When: 15-17 August, 2025 (Friday-Sunday)
Where: Buzludzha Monument, Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria
Cost: FREE
High in the heart of the Balkan Mountains, where the air is thin and history hangs heavy, a concrete saucer emerges from the peaks like a forgotten spacecraft. This is the Buzludzha Monument, Bulgaria’s most enigmatic architectural relic. For decades, it has stood as a silent, decaying sentinel to a complex past. But for three days each August, this silence is spectacularly broken. From the 15th to the 17th, the OPEN BUZLUDZHA festival transforms this solemn site into a vibrant, pulsating hub of art, music, and collective hope, and the 2025 edition promises to be its most significant yet.
This year marks a poignant double anniversary: ‘Five Years of the Festival, Ten Years of the Cause.’ It’s a celebration of a decade of relentless dedication by the Buzludzha Project Foundation, a non-political organisation that has united thousands of volunteers and supporters in a mission not to restore, but to preserve and adapt this iconic landmark for future generations. And in honour of this milestone, entry to the entire festival is free, an open invitation to witness a new dawn for Buzludzha.
- A Stage Like No Other
- A Story to Share in 2025
- A Festival for All
- Getting There
- Sleep in 2025
- Practical Details for 2025
- Program for FRIDAY (15 August, 2025)
- Program for SATURDAY (16 August, 2025)
- Program for SUNDAY (17 August, 2025)
A Stage Like No Other
The festival’s magic lies in its breathtaking setting. The main stage is the monument itself, its vast, curved facade becoming a canvas for one of Europe’s most impressive 3D mapping shows. As darkness falls on Friday and Saturday, the concrete behemoth awakens. Created by MP-STUDIO, the visionary minds behind Sofia’s Lunar Festival of Lights and spectacles at landmarks like Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, the show is a true sensory marvel. Beams of light dance across the structure, reinterpreting its stark geometry into a swirling vortex of fantasy and futurism. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that transports you from a Bulgarian mountaintop to a realm of pure imagination.
But in 2025, the visuals meet their match in raw, electric sound. For the first time, the Monument Stage will host live bands, merging the power of rock and roll with the spectacle of light. The weekend kicks off with the soulful Southern rock blend of the Samuel Manuelyan Project and the energetic post-punk of Scarlet. On Saturday, the new Bulgarian band Mono and the Stereos will fuse rock with country and violin, followed by the chart-topping pop-rock anthems of Innerglow. As the final notes fade, DJs will keep the energy high with 90s hits and funk-rock jams under a canopy of stars.
For a more serene send-off, the Sunset Stage offers a curated soundtrack to the day’s end. As the sun dips behind the Stara Planina peaks, DJs like Budapest’s Closeup North and Sofia’s Algorithm will provide the perfect ambient and deep-tech accompaniment to the stunning natural light show.
A Story to Share in 2025
The festival’s motto for 2025 is “A Story to Share,” and this narrative thread weaves through the entire three-day experience. By day, Buzludzha becomes a sprawling, open-air classroom and playground. The rich cultural program is designed to connect visitors intimately with the monument’s past, present, and future.
You can join a guided tour to unravel the “History and Symbols” of the site, or take a nature walk with landscape architects to appreciate the stunning surroundings. Creative workshops invite hands-on participation: you can build a model of the monument’s new roof from spaghetti with the project’s architects, create a mosaic jewel with their restorers, or even craft a clay relief of Buzludzha. An interactive festival game, “A Story to Share,” encourages you to collect ten unique experiences: from lectures on the conservation progress to recording your own video message for a chance to win special prizes.
At the Buzludzha Pavilion, you can learn about the next crucial steps: the construction of a new roof and windows, and the creation of the building’s first-ever permanent exhibition. It’s a chance to understand that you are not just a visitor, but a part of the story ensuring this landmark survives. Buzludzha monument now is positioned not as a political symbol, but as a global destination for culture and education.
