site.btaBTA, Veliko Tarnovo Municipality Sign Agreement to Promote Cultural Calendar

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and Veliko Tarnovo Mayor Daniel Panov on Thursday signed an agreement to promote the development and popularization of the Municipality's cultural calendar.

This is one of the most impressive cultural calendars in Bulgaria with more than 200 events, Valchev emphasized at the meeting held in the mayor's office. The partnership also includes the upcoming 40th Stage of the Ages Festival. Valchev noted that in recent years BTA has covered the event in much more detail, and if before there was one or two news items about its beginning and end, in 2024 there were 24 publications, covering almost every performance in the festival's programme. 

Valchev also pointed out that this is BTA's 12th partnership agreement with a municipality, as such agreements have been concluded with Ruse, Kyustendil, Samokov, Troyan, Byala, Bansko, Pernik, Pazardzhik, Targovishte, and Sofia Municipality. He noted that it is the 18th agreement with a festival as well, and that it will be indefinite. 

Panov recalled that the Stage of the Ages Festival was created in 1985 in connection with the then celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the uprising of Asen and Peter and the laying of the foundations of the Second Bulgarian State. Since then, many Bulgarian and foreign theatres and operas have visited Veliko Tarnovo to participate in the festival, he emphasized.

Valchev suggested to Panov, who is also the Chair of the Management Board of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, that by the end of 2025 or 2026, BTA could become the platform where people can find all the cultural calendars of Bulgarian municipalities in an up-to-date form. He also appealed to all Bulgarian media to cover cultural events much more systematically, so that Bulgaria can attract many more Bulgarians and foreign tourists to visit these events.

BTA's Director General also pointed out that the agency is inviting students and professors from universities in Bulgaria and neighbouring countries to Veliko Tarnovo on September 22 to complete the Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. The emphasis of the project is on the funds that the EU provides for exchange in the educational sphere. These representatives will also participate in a hackathon at Veliko Tarnovo University.

Panov expressed hope that Veliko Tarnovo will become an even more attractive place for tourism through the prepared rich cultural programme in September and October of this year.