In brief
On November 7, 2026, Sofia’s Joy Station hosted a celebratory concert for the Association of Bulgarian Folk Groups Abroad’s 10th anniversary. Youths, folk dancers and choirs from across the globe performed while President Iliana Iotova praised the groups for preserving Bulgarian heritage overseas. The event highlighted the association’s role in cultural exchange and called for continued support of diaspora groups.
The Association of Bulgarian Folk Groups Abroad (ABFGA) celebrated its tenth anniversary with a concert at Sofia’s Joy Station on Saturday evening, November 7, 2026, under the auspices of President Iliana Iotova.
The program opened with the Bulgarian and European Union anthems, the first performances that set the tone for a night of folk dancing and choral music from groups based in immigrant communities worldwide.
President Iotova addressed the gathered dignitaries, describing the ABFGA’s work as a “living link with Bulgaria” that keeps folk songs and dances alive for new generations. She noted that the groups “have established themselves as centres of cultural life, communication and continuity” abroad and praised their dedication to “love and introduce Bulgaria’s heritage to young people.”
“For 10 years now, you have been bringing together the efforts of our compatriots for whom folk songs and dances are a living link with Bulgaria,” said President Iotova in her address to ABFGA Chair Radoslava Nedyalkova.
Concert host and former folk performer Rangel Vangelov welcomed the audience and highlighted the importance of passing cultural heritage between generations while underscoring the association’s mission to unite Bulgarian folk communities across borders.
Kiril Valchev, Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency, called on the groups to teach Bulgarians at home three lessons: how to love the country and express that love through their work; how to live in harmony, as evidenced by their collective performances worldwide; and how to present Bulgaria abroad in a manner that earns respect and admiration. Valchev urged the groups to help develop a Bulgarian cultural institute that would bring together fragmented efforts of Bulgarian institutions.
The concert featured a mix of traditional folk dancers and choirs, with performers from Canada, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom sharing stages and costumes that reflected both national and regional styles.
By spotlighting the ABFGA’s decade of cultural exchange, the event underscored the significant role that diaspora groups play in preserving national identity. It also reiterated calls for increased governmental and public support for Bulgarian heritage abroad.
The announcement has left the scale and specifics of future support for the association open to interpretation; the extent to which the government will follow through on these calls remains uncertain, as does how the proposed cultural institute will be structured and funded.
