Going on a summer holiday to Bulgaria you will appreciate the beautiful weather, sandy beaches, warm sea and the ability to taste healthy variety of local dishes and fine wines.
However, when you get bored with lying on the beach and you will get the desire to know more the country of your rest, or you are just lucky to be here during the various festivals, surely it is worthwhile to take this opportunity to know the best places and practices which gives us the beautiful and rich in monuments and traditions Bulgaria.

Nestinarka 03-04 June

Bulgaria is a country of rich history and tradition, and the Bulgarians are a nation, which attaches great importance to their own tradition. One of the most popular known around the world  is Nestinarka – fire dance. It is a national tradition, whose roots date back to pagan times. The most attractive part of the fire dance (nestinarka) is the moment when a women dance barefoot on hot coals. This ceremony takes place at the feast of St. Constantine and St. Helena to 03 on 04 June. These celebrations are celebrated in the villages and take their share of all residents, while during the ceremony, only women do the fire dance. It is believed that these people are chosen by the saint, the patron of the feast, dance, and this time seeing his form and hear the voice. People believe that dancing on the hot coals the dancer buys back the sins of others. At the end of the ceremony to dance on the coals dare also more courageous participants of this beautiful holiday.

Roses Festival in Kazanlak:  June

The Ppoduction of the Bulgarian rose has been popularized by the annual Festival of Roses.
"Festival of Roses" takes place at the beginning of the harvest of these beautiful flowers. Old rose growers used to organize the festival during which paraded dressed in rose flowers. The first festival of roses in Kazanlak took place in 1903 and a few years later, a similar festival had been held in the nearby town of Karlovo. The first festival was held on a national scale in the rose valleyin in Paul Banya on the 4^th of  June 1967. Producers from across the valley, along with masked dancers, called "koukeri" sang and danced during the entire festival. This ceremony has become a tradition of Kazanlak and later Karlovo.

Since then the Festival of Roses is a feast celebrated reverently each year and the event has attracted more and more tourists from around the world. The three main factors, the most interesting events for the guests during the holidays are - the choice of the Queen of Roses, the ritual of harvesting roses in the rose garden and parade through the town streets. Ever since developed rose industry has been a primary source of livelihood for people living in the Rose Valley.

International Folklore Festival in Veliko Tarnovo - 16-30 June

International Folklore Festival in Veliko Tarnovo is a prestigious folklore event, which has become a significant part of the traditional and cultural life of the ancient capital. It’s a long-expected holiday for residents and visitors of the ancient capital of Bulgaria in the hot summer days.
The first festival was held in August 1998 and since then has a status of CIOFF Festival (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts). This is one of 270 recognized by CIOFF festivals in the world. CIOFF status, excellent organization and attractive program make it one of the most prestigious festivals of its kind in Eastern Europe.
Every year, groups from around the world, from countries thousands of miles away comes to Veliko Tarnovo to present the beauty and uniqueness of their tradition to the audience of Veliko Tarnovo. Some of the best folk bands are coming to Bulgaria for one purpose - to be part of the best folk festival in one of the most beautiful cities in Bulgaria.

Apollonia, Festival of Arts - Sozopol August-September

First Apollonia Festival of Arts was held in Sozopol in 1984, one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria. People of art - artists, musicians, writers, poets, actors and architects are a significant part of the regular visitors, held in August since then, every year the festival, where the unique atmosphere of the city is truly an inspiration for creative work.

Apollonia is a festival for all the arts: music - classical, traditional, jazz, theater, dance, art, literature and poetry, cinema. It is a settled tradition, striving to preserve and promote Bulgarian culture and the presentation of the achievements of European art world.

"Varna Summer" International Music Festival - June - July

It is the oldest music festival in Bulgaria and one of the longest-running festivals in Europe. It takes place every year in June and July.
Reaching national and international recognition, today the festival is an important and prestigious event to present the Bulgarian and world music in classical art. Rich and varied program is a showcase of Varna as a center of international cultural tourism. During the festival you can experience the diversity of species of the opera, symphonic concerts, chamber and choral music, cross-over projects, a series of thematic, international summer academy.
During his 80-year old existence, the festival has gained national and international recognition and contributed greatly to the promotion of Bulgarian art of compositing and the slogan of the founders "accumulate the greatest authorities in the country music" found many supporters who want to promote the art of Bulgarian music. Many Bulgarian music pieces have been first performed in the framework of  the "Varna Summer".

Spirit of Burgas - August - Burgas

SPIRIT of Burgas is the rising star of Eastern European festival scene set against the beautiful scenery of Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast.

Launched in 2008, Spirit of Burgas was the first event of its kind in the country offering the opportunity to enjoy a variety genres of music and artists on many different stages at the same time. The importance of the Festival is growing from year to year and the first time it was  nominated for "Best European Festival" at the UK Festival Awards in 2008 and 2009 in the category "Best Foreign Festival." In the same year "The Times" scored "Spirit of Burgas" to become one of the 20 best European music festival and the festival's program was broadcast by MTV European Network in 16 countries. In 2010 the festival was also nominated for the category of "Best Medium Sized Festivals" in the inaugural European Festival Awards in January 2010.