Bulgaria’s Plovdiv to celebrate fourth anniversary of winning European Capital of Culture title
A celebration organised by the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation and the municipality is to be held on September 5 to mark the fourth anniversary of Bulgaria’s second city winning the European Capital of Culture 2019 title.
“In a series of festive features, the ceremony will present Plovdiv’s programme for 2019 and the highlights and opportunities for a thrilling cultural experience,” according to a Facebook post by the organisers of the celebration.
The series of events starts at 10am and continues until 11pm. September 5 is the day before Bulgaria celebrates Unification Day, a public holiday, centred on Plovdiv because it marks the anniversary of the accession in 1885 of Eastern Roumelia to the rest of Bulgaria.
Children’s Programme
10am – 1pm
ЧЕЛИК фестивал на игрите a one-day outdoor festival is paying a visit to the Dondukov Garden (behind the Regional Natural History Museum) in Plovdiv, featuring beloved children’s games. Participation is free.
Family Programme
11am – 7pm
Music Stage I (11am – 2pm)
Open Stage in front of the Plovdiv Municipality, featuring a music programme
Music Balconies (3pm – 7pm)
Thanks to State Opera Plovdiv, Plovdiv’s favourite pedestrian street will become an area for an afternoon symphonic stroll.
3 – 3.30pm: The Balcony opposite the Afreddo Gelateria
3.40pm – 4pm: Balcony Plovdiv Municipality
4.20pm – 4.40pm: Balcony Plovdiv Drama Theatre
5pm – 5.20pm: Balcony opposite Kamenitsa
5.40pm – 6pm: Balcony Daris
6.20pm – 6.40pm: Balcony Dzhumaya Sq
Music Buses
4pm to 5pm.
A bus line will be taking those keen to enjoy the virtuoso performance of one of the musicians of the Brestovitsa Orchestra. The line will do the rounds in the Trakiya, Kichuk Paris, Karshiaka and Smirnenski quarters.
Music Stage II
5pm – 6.30pm.
Open Stage in front of the Plovdiv Municipality. Concert by Stenli and band.
Evening programme:
7pm – 8 pm
Presentation of Plovdiv – European Capital of Culture 2019 Programme
The event, invitation-only, will be broadcast with an English-language translation online and on a stage in front of the Plovdiv municipality.
A ceremony at the Plovdiv Drama Theatre will present the main stages in the history of the initiative, the people involved in its implementation, the current team working on the project, as well as the calendar of the key events for 2019.
The direction will be in the hands of Chris Baldwin and will feature the participation of the composer Miroslav Turiyski; dancers from Lindy Hop Bulgaria; choreography from Yanitsa Atanasova; the brass band musicians – Venelin Georgiev (saxophone), Darin Ivanov (trumpet), Blagoi Geshev (trombone), Tsenko Melin (tuba), Alexander Lekov (bass) and Kristian Zhelev (percussion), a string quartet from the State Opera Plovdiv: Dobrina Nikolova, Zafirka Angelova, Tatyana Filipova, Antoaneta Ryahova, Yasko Argirov and “Brestovitsa” Orchestra; the incredible folklore singers from Nedelino – Denitza Gotcheva and Snezhana Kisyova and one of the best Plovdiv-based visual artists: the studios Punkt, SensLab and Kamen Savov’s team; and more friends and partners of Plovdiv 2019.
9 – 11 pm
100 Days to the Start – Mapping on the Building at 2 Raiko Daskalov Street
Plovdiv is known for its special, unique clocks – the Danov Hill Tower clock; the Dzhumaya Mosque sundial; the emblematic Post Office clock; and the one at the heart of the city, in the dome of the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation. The latter keeps time without fail thanks to Georgi Dolchinkov from Plovdiv. This clock will start the countdown of 100 days to the start of the Plovdiv – European Capital of Culture 2019.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
