The city of Varna is investing major attention and resources to its festivals. The city itself is running 35 festivals, next to many more independent initiatives developed by the local non profit and commercial arts organisations. Why does the city understand better than others the power of festivals for local development, well-being, improved quality of life, participation in cultural and artistic activities for its citizens and tourists, and so much more? Dessyslava Georgieva, Head of the Department of Festivals and Projects for the City of Varna, has been in the job for over 22 years. Varna Summer International Music Festival will celebrate in 2026 its 100th anniversary and has been a member of the European Festivals Association (EFA) since 1987. Dessy Georgieva has seen many directors programme the festival during her 2 decades on the Municipality of Varna. Artistic directors offer their vision, their network, and their skills to make the best of festivals.

Dessy Georgieva is surrounded by a committed team who, on a daily basis, implement a carefully considered and well-informed festival policy. She not only ‘lobbies’ for the arts within the City Council, she also secures additional funding at local, national and European levels. Thanks to ongoing contacts and communication with other municipalities (also through the EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions initiated by EFA) and colleague festivals across Europe, including EFA Members, Varna is involved in many conversation tables that highlight the city's festivals.

The choice of the Varna Summer International Music Festival’s current Artistic Director, Mario Hossen, is paying off: through an immense effort in programming and developing the festival as a high-quality artistic platform for artists and the citizens of Varna, and thanks to the huge amount of guests visiting Varna and its sunny beaches, Mario is presenting not only the shining musical stars, but also the rising ones (programme). Mario Hossen believes in the power of the arts. He is one of the most brilliant musicians in the world. He also invests his personal and professional background in developing his vision for the best for the festivals’ audiences. This is a good reason why in 2019, the festival received the EFFE Award Audience Choice from EFA, supported by the European Commission. People like to affiliate with Dessy. People like to affiliate with Mario. This community building exercise extends to the artists, audiences, sponsors, and everyone getting in touch with the Varna Summer Festival. After organising the first EFA workshop on arts and well-being – which was meaningful in such a place (read our story here), it was again a great privilege and pleasure for my children Charlie, Mia, and myself to be part of this community.

Kathrin Deventer