19th June
Dreadnoughts. A Play for a Female Audience
by Evgeniy Grishkovets
Chamber Hall
Drama Theater Plovdiv
7 pm
Classic Open Air
The “Classic Open Air” concert brings together soloists and the orchestra of the Plovdiv Opera on one stage under the baton of Eric Lederhandler. The audience will have the opportunity to enjoy a festive program with works from the world classical scene performed by some of the brightest artists of the Plovdiv Opera.
The concert features soloists Evgeniya Ralcheva, Kiril Manolov, Maria Radoeva and Tanya Ivanova, and a special highlight in the program is the participation of Eric Lu – one of the most impressive young pianists on the international stage today.
The accompanying program will begin at 5:30 PM with a concert by the Children’s Academy of the Plovdiv Opera, and from 9:30 PM the audience will also be able to enjoy a performance by the Plovdiv Opera Ballet.
The bridge over Gladston Street
8 pm
S’cool Rock Fest 2026
Student rock bands from all over Bulgaria will take the stage to show their skills not only as musicians, but also as artists – creators of their own product, such as music and lyrics! They will also show us their interpretation of world rock classics, as a tribute to those from whom they took their first “breath” of rock air!
Plovdiv Stage Park
19.09 – 21.09.2026
GROOVIN FACTORY@Kontrabass
The GROOVIN FACTORY project of trombonist Georgi Kornazov is a musical laboratory in which jazz, funk, groove and contemporary improvisational forms pulsate.
On Friday, in the courtyard of the Kontrabass bar, we will have the opportunity to hear a quartet that Kornazov formed especially for his participation in Plovdiv with completely new original music.
It promises us a musical world in which powerful rhythm and rich harmonies intertwine with melodic lines and dynamic improvisations.
Each composition will be like a journey – sometimes energetic and danceable, sometimes introspective and gentle, but always with Kornazov’s distinctive style.
GROOVIN FACTORY – energy, improvisation and rhythm that will not leave you in place!
GEORGI KORNAZOV – trombone & compositions
NIKOLAY KARAGEORGIEV – guitar
ALEKSANDAR LEKOV – bass guitar
NACHO GOSPODINOV – drums
Kontrabass Bar
9 pm
Gypsy jazz, Flamenco and Folk Fusion for two guitars Veselin Koychev duo
Musical Bridge: From Paris through Barcelona to Plovdiv
Immerse yourself in a fascinating musical odyssey with the virtuoso duo Petar Koychev and Veselin Koychev. The two guitarists will take us on a journey through the most iconic styles of Europe, intertwining in one evening the sophisticated gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt, the passionate rhythms of Spanish flamenco and the deep roots of folk fusion.
In the program you will hear both original compositions and author’s interpretations of world classics. The masterful technique, the emotional dialogue between the two guitars and the unexpected improvisations turn the concert into a real celebration for connoisseurs of quality music.
An evening in which the spirit of Paris, the heat of Barcelona and the comfort of Plovdiv meet on one stage. Don’t miss the opportunity to become part of this musical dialogue!
Jazz Club In The Jazz
8.30 pm
Thanos ft. Bonzy & Vladi presents Friday Blues Night
Friday night, June 19, BeeBopCafe will present the blues trio of Thanos from neighboring Greece, who has been living in a little further away England for years and for his second Bulgarian tour will once again be supported by Boyan Bonzi Georgiev, so that they can play us together authentic British and not only blues, with a lot of charge and virtuoso energy!
Bee Bop Cafe
9 pm
20th June
Spiritual Routes in Plovdiv 2026 – Route IV
The route in Tsar Simeon’s Garden will take participants back to the era of the First Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition of 1892, when the place became a scene of the industrial and cultural rise of newly liberated Bulgaria. Through archival photos, the vision of the garden from the end of the 19th century will be presented, as well as its changes during different historical periods. It will be traced how the green heart of Plovdiv has developed as a place for recreation, culture and events, carrying the memory of generations.
The Fountain of Demeter
10 am
Summer in the Old Town 2026: Free tour “Secrets of the Churches of the Old Town” and a quiz with prizes
At 11:30 am after the end of the tour, we are waiting for you at the Quiz about the Old Town with prizes in the courtyard of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Temple.
Church of St. Nedelya
10 am
MOVE GAME Opening | Activate the City
We are waiting for you at the official opening of MOVE GAME – an interactive urban space that promotes an active lifestyle through play, sports and social activities.
What awaits you?
Free testing of MOVE GAME – all the time
Open training and sports activities with WOW GYM from 11:00 AM
Demonstration and training with DA DAO club Plovdiv from 11:00 AM
Music, entertainment and Raffle with prizes
“Library on wheels” and reading area
BRINDO bar – lemonades and summer atmosphere
Community zone with games and activities
Spaces for photos, reels and social content
MOVE GAME is an example of how the urban environment can be active, social and used in a new way – through movement, play and community.
The Alley Behind the Youth Center
10 am
With Love from Orlin Pavlov
The audience will have the opportunity to enjoy a carefully selected repertoire of the most beautiful love songs – Bulgarian hits, original compositions by Orlin Pavlov and world classics. All of them will be performed in special arrangements created especially for this concert.
