Sofia Events

National holiday honouring Saints Cyril and Methodius for devising the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet, with parades and official ceremony by their statue in front of the National Library.

International annual non-competitive feature film festival.

The coming of spring in Sofia is celebrated by wearing red and white tassels.

A vine-growing and wine-making festival, where the men set out to prune the vines while the women bake festive loaves and roast chicken. At the end of the day, everyone gathers among the vines to eat, drink, sing and dance.

The festival, which has been Bulgaria's main international film event since 1997, is a ten-day showcase of films from around the world.

Spring and autumn jazz festival with top musicians from Bulgaria and jazz legends from around the world.

The predominant religion in Bulgaria is the version of Catholicism that has survived since earliest times in Eastern Europe – the Orthodox Church. Usually celebrated on a different date to Easter celebrations in the west, the Orthodox Easter is also celebrated with different customs and traditions. After midnight Mass on Easter Sunday, worshippers celebrate outside the churches, carrying candles to symbolise the Resurrection and cracking or smashing eggs which have previously been painted with symbolic patterns and colours. The richly-painted Orthodox Churches are filled with clouds of incense and the singing of choirs at this time, and many rituals are observed, such as kissing the images of saints and processions led by clergy in full regalia.

Orthodox festival and official holiday celebrating the martyred St George, also an agricultural celebration heralding the end of spring and beginning of summer.