site.btaBansko Jazz Festival Wraps Up Its Largest Edition in 28 Years, Organizers Say

The Bansko Jazz Festival closes its 28th edition on Sunday evening with concerts by Kamelia Todorova, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone's quintet, and Peter Slavov.

2025 saw the largest edition in the history of the festival, not only with a duration of 10 days and new stages, but also with exceptional interest from the audience, Iliana Shtereva, chair of the board of the Festivals in Bulgaria Association, told BTA.

According to her, with more events, a longer period, and a more diverse audience, the mission to build a cultural environment, community, and musical taste was achieved. Bansko is becoming a jazz capital, and jazz has found its home here because the local community enjoys and actively participates in the organization, Shtereva added.

For ten days and nights, jazz music was heard from different parts of the city. The mayor, Stoycho Banenski, shared that they created a special festival atmosphere, which required a lot of effort, but the result was a lively mood throughout the city. He emphasized that the spirit of the festival can be felt not only on the main stage in the evening, but also at jazz venues, in restaurants, and on the streets, where musicians and audiences join in dancing, singing, and entertainment.

In 2025, world-famous performers and popular Bulgarian musicians from the country and abroad took to the stages of the Bansko Jazz Festival. Along with the concerts in the central square, for the first time there were also performances on the "World Stage" in the city park, where a variety of music from Bulgaria and around the world was played.

The final concerts on Sunday evening begin at 8:30 p.m.

The Bansko Jazz Festival is organized by the Municipality of Bansko and the Festivals in Bulgaria Association, with BTA as a media partner.