Topical Information

Today, Sofia celebrates its official day. On 17 September, the Orthodox Church honours the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love and their mother Sophia, while the Bulgarian capital marks the occasion with an extensive programme bringing together history and contemporary art, major city stages and neighbourhood venues.

The official programme includes a ceremonial session of Sofia Municipal Council and the presentation of the Honorary Citizen of Sofia awards. A ceremony to raise the city’s flag will take place in front of St Sophia Church, followed by a blessing of the waters conducted by Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil. Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev will address the city’s residents.

“Sofia is light. Sofia is history. Sofia is energy. Today, we celebrate Sofia—the city we love, with its history, its people and its endless opportunities,” Vassil Terziev said on the occasion.

The Mayor invited residents and visitors to take part in the events that will bring both the city centre and its neighbourhoods to life.

“Come and let us be together. Let us walk, see, listen and experience Sofia,” he said.

A major highlight of the programme is the largest edition to date of the LUNAR Festival of Lights. From 17 to 20 September, the Largo and the façades of the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, the Presidency and the Ministry of Education and Science will become stages for spectacular visual performances.

Artists from around the world will present works created especially for Sofia as part of the international immersive video-mapping competition on the theme “Urban Pulse”. The light installations will be on display every evening from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm, with free admission.

“Four evenings during which light will become part of our city,” the Mayor said. According to him, the celebrations will not end on 17 September, as Sofia will continue to showcase its active, open and vibrant character over the following days.

On the city’s official day, residents and visitors will also be able to rediscover Sofia through a series of free thematic walking tours dedicated to its history, architecture and cultural heritage. The routes include “Discover Sofia”, “Serdica Is My Rome”, tours organised by “Bohemian Sofia” and “Historical Routes: Sofia”, as well as a student tour from Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski to the State Archives Agency.

A vintage tram will also travel through the streets of the capital, departing at 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm along the route from the Nadezhda overpass to Zhurnalist Square.

The Sofia City Art Gallery and the Regional History Museum – Sofia will offer free admission. Educational games, guided talks and creative workshops for children will be held at the Western Gate of Serdica Archaeological Park, St Sophia Basilica and the Ancient Serdica Archaeological Complex.

The Crystal Garden is the starting point for Sofia Play—an urban adventure featuring themed stops and puzzles that guide participants to emblematic places and stories from Sofia’s past. Muzeiko will also offer a special programme for younger visitors dedicated to the city’s past, present and future.

The festive programme includes concerts by the Sofia Brass Band, Sinfonietta Sofia, the Sofia Jazz Formation and the Prima Quartet. The bands Kontrol, Tsvet, Rosette and Freakdale will perform on a shared stage in the garden next to the Mother’s Home University Hospital. The programme is complemented by theatre premieres, exhibitions, short films, literary initiatives and events organised by municipal cultural institutions and district administrations.

Sofia’s celebrations will continue until 20 September. The full programme is available on the Sofia Municipality website.