site.btaFestival Director Ilieva Aims to Make Borovets a Year-Round Destination

The Dr Emil Iliev International Jazz Festival aims to help turn Borovets into a year-round destination, Festival Director Tatyana Ilieva said in an interview for BTA on Wednesday. The event officially closed on Tuesday evening.

Ilieva said the festival continues to develop in every area with each edition. She cited its music and accompanying programmes as examples.

Asked what moved her most during this year’s edition, Ilieva said it was the audience’s smiles and the many tourists and other visitors who came especially for the festival.

“First and foremost, the Dr Emil Iliev International Jazz Festival stands apart from all other music events because of its audience,” Ilieva said. She added that people attending the event came both for the festival and for mountain tourism.

The festival has its own statute, Ilieva said. Composer Angel Kotev wrote an anthem in memory of festival founder Dr Emil Iliev. “The anthem is now a recognizable musical signature,” Ilieva said.

Ilieva said another distinctive feature of the jazz event is the award named after its founder, presented for exceptional performances or to people whose work in culture, science, sport or the arts raises Bulgaria’s international standing. The prize also goes to selected musicians. The award carries official recognition from the Culture Ministry and the Union of Bulgarian Composers.

The festival has a long history, although 2026 marks only its fifth year in Bulgaria’s first winter resort, Ilieva said. Its history spans nearly 30 years, she added.

Asked what she would tell people who had not yet attended, Ilieva said anyone coming to Borovets would find warmth, comfort and hospitality. Borovets, Samokov Municipality and the Rila Mountains offer all three, she added.

“The energy and affection we feel from local residents and tourists who come especially for the festival give us strength and motivate us to do even better things for everyone,” Ilieva said.

Ilieva urged people to do what makes them stronger and more united.

Ilieva said the festival had already received a response from the manager of a global star who will appear at the event in Borovets in 2027.

Borovets restaurant manager Gergana Mihalkova also took part in the interview. She said the jazz festival is highly important to the resort and municipality. It supports local businesses and attracts foreign tourists, Mihalkova added.

Mihalkova said visitors to Borovets come from across the country and added she hoped the event would run for longer in 2027.

An official ceremony and a performance by Cameroonian musician Richard Bona brought this year’s festival to a close at Borovets on Tuesday evening.

The 2027 edition will open on July 30, 2027, Ilieva said from the stage.

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), which established its National Jazz Press Club in late April 2026, remains the festival’s media partner, a role it took on when the event first came to Borovets in 2022.