From June 4 to 6, the iconic Banski Square in front of the Regional History Museum – Sofia will transform into a stage for ideas, art, urban solutions, and community energy. The first edition of “HEAT FEST” 2026 – Sofia’s Climate Festival, organized by the Sofia Development Association (SDA) and Sofia Municipality, hosted by Oborishte District, will bring together citizens, scientists, artists, and international experts through a rich three-day programme dedicated to the future of the city.
The first edition of the festival focuses on one of the most important topics related to urban climate adaptation – Sofia’s waters. The area around the Central Mineral Baths has been chosen symbolically as a place where the city’s history, collective memory, and thermal heritage meet. At a time of increasingly frequent heatwaves, water and green infrastructure are key to creating a cooler and healthier urban environment.
The official opening will take place on Thursday, June 4, at 11:00 a.m. at Banski Square, featuring a performance by the National Guards Representative Brass Band. The festival will be officially opened by the Mayor of Sofia Municipality Vasil Terziev, representatives of the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (within the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region), and Gustav Csomor from the Monitoring Committee of the Interreg Danube Region Programme.
European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall will travel to Sofia especially for the occasion and will make an official tour of the festival spaces, where she will explore the showcased green solutions.
Visitors will have the opportunity to experience The Sofianer pop-up exhibition, the interactive urban heat guide WATI, first aid and rescue dog demonstrations by the Bulgarian Red Cross, the mobile automatic air quality monitoring station, and Museumko’s interactive exhibition. Children can enjoy eco-workshops, the “Chichopey” installation, and storytelling sessions by Sofia Library aboard the special “Fairytale Tram No. 83.” Adult visitors will be invited to join a workshop by Multi Kulti Collective focused on eco-friendly and low-impact alternatives for everyday life. The programme also includes a green market, free seed sharing, a free plant giveaway by SDA (on Saturday), and the clothing swap initiative “Vartodreshka.”
Throughout the three festival days, visitors will be able to explore the festival’s two thematic zones featuring dozens of interactive activities (June 4: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; June 5: 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.; June 6: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.):
“New European Bauhaus” Zone:
A space dedicated to sustainable design, architecture, and innovative urban solutions, featuring universities (including UACEG) and cultural organizations.
“The Waters of Sofia” Zone:
Dedicated to the city’s rivers, fountains, and lakes and their role in building a greener Sofia, featuring projects by the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, “Green Sofia,” and others.
Alongside the festival, climate challenges will also be discussed at a high expert level. On June 4 at 4:30 p.m. at Sofia Event Center (Paradise Center), as part of the Green Transition Forum, the international roundtable “Be Ready Cooling Cities Roundtable: Urban Heat Islands, Climate Resilience and the Future of Urban Living” will bring together urbanists and speakers from Austria, Slovenia, Czechia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria.
“HEAT FEST” 2026 is part of the European Be Ready project under the Interreg Danube Programme and is a partner event of the European Green Week.
The festival is also part of the programme of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. With the support of volunteers from Sofia Helpers, the festival aims to become a new urban tradition for Sofia.
Admission to all events at Banski Square is free.
Sofia Climate Festival “HEAT FEST” 2026 is organized in partnership with:
Bureau for Integration and Social Innovation, Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), The Sofianer, Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, Museumko, Multi Kulti Collective, WWF Bulgaria, National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), International Organization for Migration, Studio Vazel, University of Forestry, Ecopack Bulgaria, Ecobulpack Bulgaria and Bulecopack, LLCLOUD, Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC), Merivel Beekeeping Farm, youth community space “Magnet” (Greenpeace Bulgaria), entrepreneurs and local producers, Gradoscope, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), Municipality of Gabrovo, BCause Foundation, JTI, DevHubOne, Sofia Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, Imp-Act Agency, Cleantech Bulgaria, European Climate Pact Ambassadors, Tsvetelina Ilieva – creator of “Tsvetna Poshta / Dirty Fingers,” Foundation “Koren,” Sofia Library, Municipal Enterprise “Tourism,” Regional History Museum – Sofia, “Regenerati,” children’s choir “Pim Pam,” and “Green Sofia.”
