Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

International mummer festival Surva in Pernik cancelled due to water crisis

The 28th edition of Surva International Festival in Pernik attracted more than 7,500 participants
Photo: BGNES

Because of the ongoing water shortage in the town of Pernik, the traditional mummer International Festival Surva will not be held this year, Pernik Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov has told media. On Tuesday Bulgaria's Minister of Healthcare Kiril Ananiev and the Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev visited the town. The firm opinion of health authorities is that because of the risk of diseases, it was better to cancel the forthcoming edition of the festival. The Regional Health Inspectorate has also called against conducting Surva 2020. The risk for human health is big, so we had to make this difficult decision, Vladimirov said. 

The 29th edition of the festival, which is part of UNESCO’s World Intangible Cultural Heritage, was to be held from 24 to 26 January. Nearly 6,000 mummers from more than 100 groups had registered for taking part in this year's festival. Every year the festival attracts participants from all ethnographic regions of Bulgaria as well as numerous foreign guests. The first edition of the festival was held in 1966. 




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Rose producers expect a poor harvest and demand a review of purchase prices

Rose picking season is starting this year with serious problems because of the prolonged cold spell, BGNES reports. The people in this line of business say they expect an extremely poor harvest, which gives rise to major financial concerns as the..

published on 5/27/25 10:36 AM

Over 2.5 million Bulgarians have left the country in the past 35 years

The extremely unfavourable demographic picture is perhaps the biggest challenge we have to address if we want to go on as a nation, stated Tzvetan Spassov, head of the governing body of the Human Resources Development programme of the Ministry of..

published on 5/27/25 10:09 AM

Medics from Shumen hospital transfusion haematology unit announce symbolic protest

The medical specialists from the transfusion haematology unit of the hospital in Shumen will support their colleagues from the National Center of Transfusion Haematology who are organizing a protest today against “the negligence of those in power in..

published on 5/27/25 9:17 AM