A Festival for All
OPEN BUZLUDZHA is a truly intergenerational affair. A dedicated kids’ program ensures young explorers are equally enthralled. They can launch straw-and-paper spaceships, embark on a Buzludzha treasure hunt, create cosmic mandalas, or learn about internet safety through fun games. It’s a family-friendly environment where the wonder of discovery is contagious.
The festival culminates on Sunday afternoon with a moment of sublime contrast. The raw power of electric guitars gives way to the elegant strains of a classical string quartet from the Ars Nova Chamber Foundation. As their music echoes against the monumental backdrop, it’s a powerful reminder of the site’s evolving identity—a place where all art forms can converge and resonate.
Getting There
Getting there is part of the adventure. The monument is best reached by car, with free parking organised a short walk from the site.
Taxis are not impossible but keep in mind that the place is more or less remote and some local taxi drivers can take advantage of this. Rightfully.
Rent a car would be your best option. You can rest a car from a lot of trusted local companies. Keeping in mind that this is open air fest with options for camping, you can even consider renting a camper.
Sleep in 2025
For the full experience, embrace the mountain spirit by camping in the mowed meadow near the Buzludzha Hut, a 15-minute stroll away from the monument. Remember, mountain weather is fickle; pack a warm jacket for the crisp August nights alongside your daytime shorts.
No camping set? No worries! You can buy cheap and good value camping items from Decathlon. You can order them online and pick them up in a preferred store in Bulgaria or have them delivered to a trusted place. You can get a brand new tent for 3 for some 40 EUR or less in case of promotions.
Alternatively, you can sleep in the nearby hut Stara Buzludzha. Edelweiss hotel is also nearby. I highly recommend you to secure your accommodation well in advance because those places have limited rooms.
You cal also consider staying in the nearby large towns but in this case you will have to travel by car a few kilometres at night in order to get to bed.
Practical Details for 2025
It is strictly forbidden to light fires on the festival venue and the camping zone. Please respect this order for your own safety and the other people and animals in the mountain. The summer in Bulgaria has been extremely dry. Firefighters and volunteers have been struggling to tame a lot of wild fires in the country and the danger of uncontrolled for fires that start as an innocent camping light is very serious.
While Bulgaria is still among the countries where cash is king, some notable exceptions still exist. The festival area is a cashless event, with a variety of delicious food and drink vendors available on-site. You can use your preferred card or payment app. Outside the festival venue, it is still recommended to have cash. Bulgaria will stat using the Euro currency on 1 January, 2026. Until then, you will notice that all prices are marked in Leva and Euro. As of the time of the festival in 2025, the official currency is Bulgarian Lev (1,00 Euro = 1,95583 Bulgarian levs) and few businesses will accept Euro.
If you are having a pet, keep in mind that your four-legged friends are welcome to join this unique mountain gathering!
Program for FRIDAY (15 August, 2025)
MUSIC
SUNSET SESSIONS
17:00 Closeup North (HU)
19:00 Algorithm
NIGHT PROGRAM
20:30 Festival Opening
21:10 Samuel Manuelyan Project
22:20 Scarlet
0:00 – 2:00 90’s hits party – DJ Duo Zhivica
WORKSHOPS
Mosaic: Create your own mosaic jewel with Nikifor (NАA), restorer from Buzludzha Project
Friday: 11:00 to 18:00
Roof Structure: Build the roof of Buzludzha from spaghetti with Dobri, architect from Buzludzha Project
Friday: 11:00 to 18:00
Concrete Forms with Baumit: Create your own casting with Ani and Petar
Friday: 11:00 to 18:00
TOURS
Tour: “Park and nature” (1 hour)
Mountain walk with Grigor and Desislav (Design Group Studio) landscape architects from Buzludzha Project
Starts at Info Point
Friday: 11:00 am
Tour: “History and Symbols” (1 hour)
Cultural talk with Radoslav (SU), communicator from Buzludzha Project
Starts at Info Point
Friday: 12:00, 17:00 and 18:00
LECTURES, SCREENINGS AND QUIZZES
Lectures: “Project Buzludzha” (2 hours)
Learn about the past, present and future of the monument from the Buzludzha Project team
Monument stage
Friday, 13:00
Quiz: “Unravel Buzludzha” (1 hour)
A fun quiz with which you will decipher the secrets of the region
Monument stage
Friday, 15:30
Screenings: “Unwritten Stories” (1.5 hours)
Hear the opinions of experts and the personal stories of people whose fate is connected to the monument.
