site.btaJanuary 14-16, 1966: First Surva Festival Held in Pernik

The Surva Festival was first organized by the town of Pernik (Western Bulgaria) in 1966. It is the oldest festival of masquerade games in Bulgaria.

In 1963, Yordan Nikolov, a choreographer and later an inspector at the District Council of Pernik, suggested that the town become a centre of masquerade games. On April 14, 1965, the District Council decided to institute a Pernik Winter Festival featuring masquerade groups from what was then Pernik District.

The first festival of mummers and survakari (who tour people's homes, tap them on the back with a decorated cornel branch and wish them a prosperous new year) was held on January 14-16, 1966. The first poster with an invitation to people to flock to the festival was drawn by artist Konstantin Konstantinov and featured a stylized survakar with bells. Some 800 groups from Pernik and several villages took part in the first edition of the festival, which drew an audience of nearly 10,000 people at the stadium. Three first prizes were given to the groups from the villages of Yardzhilovtsi and Sushitsa and the town of Razlog for performing the most authentic local traditions.

In 1967 and 1969, the festival was held as a national event of mummers and survakari and spring games and dances. The 4th edition in 1971 was held as a National Festival of Mummers and Survakari.

Foreign groups first participated in 1985 and the festival has been held as an international event since 1993. Since January 2000, it has been known as the Surva International Festival of Masquerade Games (IFMG).

In 1995, Pernik became a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities. On June 26, 2009, Henry Van Der Kroon, President of the Federation of European Carnival Cities, declared Pernik a European Capital of Sourvakar and Mummer traditions.

In 2015, the Surova folk feast in Pernik region was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

Since 2023, the festival has been a three-day event. The 30th edition of the Surva IFMG drew a record large number of participants - more than 12,000, including 17 foreign groups.