site.bta60th International Music Festival Martisor Opens in Taraclia

Taraclia’s Rodolyubie Professional Ensemble for Bulgarian Folk Songs and Dances (ABNPT) presented a festive program on March 1 to residents and guests of the town of Taraclia as part of the 60th edition of the International Music Festival Martisor. The event marked the beginning of a series of cultural initiatives dedicated to welcoming spring.

Before the artists showcased the richness of Bulgarian folklore and their stage mastery, the Head of the Culture and Tourism Department at the Taraclia District Council, Tatiana Papurova, greeted the guests of the concert on the occasion of the first day of spring. The motto of this year’s edition is “The Joy of Being Together.”

“Today we celebrate not only the awakening of nature, but also the strength of our community. Here, in Taraclia, where traditions are preserved with love, we show that unity makes strength. Let music and dance remind us that the greatest blessing is to have a friend by your side with whom to share the joy of spring. Starting today, we will speak more soulfully and closer to our roots - in the language of the land and of genuine human warmth,” Papurova told BTA.

By the end of the new week, the Culture and Tourism Department at the Taraclia District Council has prepared additional musical events. On March 2, the district competition “Martisor – Martenitsa” will take place at the District House of Culture, starting at 10 am. On March 4, at 5 pm, a festive concert by the children from the Children’s Crafts Center, titled “Mom and the Martenitsa,” will be presented in the same hall. On March 6, a joint event organized by the District Council and the Culture and Tourism Department will be held, featuring performers from the District House of Culture, the Children’s School of Arts, and special guests, under the theme “Martisor and Baba Marta.” As part of the event, the “Woman of the Year 2026” award for the entire district will also be presented. The event will take place at the Varna restaurant in Taraclia at 5 pm. On March 7, the festive concert “Spring Begins with a Woman’s Smile” is scheduled, featuring artists from the District House of Culture and dance ensembles from the Children’s School of Arts. The event will begin at 3 pm.

The annual national cultural event aims to preserve and develop the folklore culture and traditions of the peoples living in Moldova. The festivities will take place from March 1 to 12, 2026, bringing together concerts and cultural events in the capital, Chisinau, and in a number of other towns and settlements across the country.

The first edition of the International Music Festival Martisor was held in 1966, and since then the event has established itself as one of the longest-running and most significant cultural events in Moldova. For six decades, the festival has brought together thousands of artists and reinforced the tradition of welcoming spring with music, contributing to the promotion of national cultural values.

The tradition associated with the Martisor custom was inscribed in 2017 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a shared cultural practice related to March 1, encompassing Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, and North Macedonia, according to the organization’s official website.