Monument stage
Friday, 11:00 and 17:00
Program for SATURDAY (16 August, 2025)
MUSIC
SUNSET SESSIONS
17:00 Fey & Mr. X (B2B)
NIGHT PROGRAM
21:10 Mono and the Stereos
22:20 Innerglow
0:00 – 2:00 Funk Rock Jams party – DJ Medo
WORKSHOPS
Mosaic: Create your own mosaic jewel with Nikifor (NАA), restorer from Buzludzha Project
Saturday: 11:00 to 18:00
Roof Structure: Build the roof of Buzludzha from spaghetti with Dobri, architect from Buzludzha Project
Saturday: 11:00 to 18:00
Concrete Forms with Baumit: Create your own casting with Ani and Petar
Saturday: 11:00 to 18:00
TOURS
Tour: “Park and nature” (1 hour)
Mountain walk with Grigor and Desislav (Design Group Studio) landscape architects from Buzludzha Project
Starts at Info Point
Saturday: 11:00 am
Tour: “History and Symbols” (1 hour)
Cultural talk with Radoslav (SU), communicator from Buzludzha Project
Starts at Info Point
Saturday: 12:00, 17:00 and 18:00
LECTURES, SCREENINGS AND QUIZZES
Lectures: “Project Buzludzha” (2 hours)
Learn about the past, present and future of the monument from the Buzludzha Project team
Monument stage
Saturday, 13:00
Quiz: “Unravel Buzludzha” (1 hour)
A fun quiz with which you will decipher the secrets of the region
Monument stage
Saturday, 15:30
Screenings: “Unwritten Stories” (1.5 hours)
Hear the opinions of experts and the personal stories of people whose fate is connected to the monument.
Saturday, 11:00 am and 17:00
Program for SUNDAY (17 August, 2025)
MUSIC
SUNSET SESSIONS
18:00 Fey
MONUMENT STAGE
17:00 Classical Concert by “Ars Nova” Chamber Foundation
WORKSHOPS
Mosaic: Create your own mosaic jewel with Nikifor (NАA), restorer from Buzludzha Project
Sunday: 11:00 to 16:00
Roof Structure: Build the roof of Buzludzha from spaghetti with Dobri, architect from Buzludzha Project
Sunday: 11:00 to 16:00
Concrete Forms with Baumit: Create your own casting with Ani and Petar
Sunday: 11:00 to 13:00
LECTURES, SCREENINGS AND QUIZZES
Lectures: “Project Buzludzha” (2 hours)
Learn about the past, present and future of the monument from the Buzludzha Project team
Monument stage
Sunday, 13:00
Quiz: “Unravel Buzludzha” (1 hour)
A fun quiz with which you will decipher the secrets of the region
Monument stage
Sunday, 15:30
Screenings: “Unwritten Stories” (1.5 hours)
Hear the opinions of experts and the personal stories of people whose fate is connected to the monument.
Monument stage
Sunday, 11:00 am
The festival is a rally for conservationists, a playground for families, and a party for night owls. It’s where the past is not erased. It is reinterpreted. It is where a decaying monument is shown not as an ending, but a beginning. It’s a testament to what can be achieved when a community shares a cause. So, from August 15th to 17th, make the journey to the peak. Come with a curious mind, and leave with a story to share.