National folklore competition for singers, instrumentalists, folk dances, customs and verbal folklore
Museum exposition “The Spirit of the Rhodopes”
Traditional crafts
Ethno village
Children workshop “Rozhen”
Exhibition of pure-bred animals
Dairy and meat food from the farm
Dishes from old Bulgarian recipes and cheverme
Folk dances and nestinari
Horotheka in the Rhodopes
Gala performance “Rozhen is Bulgaria”
Gala performance “Rhodope Night”
19 July 2019 /Friday/
10:30 Hundreds of bagpipers in the Rhodopes
Opening of the Festival
11:00 – 19:00 Children workshop “Rozhen”
12:30 – 13:00 The big Rozhen horo
12:30 – 18:00 National folklore competition “Rozhen”
13:00 Opening of museum exposition “The Spirit of the Rhodopes”
13:30 – 16:30 Spectacle “Bagatur” – demonstrations of the fighting skills of the old Bulgarians
14:00 – 18:00 Culinary show “In search of the lost taste”
17:00 – 20:00 Horotheka in the Rhodopes
18:00 “Heritage in the future” in the spotlight: Photo of children and youngsters with folk costumes in front of the Rozhen flag
20: 00-24: 00 Gala performance “Rozhen is Bulgaria”
“Revival stories” by Ensemble “Chinary”.
Folklore recital featuring Slavka Kalcheva, Vanya Valkova, Nelina and Zhechka Slaninkova with orchestra “Gergyovden”.
Festive illuminations
21:30 Nestinari show
20 July 2019 /Saturday/
10:00 – 19:00 National folklore competition “Rozhen”
10:00 – 19:00 Children workshop “Rozhen”
11:00 – 14:00 Spectacle “Bagatur” – demonstrations of the fighting skills of the old Bulgarians
11:00 – 16:00 Culinary show “In search of the lost taste”
12:00 – 12:30 The big Rozhen horo
15:00 – 19:00 Competition for authentic female, male and children national costume
17:00 – 20:00 Horotheka in the Rhodopes
18:00 “Heritage in the future” in the spotlight: Photo of children and youngsters with folk costumes in front of the Rozhen flag
20:00 – 24:00 Rhodope Night
FA “Rodopa”, FA “100 Kaba Gaidi”, FA “101 Kabaka Gadhi”,
FG “Kaba Kabadaylii”, orchestra “Rozhen”, orchestra “PIM”, trio “Rhodopski izvor”, orchestra “Rhodopsko nastroenie”, Valia Balkanska, Petar Yanev, Zlatina Uzunova, Tincho Sevdalinov, Dimitar Keremedchiev, Yulia Kichukova, Kristina Engerova, Svetla Dukateva, Filip Sinapov, Nikolai Slaveev
21:30 Nestinari show
21 July 2019 /Sunday/
10:00 – 13:00 National folklore competition “Rozhen”
10:00 – 16:00 Children workshop “Rozhen”
11:00 – 14:00 Culinary show “In search of the lost taste”
11:00 – 14:00 Spectacle “Bagatur” – demonstrations of the fighting skills of the old Bulgarians
12:00 – 12:30 The big Rozhen horo
14:00 Announcement of the laureates from the National folklore competition “Rozhen”
12: 00-17: 00 “Horo in the Rhodope Mountains”
Folklore dances with orchestra “Rozhen”
Journalists, photographers and audiovisual teams must apply for accreditation at pr@rozhen.bg until the 12th of July 2019.
To facilitate the work of the media in the days from the 19th to the 21st of July a press center will be operating on site.
Additional information can be received at 0888 33 88 58.
There will be a price ceiling of 5 products at the Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding- Rozhen 2019. In the restaurants on the territory of the Festival kebapche, kiufte and 500 ml of water will be sold at a price up to 1.50 leva, up to 2.50 leva will be the cost the beer, and up to 3.00 leva – a portion of fried potatoes.
The maximum prices are fixed and they will be strictly monitored to avoid speculations. Signals for detected inconsistencies can be sent to the organizers of the Festival “’Rozhen – Heritage in the Future” Association at tel: 0887 070405.
The menues and food prices of each restaurant will be announced in advance on the Festival’s website www.rozhen.bg, as well as in all restaurants in the days from the 19th to the 21st of July.