The event promises an exciting evening filled with emotion, tenderness and elegant music. Some of the most prominent musicians in Bulgaria will appear on stage together with Orlin Pavlov:
Milen Kukosharov – piano
Kristiyan Zhelev – drums
Alexander Slavchev – guitar
Boris Taslev – double bass
Boris Hristov House of Culture
7.30 pm
All Stars Cabaret
The legendary “Boom Cabaret” is visiting Plovdiv with a Burlesque show! We will see the comedic diva Teddy Good, the singer Mariela Mars and the burlesque star Cindy Rocketheart, along with dancers.
The small stage will be transformed into a cabaret, and you will have the opportunity to see lavish costumes, wild choreography, retro scenes from musicals, amazing live songs and lots of comedy in a show that you will remember for a long time!
Let’s close the club season with a glamorous cabaret in the heart of Plovdiv!
Jazz Club In The Jazz
8.30 pm
Peril at Bally Club
On June 20th, PERIL takes the stage at Bally Club for another journey through deep grooves, hypnotic rhythms and moments that only happen on the dance floor.
A well-known figure at Bally Club and co-founder of Urge To Dance, Peril needs no introduction. His sound is driven by a constant curiosity and deep understanding of the dance floor.
Inspired by labels like Innervisions, Sum Over Histories and Blue Shadow, his selection moves with intention, depth and emotion — always driven by that uncontrollable urge to dance.
Bally Club
9 pm
15 Years XRAYDIO
Bee Bop Cafe – 5 pm – 2 am – The best of XRaydio plus sets from Bozhi, Deni, Julkata and Lurch. New merch from Vladi and Hana.
Club Fargo – 10 pm – 3 am – DJ sets from jOObba, TApWATER, Alen Dolen, Kinder Cola plus others TBA
21st June
Rene Karabash | Plovdiv Reads 2026
Rene Karabash (Irena Ivanova, 1989) is a poet, writer, screenwriter and playwright. Founder and organizer of the Academy of Writers “Zaeshka Dupka”, where some of the most prominent poets and writers of Bulgaria teach.
For his novel “Ostaynitsa” Rene received the National Literary Award “Elias Canetti”, a nomination for Novel of the Year from the National Endowment Fund “13 Centuries of Bulgaria” and the Literary Award “Peroto”. The novel has been translated into 15 languages, with its Brazilian edition making it the first Bulgarian novel to be published in this South American country.
At the end of 2023, Marie Vrina-Nikolov won the French PEN Club Award with her translation of “Ostaynitsa” into French. The same year, the English translation by Isidora Angel was awarded the Gulf Coast Translation Prize in the USA, and in early 2025 – the prestigious HEIM award of the American PEN Club. The novel was also nominated for the Swedish literary prize Prisma. The novel “Ostaynitsa” was included in the ranking “21 best upcoming books of 2026” of Service 95, the literary book club of the singer Dua Lipa. In 2026, the novel was included in the shortlist of the International Booker Prize.
By the end of 2026, the film adaptation of the novel, based on the script of its author and directed by Kostadin Bonev, is expected to be released. The film is a co-production between Bulgaria, Albania, Italy, Romania and Germany.
Rene Karabash is the screenwriter of the series “They, the Waves” – a film production of BNT, which received the award of the Polish National Television Heart of Europe – for an original idea for a series.
For her leading role in the film “Godless” (dir. Ralitsa Petrova) Renee Karabash has several film awards for best actress: “Silver Leopard” (Locarno), “Heart of Sarajevo” (Sarajevo), “Aluminum Horse” (Stockholm), “Golden Rose” (Varna).
Konyushnite, Old Town
7.30 pm
BG Marius
In his characteristic deeply emotional and precise style, Marius Kurkinski takes the audience through human states – pain, tenderness, irony and light. The performance is an intimate encounter between word, actor and viewer, which reveals the power and beauty of the Bulgarian soul.
Ancient Theater
8 pm
PUTAN CLUB [FR/ITA] + snakeatsnake :: Live in Plovdiv :: 21.06.2026
A noisy, gloomy June Sunday in the heart of darkness in Philippopolis, immersing us in guitars, drum machines, bass and rage.
Sometimes they return: after their debut on Bulgarian soil in 2024 (Sofia and Tarnovo) and last year’s May 24 apocalypse in “Pave”, the independent (in the full sense of the word) electro-industrial-avant-garde-rock duo Putan Club finally comes to PLOVDIV.
The opening set is entrusted by the group itself to snakeatsnake, whom they met last year and whose music the guests are born with more than one and two points.
And yet, who are Putan Club?
PUTAN CLUB is not a punk band.
But it’s everything: avant-garde, techno, ethno, jazz, metal, classical…
PUTAN CLUB is an experimental platform.
