site.btaLunar Festival Draws Over 600,000 Visitors to Sofia with Dazzling Light Art from 11 Countries

Over 600,000 people visited Lunar this year, according to the festival organizers from MP-studio.

The three-kilometer route in the central part of Sofia showcased over 30 light art installations by artists from around the world. The work of more than 20 artists and creative studios from 11 countries transformed some of the city’s most iconic buildings, parks, and squares. The artworks came from artists based in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, China, Romania, Singapore, Ukraine, and Hungary.

"I believe we managed to put Bulgaria in a very exciting place on the global map of light festivals, and I hope that going forward, we will continue to inspire many young talents and provide a platform for both emerging and established artists to create works specifically for our capital. We are happy that we were able to create a high-quality program that stimulates the imagination of visitors, conveys important messages, and continues to attract more and more spectators — something that will inevitably contribute to the cultural and economic development of our country," said Marin Petkov, founder of MP-studio and the Lunar festival.

As part of the festival, Bulgaria hosted for the third time an international video mapping championship with over 50 participants from 26 countries. On the final night of the festival, the three winners were announced on the facade of the National Gallery / “Kvadrat 500,” selected by a six-member jury. First place went to Hungarian artist Czlaczi for the show Identity Crisis, second place to Italian artist St.Frax with Decovision, and third place to Transmutations by Henry Hu from Singapore.