Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in Bulgaria
- Before planning a trip around a festival, verify the festival dates at the festival's website or with a local tourist information office. For more information about these and other events, visit the country's official tourism site.
- This list includes major festivals in major cities, plus national holidays observed throughout Bulgaria. Many sights and banks close down on national holidays — keep it in mind when planning your itinerary. Note that this isn't a complete list; holidays can strike without warning.
- See upcoming holidays and festivals across Europe
2024
September–November: Balabanov's House Music Days concert series, Plovdiv
December 24–25: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (closures)
December 26: Second Day of Christmas (closures)
December 31: New Year's Eve (festivities, especially in Sofia)
2025
January 1: New Year's Day
January 24–26: Surva Festival, Pernik (Bulgarian masquerade games)
March 3: Liberation (from Ottoman rule) Day
April 12: St. Lazarus Day (teen girls in traditional costume roam their towns singing folk songs)
April 18–21: Orthodox Easter Weekend (Good Friday through Easter Monday; closures)
May 1: Labor Day (closures)
May 6: St. George's Day (Gergiovden, closures)
May 16–30 (likely): One Dance Week, Plovdiv (contemporary dance)
May 20–June 27 (likely): Sofia Music Weeks
May 24: Sts. Cyril and Methodius Day (celebrating Bulgarian culture and the Cyrillic alphabet; closures)
May 30–June 1: Rose Festival, Kazanlak (parade, music)
June 3: Nestinari, Balgari (fire-walking rituals)
May 26–June 16 (likely): International Chamber Music Festival, Plovdiv
June 20–22 (likely): Bulgarian Cherry Festival, Kyustendil (procession, fireworks)
Mid-June–September: Varna Summer International Music Festival (classical music)
July 3–6 (likely): "Golden Days" International Folklore Festival, Varna
August 1–3: International Bagpipe Contest, Gela
August 1–3 (likely): Off the Beaten Path Festival, Kovachevitsa (chamber music)
August 15: Varna Day
August 24–31 (likely): Apollonia Festival of Arts, Sozopol
August 27–31 (likely): Euro Folk Black Sea Fest, Tsarevo
August 28–September 2 (likely): Ethno Rhythms International Folklore Dance and Music Festival, Golden Sands resort (near Varna)
September 6: Unification Day (closures, celebrations in Plovdiv)
September 8: Unification Day observed (closures, celebrations in Plovdiv)
September–November: Balabanov's House Music Days concert series, Plovdiv
September 12–20 (likely): Puppet Theater Festival, Sofia
September 19–21 (likely): Bulgarian Plum Festival, Troyan
September 22: Independence Day (closures)
December 24–25: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (closures)
December 26: Second Day of Christmas (closures)
December 31: New Year's Eve (festivities, especially in Sofia)