Bulgaria’s Plovdiv is preparing for the European Capital of Culture

In 2019, for the first time a Bulgarian city will be the European Capital of Culture. The country’s second largest city of Plovdiv won the competition four years ago. It is preparing for the big opening weekend from 11 to 13 January.

Plovdiv is increasingly becoming the focus of the global media. The US TV channel CNNTravel ranked the city among the 19 places it recommends to visit in 2019, pointing to the historic and modern attractive landmarks. More than 50 publications in prestigious media have also pointed out Plovdiv as a cultural tourism destination, as the European Capital of Culture programme is undoubtedly the main reason for this interest.

Every day, the tower, which will be the centre of the megastage for the opening show "We Are All Colours" gets higher by a few metres. The tower will reach 30 metres. It will be on several levels where the show will be performed with the participation of prominent actors and more than 1,000 volunteers. Visual access from all directions is the aim of the organizers, so that as many people as possible can enjoy the spectacular show.

Hosting the European Capital of Culture programme has brought unquestionable benefits to the city and the country.

Stefan Stoyanov, Deputy Mayor and Member of the Management Board of the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation: Winning the title has greatly helped to change the image as a city for tourism, as a city of culture and investment.

However, artists and public figures expressed criticism saying that leading projects related to the uniqueness of the city remained in the background.