site.bta29th Bansko Jazz Festival to Be Held from July 31 to August 9 in 2026

The 29th Bansko Jazz Festival will be held from July 31 to August 9, 2026, Bansko Mayor Stoycho Banenski said during the closing of the 28th Bansko Jazz Festival here on Sunday.

Banenski also thanked Culture Minister Marian Bachev for the support, as well as Festivals in Bulgaria Association Chair Iliana Shtereva. "Ten days of music, emotion, smiles and dancing on the streets of Bansko thanks to you, our special audience", the Mayor said, adding that the audience is the heart of the festival, without whose energy, warmth and presence the stages would be just platforms. 

Minister Bachev said in his address that the Culture Ministry and his team will continue to support Bansko Jazz Festival, because jazz is that art that carries within it the magic of improvisation and freedom. "On the last, tenth night of the festival, we do not put a full stop but an ellipsis, because the tradition of Bansko Jazz Festival will continue," he noted. 

The 28th edition of the festival lasted 10 days, and the organizers indicated that it was the largest edition since its inception. Within the framework of the festival, youth stages, a world stage, jazz spots were organized, and every evening performers and musicians from Bulgaria and the world performed on the big stage. An Academy for Young Talents was also organized, which from this year bears the name of Milcho Leviev. The accompanying programme of the festival included two photography exhibitions and an exhibition of paintings by Vasil Vasilev - Zueka.

The Bansko Jazz Festival is organized by Bansko Municipality and the Festivals in Bulgaria Association, with the support of the Culture Ministry and the Tourism Ministry. BTA is a media partner of the forum.