site.btaVarna to Host Inaugural Edition of International Black Sea Theatre Festival in September

The first edition of the International Black Sea Theatre Festival, under the motto “Theatre Is Stirred”, will take place in Varna from September 24 to 28, the organizers from the Theatre and Music Production Centre (TMPC) announced at a press conference Wednesday.

According to Daniela Dimova, director of the TMPC, the idea for the festival has been in the pipeline for two years, with preparations underway over the past year.

“We chose the final week of September to frame the city’s festival season, which begins on June 1 with the Varna Summer International Theatre Festival,” Dimova said.

She also highlighted the symbolic role of Varna and the Black Sea as the outer edge of the European Union: a place where borders blur. The festival is planned to become an annual event.

The festival aims to bring together emerging and established artists, said Veselina Mihalkova, artistic director of the Stoyan Bachvarov Drama Theatre. She noted that this intergenerational exchange will remain central to the festival’s identity in future editions.

As part of this concept, the program includes productions by young directors: Lisbon by Yana Titova, The Marriage by Rostislav Georgiev, and Empty City by Ahmet Ismail. These will be presented alongside works by prominent theatre-makers, including: Alma Mahler by Dejan Projkovski, I Am the Wind by Gabor Tompa, After the Rain by Aida Talliente and Chiara Benedetti. The festival will close with a show, The Fox and the Tomcats, featuring songs inspired by famous novels, performed by Militsa Gladnishka, Ivan Velchev, and Nikolay Vodenicharov–Niketsa. Each evening will conclude with post-show conversations between artists and audiences.

A rich parallel program will accompany the main festival lineup: a workshop on acting and directing, led by Prof. Plamen Markov, a session on dramatic writing, conducted by Tea Denolyubova, a photo exhibition by actor Simeon Lyutakov, and a painting exhibition by Venelin Milanov. On the final day, a screening and book event will pay tribute to iconic Bulgarian actor Georgi Partsalev.

On September 27, a charity art bazaar will be held, followed by the opening of a photography exhibition by a French artist based in Varna.

The festival has its own mascot: a blue fish designed by artist Slavyana Ivanova. 

The International Black Sea Theatre Festival is made possible with financial support from the Ministry of Culture, the Culture Fund of Varna Municipality, and sponsors from the local business community.