Between 4 and 6 June 2026, Banski Square in front of the Regional History Museum – Sofia became a stage for ideas, art, science and civic engagement during the first edition of the Sofia Climate Festival “HEAT FEST”. Organized by the Sofia Development Association and Sofia Municipality, with the support of Oborishte District, the festival focused on one of the most important challenges facing modern cities – climate adaptation and the creation of a healthier, greener and more resilient urban environment.

Over the course of three days, hundreds of Sofia residents and visitors explored the festival spaces, took part in dozens of workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions and discussions, and met organizations, institutions, universities and companies working towards a better future for the city.

Official Opening with European Participation
The festival officially opened on 4 June with a performance by the Representative Guards Brass Band and an opening ceremony hosted by Sevdalina Voynova from the Sofia Development Association.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by Vasil Terziev, Mayor of Sofia Municipality, Vyara Mincheva, National Coordinator of Bulgaria for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and Ekaterina Yordanova, Chair of the Board of the Sofia Development Association. In their speeches, they emphasized the importance of sustainable urban development, climate adaptation, and cooperation between institutions, organizations and citizens in building a greener and more resilient Sofia.

A special guest of the first edition of HEAT FEST was Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy. During her visit, she toured the different festival zones, explored the projects and initiatives presented by participating organizations and institutions, and spoke with their representatives about the challenges and opportunities facing European cities in the context of climate change.

Other official guests at the opening included Nikolay Nedelkov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality for Environment, and Tsvetelina Simeonova-Zarkin, Municipal Councillor of Sofia, who also visited the festival areas and met with participants.

The Waters of Sofia – Theme of the First Edition
The first edition of HEAT FEST was dedicated to the Waters of Sofia. It was no coincidence that the festival took place around the Central Mineral Baths – a location where the city’s history, mineral water heritage and urban memory intersect.
In the dedicated “Waters of Sofia” zone, visitors learned about initiatives for the restoration of fountains and micro-wetlands, explored best practices from Bulgaria and across Europe, and discovered innovative approaches to using water as a tool for cooling urban environments.

Particular interest was generated by the presentation of the innovative “Rain Zone” from the City of Kranj, Slovenia – an installation developed within the Be Ready project that combines climate adaptation, urban design and public art. Visitors also explored the exhibition “The Importance of Fountains and Micro-Wetlands”, organized by the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, as well as the “Drop by Drop” programme of BCause Foundation.

New European Bauhaus and the Sustainable Cities of the Future
The “New European Bauhaus” zone showcased successful examples of sustainable urban development, regeneration of urban spaces and nature-based solutions.

Among the featured initiatives were the NEW INHERIT and Common Grounds projects, the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center in Gabrovo, the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, and the LIFE BauhausingEurope project. The Sofia Development Association and the Bureau for Integration and Social Innovations presented the Climate Shelter in Draz Mahala – a pilot transformation of an underused urban space into a green area for cooling, social interaction and community life.

Workshops, Demonstrations and Activities for the Whole Family
During the first two days, the festival offered a rich programme of educational and interactive activities. Children took part in workshops on water birds, seed bombs and recycling, while learning more about pollinators, urban gardening and biodiversity.
The Bulgarian Red Cross organized demonstrations of first aid and rescue techniques, including the participation of a specially trained rescue dog. The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology presented early warning systems for heatwaves and methods for measuring thermal comfort in urban environments.

Visitors also explored Sofia Municipality’s mobile air quality monitoring station, participated in seed exchanges and sustainable product initiatives, and discovered innovative digital tools for adapting to rising temperatures.

Culture, Creativity and Urban Imagination
HEAT FEST demonstrated that climate-related topics can be communicated not only through data and expert analysis, but also through culture and art.

A special highlight of the programme was “Fairytale Tram No. 83”, organized by the Sofia City Library and the Sofia Tourist Information Centre. Over two days, dozens of children joined storytelling sessions dedicated to nature and the environment.
The festival concluded with an interactive improvisational performance by EXP ART LAB, where audience suggestions were transformed into spontaneous dance miniatures created on the spot.

HEAT FEST and Green Transition Forum
As part of the festival programme, the Sofia Development Association also organized a special roundtable discussion within Green Transition Forum 6.0, dedicated to cooling cities and addressing the urban heat island effect.

The event brought together representatives of European institutions, research organizations, local authorities, businesses and civil society to discuss best practices and future solutions for helping cities adapt to increasingly frequent heatwaves.

Looking Ahead
The festival concluded on 6 June with a birdwatching walk and the initiative “Take a Plant and Make Sofia Greener”, organized by the Sofia Development Association in partnership with GBM Commerce Ltd. Dozens of visitors received flowers and seeds to take home as a symbolic contribution to a greener and more sustainable urban environment.

More than 40 organizations, institutions, universities, companies and civic initiatives took part in the first edition of HEAT FEST.
HEAT FEST 2026 was organized by the Sofia Development Association and Sofia Municipality, with the support of Oborishte District, within the framework of the Be Ready project, supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the European Uninon. The festival was a partner event of EU Green Week and part of the programme of Bulgaria’s Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

 

             

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.