Festivals & events

When one of the central live venues and a main rock radio station closed down in the early 2000s, the outlets of the Bulgarian alternative scene considerably shrunk. Luckily since a few years there is a festival working to fix this – one that is happening regularly all around town.

Alarma Punk Jazz started as a series of live concerts from the studios of the Bulgarian National Radio, open to the public and streamed live on the cultural programme Hristo Botev. The authors of the youth show Alarma created a platform for new Bulgarian bands and a free cultural event that soon gained popularity. With the prestige of national air they were able to recruit interesting names from the undercurrents of the international scene. And we shouldn’t forget its significance for the country – bringing alternative sounds to remote shepherd’s huts and villages where the long waves of Hristo Botev are the only thing you can tune to.

“Punk-Jazz” stands for the DIY, non-commercial ethic of the show and the range and fusion of musical styles represented, anywhere from kletzmer-metal to freak folk and punk cabaret. The festival airs monthly from a different venue in the city,  the radio or different clubs. If you are in town during one of its editions (check out their Facebook), don’t miss this chance to experience some live music and check out the local scene.