Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bagpipes and authentic Rhodope folk music to kick off the local Ilinden Fair in the village of Gela

A fifteen-hour programme of authentic Rhodope music will resound in the Ilinden meadows from today until Sunday on the occasion of the traditional local Ilinden Fair in the village of Gela. Thousands of visitors are expected to come to see the bagpipes, the craftsmen's alley and the competition for the longest playing of the traditional Rhodope instrument.

 
The singer Vanya Vakova and the Evridika Orchestra will perform on the first evening. On Saturday, dozens of bagpipers from all over the country will compete, and the two winners will be challenged to break the Guinness Book record for the longest bagpipe playing. The festival closes with a concert of various formations and free bagpipe lessons.

 
There will also be a reunion of hundreds of descendants of local families and a presentation of Rhodope cuisine delicacies and organic food from Bulgarian family farms.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

From a cabinet minister to a homeless man – what labour means to Bulgarians

International Labor Day on May 1 in the mass consciousness of Bulgarians is often associated with the period of socialism and the grandiose demonstrations that the older generation of Bulgarians remembers well. However, it has much deeper roots. Its..

published on 5/1/25 9:35 AM
Viktor Kuzmanov

From the Rhodopes to the global stage – the village of Levochevo as a hub for digital nomads

Digital nomadism, a lifestyle where people choose remote work so they can travel and live in different environments, is becoming a phenomenon on the way to overturn our ideas about work and way of  life. In this regard, Bulgaria offers a palette of..

published on 4/29/25 1:10 PM

Seme Balgarsko festival opens in Sevlievo

On 26 and 27 April, Sevlievo in Central Bulgaria is hosting the festival “Seme Balgarsko ”. For its 11 th edition, the organizers have a colourful traditional lineup. “The festival will enable visitors to meet manufacturers of Bulgarian..

published on 4/26/25 11:20 AM