Varna Summer International Music Festival

Founded in 1926 in the Black Sea city of Varna, this is Bulgaria's oldest music festival and a cornerstone of the country's cultural life. It runs each summer across the city's historic concert halls and open-air venues, with a wide-ranging programme spanning symphonic, chamber, baroque and Renaissance music, open-air opera and ballet, and crossover projects touching jazz, folklore and electronic music. A long-standing member of the European Festivals Association, it draws internationally renowned orchestras, ensembles and soloists alongside a summer academy for young musicians.