revived and again, after a long break, the Festival of the Rose and Mineral Water was held – a unique combination of traditions and modernity, and so on to this day. The festival of the rose and healing mineral water of Pavel Banya is celebrated in the second week of June for a week and attracts thousands of tourists from the country and abroad. The Festival marks the beginning of the Swimming Summer.

The Festivals in the Valley of the Thracian Kings are a cultural event that unites traditional and modern forms of various types of arts – music, dance, visual and theatre arts, photography and new technologies. The rich cultural heritage of the ancient Thracians is recreated and popularized in a modern way. An indispensable part of the Festivals is the meeting of trachologists at an International Conference. A Jazz Festival is also organized annually within the framework of the Festivals.

Petko Gruev Staynov was a Bulgarian composer and academician who enriched Bulgarian musical culture and contributed to its development. His home was turned into a museum in 2002, and is a cultural monument of national importance.

Especially important place in the cultural life of Kazanlak is assigned to the Chudomir's Holidays, which are held annually from 25th of March to 1st of April. They are related to the great Kazanlak writer, humorist, artist and public figure Dimitar Chorbadzhiyski – Chudomir. They are devoted to theatre, music, literature, visual arts and satire.

The highlight of the Rose Festival is the Carnival Procession, which is organized every first Sunday of June. About ten thousand people from all over the world parade for an hour in a colourful carnival line through the streets of Kazanlak, depicting different moments of the history and multifaceted culture of the Rose Valley.

Traditionally, the Rose Festival begins with the selection of the Rose Queen. The holding of a competition-spectacle has been the most awaited event of the people of Kazanlak for 55 years. The most beautiful and charming Kazanlak high school graduates are the contenders for the crown. The choice is always for the most worthy girl, who also becomes the emblem of the town. With its attractiveness and emotion, the competition also enjoys enormous international journalistic interest.