On 1 October, the city took part in ‘Night of Literature’. Burgas set out on a literary stroll through seven reading spaces, transforming the evening into a journey through different languages, stories and worlds.

We’d like to thank all the readers, hosts, participants and guests who made this night so special!

See you at the next literary gathering!

Special thanks to Toni Kazandzhiev, Velislava Nikolova and Irena Lozeva for all the photos they shared!

Organisers and partners

The organisers of ‘Night of Literature’ Burgas 2026 are Burgas Municipality and the ‘Burgas 2032’ Foundation, in partnership with the ‘Peio K. Yavorov’ Regional Library, Kaive Café, the “Georgi Baev” Gallery–Museum, the Burgas Writers’ Community, the Writers’ House, C.A.S.A Triangulo Creativo, the Ethnographic Museum and Café, and the “Petko Zadgorski” Art Gallery in Burgas. The media partner is BNR Radio Burgas.

‘Night of Literature’ is organised by Sofia Municipality, EUNIC, the ‘Read Sofia’ Foundation, the Austrian Cultural Forum Sofia, the Embassy of Belgium, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation – Bulgaria, the Goethe-Institut Bulgaria, the Embassy of Greece in Sofia, the Danish Embassy in Bulgaria, the Irish Embassy, the Instituto Cervantes – Sofia, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Bulgaria, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Dutch Embassy in Bulgaria, the British Council Bulgaria, the Polish Institute in Sofia, the Cultural and Information Centre of the Republic of North Macedonia in Sofia and the Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Embassy of Slovenia in Sofia, the Embassy of Ukraine, the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Institute, the Embassy of Finland in Sofia, the Czech Centre Sofia, the Embassy of Switzerland in Bulgaria, the Embassy of Sweden in Bulgaria, and the ‘Children’s Books’ Foundation.

The ‘Read Sofia’ Foundation is the national coordinator of the initiative. ‘Night of Literature’ is part of the Sofia Municipality’s Calendar of Cultural Events for 2026.

On the 1st of October, Burgas will once again take part in the international ‘Night of Literature’ initiative. The city will host the fifteenth edition of the event under the open sky – all the readings will take place outdoors, surrounded by the sea air, the city lights and the night sky.

Seven contemporary European books will come to life in seven different urban spaces, which for a few hours will be transformed into reading nooks. Actors, writers and representatives of Burgas’s cultural community will read extracts from works from Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden.

Among the participants you’ll have the chance to meet are Prof. Georgi Bardarov, author of one of the selected books; Todora Daskalova, founder of the book blog Reading Trolls; the writer Boyan Boev; Petar Todorov, director of the Burgas State Puppet Theatre; actress Simona Bogdanova; and a host of other interesting and inspiring voices from Burgas’s cultural scene, who will bring their energy, style and presence to the evening.

The readings begin at 6.00 pm, with the same extract from the respective book being presented in each ‘reading nest’ every 30 minutes: 6.00 pm | 6.30 pm | 7.00 pm | 7.30 pm | 8.00 pm | 8.30 pm | 9.00 pm

Each reading lasts half an hour, during which the audience can move from one ‘reading nest’ to another. Visitors can create their own literary itinerary, moving from place to place and discovering different voices, styles and stories.

Special prize
Any participant who visits all 7 venues will receive a special prize – a symbolic gesture to those who choose to experience the whole of the literary night in Burgas.

‘Night of Literature’ is the voice of contemporary European literature – a live encounter with its themes, languages, styles and, most importantly, its translations into Bulgarian. Burgas’s participation in the initiative supports the city’s bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2032. and forms part of our endeavour to develop strong European cultural formats, build sustainable partnership networks and place contemporary literature and the art of translation at the heart of the city’s cultural life.

