On August 28 and 29, St. Alexander Nevsky Square in Sofia will once again serve as an open-air concert venue. Bulgarian opera diva Sonya Yoncheva aims to make the two-day festival "Gala in Sofia" an annual tradition—a bridge between generations, cultures and genres. After the successful first edition in 2021, this year’s event returns with two evenings promising a true celebration for fans of opera, operetta, Spanish zarzuela, popular and film music.

The world-renowned tenor Vittorio Grigolo will make his debut in Bulgaria during the first concert, titled "Italian Evening". Together with Sonya Yoncheva, he will present an exciting program featuring arias and duets from operas by Verdi and Puccini, as well as popular Italian canzonettas and beloved melodies from film hits.

During the second evening (August 29), the legendary tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras will perform together on a Bulgarian stage for the first time, joined by Sonya Yoncheva. The program will feature beloved arias and duets from operas by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Umberto Giordano, Francesko Cilea, Georges Bizet and Antonín Dvořák; hits from operettas by Franz Lehár; excerpts from musicals by Leonard Bernstein and Mitch Leigh; popular songs; and the beloved romance "No Puede Ser" from the zarzuela ''La Tabernera Del Puerto'' by Pablo Sorozábal—made famous by Plácido Domingo, who always performed it at the legendary "Three Tenors" concerts. 

''Gala in Sofia 2025'' takes place in the year marking the 35th anniversary of the formation of the most famous operatic trio of all time. On October 12, the world will also mark 90 years since the birth of the unforgettable Luciano Pavarotti. Just one month after the concerts in Sofia, the renowned tenors Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Vittorio Grigolo will participate in a large-scale concert in memory of Pavarotti at the Arena di Verona.

This is a unique opportunity for Bulgarian music enthusiasts to see all three tenors together on a Bulgarian stage, alongside the the remarkable  Sonya Yoncheva. This event places Bulgaria among the world’s cultural centers that pay tribute to the opera tradition while taking an innovative approach by combining it with popular musical and stage genres. The orchestra for both festival evenings is the Sofia Philharmonic led by its principal conductor Nayden Todorov. Around 8,000 people from Bulgaria and abroad are expected to gather at St. Alexander Nevsky Square on Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., where stars will perform under the Sofia night sky.

Read also: 

• Opera prima Sonya Yoncheva: Culture is not only our future - it is the key to a better society

• Opera prima Sonya Yoncheva receives Musician of the Year award at BNR ceremony

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: musicaperpetua.com; organizers