‘City Lovers’ Brought Together Ideas for Urban Development in Support of Burgas’s Bid for European Capital of Culture 2032

On 9 October 2026, the first National Forum for Urban Ideas, ‘City Lovers’, was held at the Flora Exhibition Centre in support of Burgas’s bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2032. The event was organised by the Institute for Urban Ideas, with the Burgas 2032 Foundation as its main partner and co-organiser.

The forum brought together civil society organisations, local authorities and representatives of the business community to exchange experiences. Ognyan Georgiev, founder and director of the Institute for Urban Ideas, presented the mission of ‘City Lovers’, which aims to connect and support active communities across the country.

Ruska Boyadzhieva, Executive Director of the Burgas 2032 Foundation, took part in the programme with a presentation on culture as a driving force for revitalising urban spaces and fostering a sense of community. Deputy Mayor Diana Savateva welcomed the participants and emphasised the importance of investing in people and encouraging their involvement in the development of Burgas.

Among the guests was Elizabeth Chapman, Deputy Head of the British Mission in Bulgaria. Helfried Karl from ‘European Capital of Democracy’ and Prof. Kalin Hintea from Babeș-Bolyai University shared their international experience. The main topics discussed included civic participation, culture, urban development and funding. The event also featured performances by the Burgas Brass Band and pupils from the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National School of Music and the Celestine Freinet School.

The forum concluded with the award ceremony for the sixth edition of the ‘City Lovers’ competition. The first prize of €4,000 was awarded to the Young Researchers for Youth Development Association for its project ‘DendrariYIYdum on the Sixth Floor’, from Smolyan. The second prize of €2,000 went to the BUM Association for its project ‘Built with Hands, Guarded with the Heart’, from Mezdra, and was presented by Ruska Boyadzhieva. Three third prizes of €1,000 each were awarded to the Burgas Cycling Community for ‘Veloagora Burgas’, the Div Roshkov Association for ‘Green Pockets (Miyawaki Micro-Forests)’, and Branislav Mladenov and his team for ‘Small Urban Ideas’, from Dupnitsa. Three special mention awards were also presented.

The event was organised in partnership with the British Embassy in Sofia, the Sustainable Cities Fund, the FLAG Fund and Capital.