Bulgaria’s EU accession celebrations include more than 80 events in the whole country.

The main event was a an open air concert at Sofia’s Alexander Batenberg square on the night of December 31 2006.

Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev was present at the concert. President Georgi Purvanov and European Commission (EC) president sent statements of congratulations to the audience.

Rammstein director of light and music performances Gert Hoff staged a spectacular light show in the first minutes of January 1 2007.

Enlargement commissioner Olly Rehn, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who would assume the EU presidency on January 1 2007 and other partners and friends of Bulgaria will take part in the celebrations on January 1.

European parliament president Josep Borrell will assist a ceremony of Bulgaria and EU’s flags hoisting in Sofia, in front of the Unknown Soldier Monument.

All EU accession celebrations in Bulgaria are also to express solidarity for the five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya. The five are accused of deliberate HIV infection of 426 children. Bulgarian institutions and Bulgarian and international community refuse to accept the verdicts.

Bulgaria even considered canceling all EU accession celebrations because of the verdicts. On December 19 the Libyan court confirmed the previously issued death sentences of the nurses.

The nurses’ case was discussed during the New Year's Eve concert on the square. Bulgaria used the celebrations to popularise the case and to win support.

Commemoration of Bulgaria’s EU accession also included radio shows, television commercials, brochure distribution, concerts, minting of commemorative coins, posters and information panels and the planting of 27 trees to represent the 27 EU member states.