PROGRAMME
18:00 | 18:30 | 19:00 | 19:30 | 20:00 | 20:30 | 21:00

1. Café Kaive | Aleko Konstantinov Street
   ‘The Café Without a Name’ (2024) – Robert Seetaler (Austria)
   Translation: Lyubomir Iliev
   Published by List
   Cover design: Sofia Popiordanova
   Read by: Prof. Maria Neykova, PhD (Black Sea University) and Diana Radoslavova (Asen Zlatarov 1940 Community Centre)
2. “Peio K. Yavorov” Regional Library | Terrace opposite Hall 3
   “Adagio for Maria” (2025) – Georgi Bardarov (Directorate-General for Translation, European Commission – Bulgaria)
   Published by MusaGena
   Cover design: Nia Mancheva
   Read by: Alberta Alkalay (Alef Centre) and Prof. Georgi Bardarov
3. “Georgi Baev” Gallery–Museum | 6 Democracy Boulevard
   “The Servants” (2026) – Olga Raun (Denmark)
   Translation: Rositsa Tsvetanova
   Published by ICU
   Cover design: Stoyan Atanasov
   Read by: Dr Margarita Doncheva and Todora Daskalova (Reading Trolls)
4. Writers’ House | 1 Vola Street
   🕕 Start: 7.30 pm
   ‘Intermezzo’ (2025) – Sally Rooney (Ireland)
   Translation: Boryana Dzhanabetska
   Publisher: Ednorog
   Design: Faber & Faber
   Read by: Petar Todorov (Burgas State Puppet Theatre) and Diana Savateva (Deputy Mayor for ‘Culture and Religious Affairs’)
5. C.A.S.A Triangulo Creativo | 4 Antim I Street
   “Rose Is Missing” (2021) – Katja Ketu (Finland)
   Translation: Rositsa Tsvetanova
   Published by ICU
   Cover design: Zhivko Petrov
   Read by: Boyan Boev and Maria Arnaudova
6. Ethnographic Museum and Café | 69 Slavyanska Street
   ‘Jakob von Guntten’ (2025) – Robert Walser (Switzerland)
   Translation: Boyan Valchev
   Published by Nike
   Cover design: Lyuba Haleva
   Read by: Simona Bogdanova and Emil Ovanesov (BIFF)
7. Burgas Art Gallery ‘Petko Zadgorski’ | 24 Mitropolit Simeon Street
   ‘Everything I Don’t Remember’ (2021) – Jonas Hassen Khemiri (Sweden)
   Translation: Maria Zmiycharova
   Published by Matkom
   Cover design: Ina Dimitrova
   Read by: Dr Loris Manuelyan and Petya Yanakieva (BNR Burgas)

Organisers and partners
The organisers of ‘Night of Literature’ Burgas 2026 are Burgas Municipality and the ‘Burgas 2032’ Foundation, in partnership with the ‘Peio K. Yavorov’ Regional Library, Kaive Café, the “Georgi Baev” Gallery–Museum, the Burgas Writers’ Community, the Writers’ House, C.A.S.A Triangulo Creativo, the Ethnographic Museum and Café, and the “Petko Zadgorski” Art Gallery in Burgas. The media partner is BNR Radio Burgas.

‘Night of Literature’ is organised by Sofia Municipality, EUNIC, the ‘Read Sofia’ Foundation, the Austrian Cultural Forum Sofia, the Embassy of Belgium, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation – Bulgaria, the Goethe-Institut Bulgaria, the Embassy of Greece in Sofia, the Danish Embassy in Bulgaria, the Irish Embassy, the Instituto Cervantes – Sofia, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Bulgaria, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Dutch Embassy in Bulgaria, the British Council Bulgaria, the Polish Institute in Sofia, the Cultural and Information Centre of the Republic of North Macedonia in Sofia and the Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Embassy of Slovenia in Sofia, the Embassy of Ukraine, the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Institute, the Embassy of Finland in Sofia, the Czech Centre Sofia, the Embassy of Switzerland in Bulgaria, the Embassy of Sweden in Bulgaria, and the ‘Children’s Books’ Foundation.

