The Bulgarian chapter of Unesco's Conseil International des Organisations de Festivals de Folklore et d'Arts Traditionnels and Sofia municipality have organised a folk festival, entitled International Folk Festival Sofia 2008, to take place from July 22 to 26.

In the park area in front of NDK (National Palace of Culture), more than 20 folk ensembles from 17 countries will give 45 concerts over the six days of the event, mc.government.bg said. It is hoped that it will give some cultural excitement to Sofia at the height of summer, a period when most happenings move to the Black Sea coast.

International Folk Festival Sofia 2008 is expected to be the largest such gathering in Eastern Europe; it has been granted CIOFF Festival status.

The ensembles comprise 768 singers, dancers and musicians from Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Georgia, Hungary, India, Iraq, Malta, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine Uzbekistan and Venezuela. Bulgaria will participate with the Filip Koutev Ensemble.

Concerts and performances, all free-of-charge, will be held at the Alley of Fountains in front of NDK every evening from 8pm to 10pm.