site.btaEuropean Parliament in Bulgaria to Celebrate Europe Day with Light Show and Concert in Sofia

On May 9, the European Parliament in Bulgaria will host a three-dimensional video mapping show, titled "Your Voice" on the facade of the National Art Gallery Palace. It will begin at 9 pm. 

Your Voice It is part of the third edition of the LUNAR Light Festival, organized by the the Bureau of the European Parliament in partnership with the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria.

The story of this year's light show will take viewers on a journey through the complex landscape of choice, where every threshold crossed is a step into the unknown, but also a unique opportunity.

Access to the show is free. There will be alternate screenings in Bulgarian and English, which will last until midnight.

The performance  will also be broadcast live on May 9 on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of the European Parliament in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria will mark the 20th anniversary of the EU enlargement in 2004 with a celebratory concert, titled  "20 Years Together", organized jointly with the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria, Sofia Municipality and the embassies of Cyprus, the Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. On May 9, between 4:30 and 8:30 pm, in the City Garden in Sofia, visitors will have the opportunity to try local food and drinks from EU member states, and enjoy music and dance from different parts of Europe.

The "20 Years Together" concert will begin at 5:30 pm.  The Pip-Pam children's choir will perform the anthem of Bulgaria and the anthem of the European Union. Other performers will include folklore ensemble Bulgare, folklore ensemble Falmis with performances from Poland and Hungary, folklore ensemble Dopravar with dances from Slovakia, Agathangelos with melodies from Cyprus, Lucie Redlova from Czechia, performers from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, jazz formation Sofia.

Europe Day is a celebration of the European Union, of the unity and peace of the old continent. It marks the date French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman read the historic declaration of unification in Europe. On May 9, 1950, 5 years after the end of World War II, he called for the pooling of French and West German resources and coal and steel industries to avoid future military conflicts. The Schuman Declaration founded the European Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner of today's EU.

LUNAR Festival of Lights

The Your Voice performance is part of the third edition of the LUNAR Light Festival, which will take place from May 9 to 12, 2024 and will display a total of 22 light works by over 20 artists from around the world. Nine videos and three static projections on buildings, an immersive experience, a laser show and a light painting workshop will be presented on the facades of iconic capital buildings and in parks along a 4.5km route. All works will be open to the public for free and the lights will be switched on between 9 pm and midnight on each of the four nights of the festival.

The organizer and main artistic team behind the project is the Bulgarian visual effects studio MP-STUDIO, in partnership with one of the most famous light festivals in the world, Festival of Lights International Productions GmbH. The event will be held with the support of the European Parliament in Bulgaria and the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria, the Sofia Municipality's Calendar of Cultural Events, the Ministry of Tourism and with the financial support of the Creation programme of the Culture National Fund. The festival is open to all residents and guests of the city.