The International Jazz Festival in Bansko is a huge summer musical event in Bulgaria. The enormous reputation turned it into one of the foremost international cultural milestones in the Balkans. The city of Bansko becomes a meeting place for important celebrities of today’s music world. All concerts are free for the public take place on the open-air stage at 1 Nikola Vaptsarov Square in Bansko and start nightly at 7 pm. Traditionally, the program features styles and groups representing almost all jazz trends. Throughout the festival, week jazz is also played during the day and late at night on various smaller stages in the large resort bars and restaurants.
The begging
About 20 years ago the manager of the festival, Dr. Emil Iliev – a well-known dermatologist, acupuncturist, a doctor with an enviable practice in Bulgaria and Germany, opened a clinic in Bansko. The place welcomed guests from different European countries. Here they learned about a healthy lifestyle, underwent treatment or simply relaxed – but they also wanted good entertainment. A series of concerts were staged with the participation of well-known Bulgarian chamber musicians, as well as jazz performers like Vili Kazasyan, Lyudmil Gergiev, Camelia Todorova, Vassil Petrov, Rumen Toskov – Rupeto, Pepi Slavov, Mitko Shanov etc. For these artists the scenic Pirin mountain town was a discovery and their common dream was to start a jazz festival. That’s how Dr. Iliev convinced the then mayor of Bansko that the town could host an international jazz happening - at least for a week. And now it is a reality.
Bansko resort is attractive in all seasons. In the winter it provides excellent ski and snowboard facilities, as well as a unique history and architecture of an old and new part of the town. The accommodation options are more than diverse and there is something for every preference and budget – from luxurious 5-star complexes to guest houses and apartment hotels.
Here you can see the program for summer 2018>>
