6fest is the name of the international festival for urban art and happiness which will be held in the period May 19 – 21 across the streets of Gabrovo. Acrobats, fires, living statues, jugglers on stilts and carnival characters will turn the town into a spot for laughter and art. This will be the event’s first edition, organized by the Public Committee Vassil Levski – Gabrovo Society and writer and journalist Momchil Tsonev. They are the creators of the first computer game on Gabrovo, its Wikipedia-inspired digital encyclopedia – Gabrovowiki and also of the music video, named Happy Gabrovo. “Open space urban art and happiness are tightly connected,” Momchil Tsonev claims and adds: “I found that out while we were filming the video with the participation of 17 formations. On the other hand one sees the constant info, saying that Bulgaria is ranked on the bottom worldwide in terms of its citizens’ happiness. It all led to the idea for the festival.” The society opted for the days of the town’s Traditional Carnival, this year under the slogan Let’s Go Crazy of Laughter on May 20.

“There were different forms of masquerades even in the 19^th c., while the contemporary version of the carnival comes from the 1960s. The tradition is very long – Gabrovo is used to seeing smiling people with masks in May. This is the time when the town’s fest takes place. The festival and carnival happen simultaneously, in order for tourists and locals to receive more culture.”

The organizers promise a great variety within 3 days of festival happiness. It all starts on Friday night with a mime performance in front of the House of Humor and Satire, presented by the Zhar formation. Saturday is a key day, coinciding with the Traditional Carnival. Visitors will have the chance to see their own carnival workshop, a living statue performance, a funny show, 3 circus performances, a carnival march and a light show. The participants come from Bulgaria, Belgium, Spain, Uruguay and Greece.

“We will warm up the circus shows with the carnival march, starting at 6 pm,” Mr. Tsonev says.  “Then there will be a concert and at midnight comes the culmination with the light show of Circus de la Lyulin. The 3D Maping show which will be screened on the front side of Gabrovo’s municipality building comes last.”

Some of the participants will remain as a surprise for the guests of 6fest, Momchil Tsonev says and adds:

“The carnival and festive mood in Gabrovo won’t end up on May 20. From the early hours of May 21^st there will be a circus workshop of Circus de la Lyulin for the youngest. Its presentation will be in the yard of the Interactive Museum of Industry – one of the town’s most attractive spots. The Fireter Theatre of Fire and Shadows comes in the afternoon – a Bulgarian formation with lots of international participations which will warm up with a mobile show and a music magician, who will ‘cook’ music. The guests of the festival will see how it will be all done. A fire show on stilts will take place in the evening – pretty effective, as the actors will be dressed up in special costumes, on stilts and everything is wrapped up in fire.”

The organizers consider yet another initiative – the festival’s shooting and the creation of a short video, for the purpose of its next edition’s guaranteeing. We hope that we will see happiness as acrobats, fire theatre and living statues during the 6fest festival.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev