Bulgaria’s Labour Day long weekend weather outlook
With the May 1 Labour Day public holiday falling on a Friday in 2026, Bulgaria is set for a three-day weekend, but the national meteorological bureau is forecasting less than encouraging weather.
The meteorological bureau said that May 2026 would start with relatively cold weather, with rain in many places and snow at altitudes above 1000 metres in the mountains.
May 1 will be cold for the beginning of May, with minimum temperatures between 2° and 7° Celsius and maximums between 10° and 15°.
On Saturday and Sunday, it will less cloudy, but there will still be light rain showers in places, mainly in the mountains.
The wind will weaken, and on Sunday in many areas it will subside. Minimum temperatures will drop by a further 2-3 degrees, while daytime temperatures will slightly increase.
Sunny weather will prevail during the first days of next week. Temperatures will rise and on Wednesday the minimums will be between 5° and 10°, and the maximums, between 20° and 25°.
May 6, Gergovden (St George’s Day, Bulgaria’s Armed Forces Day) is Bulgaria’s next public holiday, and is on a Wednesday this year.
Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency said that on the days off around May 1 and Gergovden, increased traffic is expected on the entire national road network, with the number of vehicles reaching about 1.7 million per day.
Traffic at the exits of Sofia will traditionally be heavy at the beginning of the weekend, with the main flow being towards the Trakia, Hemus and Struma motorways.
The agency said that traffic will be heaviest in the afternoon and evening hours of April 30, as well as until noon on May 1. Some travellers will also leave the day before May 6.
The road agency said that it is expected that the return to Sofia will not be concentrated in one day, as some travellers will return home on May 3, as May 4 and 5 are working days. Others will travel to the capital on May 6, and for longer trips around May 10.
