Municipalities today

From 4 to 6 June 2026, the first edition of HEAT FEST – Sofia Climate Festival will take place in the central part of Sofia – a large-scale urban forum dedicated to climate resilience, the urban environment, and adaptation to climate change.

The festival is organized by the Sofia Development Association and Sofia Municipality, hosted by the Oborishte District. The event will take place at Banski Square in front of the Regional History Museum – Sofia, which will be transformed into a space for discussions, art, demonstrations, and civic initiatives.

Over the course of three days, the programme will include exhibitions, workshops, artistic interventions, interactive installations, green markets, and educational activities for children and adults. The festival will bring together citizens, scientists, architects, urban planners, institutions, non-governmental organizations, and business representatives in a shared conversation about the future of Sofia.

The first edition of HEAT FEST is dedicated to the waters of Sofia and their role in the urban environment. Symbolically, the event focuses on the area surrounding the Central Mineral Baths – a place where history, nature, and urban memory intersect. The festival highlights the importance of water resources, green infrastructure, and climate-sensitive urban planning in the context of rising temperatures and climate challenges. Through exhibitions and interactive formats, solutions for a more sustainable and greener urban environment will be presented.

HEAT FEST 2026 is part of the European project Be Ready, funded under the Interreg Danube Programme, which brings together 19 partners from 12 countries and is coordinated by the Sofia Development Association. The project develops and tests solutions to reduce the urban heat island effect through green, blue, and white measures in urban environments. In 2026, Bulgaria holds the Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and the festival is included in the official programme of the Presidency. The event is also a partner of the European Green Week.

More than 30 institutions, universities, organizations, businesses, and creative collectives are participating in the initiative, transforming the topic of climate resilience into an accessible and engaging experience for all generations, with a special focus on children and young people. Two main thematic zones will be featured during the festival – the “New European Bauhaus,” presenting sustainable urban solutions and design practices, and “The Waters of Sofia,” dedicated to urban water systems, rivers, fountains, and lakes.

The programme also includes numerous educational activities for children – workshops on recycling, natural sciences, and biodiversity conservation, demonstrations by the Bulgarian Red Cross on disaster response, as well as initiatives by the Sofia Library, including fairy tale readings aboard the “Fairy Tale Tram” No. 83.

With the support of volunteers and partners, HEAT FEST 2026 aims to become a sustainable urban tradition that encourages active civic participation and the development of a greener Sofia adapted to climate change.