The ‘Read Sofia’ Foundation is the national coordinator of the initiative. ‘Night of Literature’ is part of the Sofia Municipality’s Calendar of Cultural Events for 2026.

Follow the event online
Any updates to the programme will be published on the event’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1293553152769149/

Come and join us for the ‘Night of Literature’ in Burgas – under the stars, amongst the words and in the company of seven captivating stories.

Free entry.

For the sixth year running, the “City Lovers” competition has opened, supporting civic initiatives across the country.

The “City Lovers” competition is supported by its long-standing partners – the British Embassy, the Sustainable Cities Fund, and the Flag Fund. Having been organized under the auspices of “Capital” for five years, the competition is, for the first time, being run by the Institute for Urban Ideas.

Together with the Burgas-2032 Foundation, the Institute aims to welcome participants in the “City Lovers” network, as well as the entire ecosystem of urban movements across the country, to a special Forum in October.

The competition is open to individuals, organizations, and companies with an idea or project for development in their city and seeking funding – whether for initiatives at an early stage or those already up and running.

Entries are assessed by an independent jury against five criteria: impact, significance of the issue, team and experience, sustainability, and innovation. The prize fund will be up to €10,000 and will be shared among the top few projects.

“The aim is to help people who devote their time to local initiatives, to support them, and to enable them to learn from one another. In Bulgaria, there is tremendous energy at the local level that needs support to develop and make our towns and cities better places to live,” explains the Institute’s founder, Ognyan Georgiev. He points out that “Gradolubiteli” already has a network of over 200 movements and civic initiatives across the country that need support and visibility. Among the winners in recent years are the Open-Air School, the “Na Ulitsata” collective in Stara Zagora, the Beekeeping School in Ihtiman, Accessible Art in Svishtov, Varna Spaces, and many others.

Applications are open until 11 September 2026 on the Institute for Urban Ideas’ website – cityideasinstitute.eu/contest.

The winners will be announced at the first Forum for Urban Ideas in Burgas on 9 October 2026.

🚀Are you 28 years old or younger and working in communications, marketing, or advertising, or are you a student with creative ideas?

Join the first Bulgarian edition of the European Creative Express competition! A joint project by Burgas 2032 and BACA in support of young talent in the creative industries!

The competition is looking for young talents to work in teams of two and create a video solution based on a brief in support of Burgas’s bid for European Capital of Culture 2032.

Participation is open to:

✅ young professionals at communications agencies in Bulgaria;

✅ young professionals working at companies in Bulgaria;

✅ students.

🏆 The winners will represent Bulgaria at the European final of Creative Express in Barcelona (November 16–18, 2026) and will gain access to ADCE Creative Week, featuring meetings with leading professionals from across Europe.

Find the brief and competition guidelines here: https://tinyurl.com/mw9rz2h7

📩 Deadline for submitting finished video entries:

July 27, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – contest@baca.bg

BURGAS–2032 FOUNDATION

INVITES

citizens, cultural operators, artists, organisations, educational institutions, business representatives, and all interested parties

to

AN ONLINE DISCUSSION WITH A CREATIVE WORKSHOP„CAFÉ EUROPE“

17 April 2026 г. /Friday/,15:00

Online platform: MS Teams

Join an open online meeting where the Burgas 2032 team will answer questions related to possible creative, artistic, and innovative approaches for developing project ideas to be included in Burgas’ bid for European Capital of Culture 2032.

Together with international experts, we will discuss guidelines for preparing concept proposals for the open call “Magazia’32 – Treasury of Ideas”

Participation in the discussion and virtual creative workshop “Café Europe” is free and open to all interested parties.

Registration: https://forms.gle/6kPSVvKcfcNTwk3K9

(a participation link will be sent after registration)

Full information about the OPEN CALL FOR PROJECT IDEAS „MAGAZIA’32“: 

                                                                                                     MAGAZIA32 – Burgas 2032