The problems facing cities hosting large-scale cultural events were put in focus during the specialized conference ‎‎"The Festival and the City", which was held in Sofia. ‎

‎"This meeting gave energy to all participants to once again fight with what they have set out to do – making festivals is not easy at all. But it is clear that these people are dedicated and when we are together we share our desires, problems and way of thinking, we give common energy that helps us move forward", points out Vasil Dimitrov. 

"Festivals are a very important part of the culture of every country. We are not talking about funding in terms of volume here. We are talking about the qualitative distribution of funds that are allocated for festivals in particular, because in recent years we have seen ambiguity in the way events are evaluated. Therе are no prospects in making festivals. For a festival to be at a world level, it must be programmed at least two years in advance." ‎

A clear strategy is needed for which existing events the state wants to support, and there should be a separate program for financing new events and small festivals

‎"Because we have really seen in the last few years what it means to not have a stable government and to have to start the whole dialogue again...it has been like this for years. This makes us think whether there should not be a structure under the Ministry of Culture that deals with festivals and is not dependent on political changes. This is quite realistic. 

Among the most attractive participants in the conference "The Festival and the City" was Neyko Genchev - Deputy Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo in the "Culture and Immovable Cultural Heritage" department. Bulgaria's medieval capital has enviable traditions in festival activities and is extremely attractive not only historically and touristically, but also as a festival center:

"Veliko Tarnovo is definitely a festival city comparable to the largest Bulgarian cities and municipalities. We hold about 30 festivals a year. The most interesting thing is that we have festivals in almost all cultural directions. Simply because we have understood over the years that this is a very powerful tool for social and cultural development. Two of our music festivals are holders of the most prestigious "labels", which is why our city received the so-called seal - this is a very important distinction of the European Festival Association. An example is an event such as the "Stage of the Ages" festival, which has existed since 1983 and brings together people from all over the world." ‎

Veliko Tarnovo can also boast of many sustainable and large folklore festivals, such as Balkan Folk - declared number one in ‎Europe by the European Association of Folk Art Festivals. ‎It has a long history, gathers over 2,500 participants and is covered by all media. The international folklore festival, for which groups from all over the world come, will have its 27th edition this year. ‎The newest festival, which is expecting its third edition, is "48 hours Varusha South", created by civil society. ‎

Bulgaria's old capital is bustling with festival activity in the spring, especially around the town's holiday, which is very soon: "Come on March 22!" ‎‎- invites Neyko Genchev. There is no shortage of holidays in autumn and winter - over 1,000 cultural events take place in the town annually.