Bee Bop Cafe
8 pm
22nd June
Silk
by Alessandro Barrico
Big Hall
Drama Theatre Plovdi
7 pm
Week of Traditional Crafts
Over 30 master craftsmen from all over the country will participate in this year’s edition of the “Week of Traditional Crafts”. The event has been part of the city’s cultural calendar for nearly two decades and continues to attract thousands of visitors from Bulgaria and abroad with its unique format, presenting traditional Bulgarian crafts through live demonstrations and opportunities for active audience participation.
The program of the “Week of Traditional Crafts” includes an official opening on June 23 at 12:00 PM in the courtyard of the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv. The same day at 6:00 PM, a visiting exhibition from the Republic of Moldova will be opened, dedicated to the traditional costume and the shirt with an altyza, and in the evening a fashion show of contemporary clothing inspired by Bulgarian embroidery will take place. On June 24, visitors will be able to celebrate Midsummer with a traditional ritual, a wreath of healing herbs for health, and a musical program. Throughout the week, from June 22 to 28, master craftsmen will demonstrate their skills and conduct creative workshops for visitors.
Regional Ethnographic Museum
22.06 – 28.06.2026
Movie Quiz Vol. 5 – 21st Century Edition @ Bee Bop Cafe 22.06.2026
It’s time for the next, fifth edition of our thematic film quiz at Bee Bop Cafe. This time it will be dedicated to films from the twentieth and first centuries.
You will be asked questions about some of the best films of the last 25-26 years. There will be many easy questions, but also some more difficult ones, in order to distinguish the most ardent movie fans.
How good is your knowledge? Come on Monday, June 22nd, to compare them with other fans of the eighth art. There will be themed prizes for the best ones.
Bee Bop Cafe
8 pm
23rd June
The Airship in Love
based on poems and memories by and for Ivan Metodiev, Dobromir Tonev, Miryana Basheva and Grisha Trifonov
Big Hall
Drama Theater Plovdiv
7 pm
Thracian Classical Music Awards by Sonya Yoncheva
Ancient Theatre
9 pm
24th June
Introducing The Road from Karakol
In the era of curated travel for external consumption, Ivaylo Donchev embarks on an analog odyssey that takes him to some of the most remote corners of the planet. After more than five hundred days on the road, over 150,000 kilometers traveled, and more than a year spent writing, his first book is born.
It is more than the chronicle of an adventure. The jungles, the sands, the thousand-meter peaks, the cities of millions, and the centuries-old ruins of vanished civilizations are the backdrop against which the thread of the narrative threads philosophy, history, religion, and politics. The author’s gaze is directed outward – to the world, but also inward – to himself. With self-irony, naturalism, and honesty, he paints a psychological landscape that contains a large part of the spectrum of human experience: acute pain and peaks of euphoria; ineradicable sadness and gratitude for life.
“The Road from Karakol” is a book whose concept goes beyond the scale of the specific journey into physical reality and artistic expression. The author will donate the income he realizes from it and from his upcoming exhibitions to the “Operation: Teddy Bear” association – an organization whose activities are aimed at children and young people who cannot develop their talents due to an unequal economic situation
Petnoto na Rorschach
7 pm
The Comedy Surprise
What happens when life presents you with a surprise, but instead of pleasant excitement you get… complete chaos?
Filip Avramov and Maria Sapundzhieva enter a series of ridiculous situations, funny confusions and unexpected revelations that will make you laugh to tears!
Love, secrets, confused plans and an absurd fireworks of emotions! The characters will be put before trials from which there is only one way out – laughter!
Don’t leave this “surprise” for another time – get your ticket now!
Orpheus Summer Cinema
8.30 pm
25th June
The Violinist of God
by Stefan Tsanev
Chamber Hall
Drama Theater Plovdiv
7 pm
Summer in the Old Town 2026: Tour for Children “The Crafts of the Ethnographic Museum”
Host: Georgi Tsankov – laureate of the second module of the mentoring program of the “Ancient Plovdiv” Olympic Games and the “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov” Regional Ethnographic Museum. Part of the team of the Regional Ethnographic Museum and among the most prominent young hopes of tourism in Plovdiv.
At 11:30 AM after the end of the tour, we are waiting for you at the Old Town Quiz with prizes.
Ethnographic Museum
10 am
The Fox and the Cats – Songs Based on Great Novels
“The Fox and the Cats” is a musical project by Militsa Gladnishka, Nikolay Vodenicharov Niketsa and Ivan Velchev.
Three troubadours, dreamers and book lovers. As a result of the union of their talents, the album “Songs from Great Novels” was born.
The show is guaranteed! Filled with a lot of genuine humor, daring jokes, typical of Militsa’s behavior! The rocker’s voice and guitars thunder from the stage, and Ivan Velchev brings the audience’s hearts to rhythm with his drums.
The three of them together throw the audience and take them through many states. In the concerts you will hear familiar hits, bold arrangements of eternal classics and completely unknown songs about familiar book characters. The group puts on a show that is unknown in Bulgaria because it combines jazz, rock, pop, mysticism, alternative music and even pop. To take a break from the heavy passions along with Stephen King’s novels or Homer’s Odyssey, the concert also includes a mini stand-up show!
Summer Theater
9 pm
