The story
Varna Summer International Folklore Festival in Varna
Run by Varna Municipality since 1992, the International Folklore Festival Varna Summer gathers costumed dance and music ensembles from around 50 countries onto open-air stages across the city each August. More than 150 groups and over 15,000 participants have taken part across its history, ranging from Bulgarian state companies to touring amateur troupes. It is organized separately from the city's classical and jazz festivals that share the Varna Summer name.
Varna Municipality launched its own folklore festival in 1992, the same year composer Anatoly Vapirov started the city's jazz festival, giving the umbrella Varna Summer brand two new specialist strands in a single year alongside its decades-old classical music core.