In the days of the Festival, visitors can freely make a picnic at Rozhen meadows with food and beverages brought by themselves!
The organizers reserve the right to make changes!
For the first time at the Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding- Rozhen 2019, together with the “Bashtino Ognishte” traveling center, we will build an ethno village where we will show the way of life and traditions from different parts of the country.
In the reconstructions of northern, shopy, macedonian and haidushka neighborhood, Rhodope, Bessarabian and Banat houses and the rest of the restorations of the Revival period will take part more than 150 people.
With the participation of ND “Tradition” will be demonstrated the border barrier and the commandment, which was located in Rozhen more than a century ago.
During the three days in the ethno village there will be sand coffee in the Revival Cafe, there will be free Kaba Gaida lessons, folklore and folk singing, haidushki games and special children’s activities.
The museum exposition in the patriotic bus of “Bashtino Ognishte” will present the Bulgarian wars through the centuries and ethnographic area with folk costumes and household objects. There will be real lessons of patriotism with talks filled with facts and events from the Bulgarian history.
Children will be able to participate in a special interactive game “Do I Know My Bulgaria?”, which will provoke their interest in the cultural and historical heritage and the country’s natural landmarks.
Our Ethno village with Bulgarian style hospitality, will welcome all guests and visitors from morning till dusk from the 19th to the 21st of July!
In the heart and soul of the Bulgarianis set to appreciate and keep the good taste, so we are ready to take you to a unique and unforgettable culinary tasting, combined with the rhythms and the diversity of the Rhodope song, customs and traditions.
In the heart of the Rhodope Mountains, there on the Rozhen meadows, where for decades families meet, where little and old tell memories and sounds the echo of the Rhodope song ……
Where everyone seeks the lost family relationship and finds joy from meeting with a friend, there are also the memories of the good old times, when my grandmother was kneading the bread and cooking her incredible dishes ….
In ours TASTING CORNER will be able to enjoy the dishes, breads, patatnik, klin and many other familiar and unknown meals forgotten over time. Only here you can try the light and refined taste of the Rhodope’s bramza, cheese in skin, aged for year so that it can acquire the natural and unique taste of the pure nature and the Balkan.
The authentic recipes will be made with products from the magnificent Rhodope Mountain, raised with much care and love, to provide a real experience and enjoyment from tasting these dishes.
For the connoisseurs of the Bulgarian traditions and tastewe offera unique experience over the three days the Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding –Rozhen,in the tasting corner.
If you are among them and want to know more about our special offer, you can contact us at 0886 531053.
Magical, wild, brave warriors, virtuoso riders and determined children who follow their path.
You will see all of this in the performances of the Old Bulgarian school for survival “Baga-Tur” during the Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding – Rozhen from 19th to 21st July 2019.
The message bequeathed by our ancestors – to preserve, spread and pass on the memory of the past to the future generations – lies in their performances that tella story fascinating the mind and the feelings.
On the spot, the Baga-turwill build their own camp, raise yurts, show incredible fighting skills, ancient dances, rituals, and the art of communicating with horses.
Expect to go back in time with feelings of excitement and pride.
Welcome to the 3 shows during the 3 days of the Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding – Rozhento experience together with Baga-Tur unique emotions!
The mystic dance of the nestinari under the stars of Rozhen!
You may only experience this at the Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding – Rozhen2019.
The barefootdance on smouldering embers is an ancient pagan ritual which is connected to the ancient Thracians, and after accepting Christianity with St. Konstantin and his mother Elena.
According to old beliefs, the fire destroys and cleanses all the evils, both from the people and the earth, and the nestinari dancing is a prayer to the heavenly forces for success, fertility and prevention form diseases.
The purifying power of the fire forgives the sins not only of the nestinari dancers but also of those present at the ritual, making them stronger and calmer! That is why the nestinari carry in hands through the smouldering emberssick people to heal as well as children and young peoplefor longevity.
You can see the Bulgarian rulers of fire – the nestinari, on the 19th and 20th of July at the Rhodope meadows from 21:30.
The great Rozhen horo will start exactly at noon during the three days of Rozhen – Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding 2019.
Something magical, stunning and inspirational will happen.All Bulgarians, forgetting differences, cares and the woes, will be holding hands and will merge with the spirit of the Rhodopes.
There is a reason to say that there is something mystical in the Bulgarian horo, that it is a connection with the ancient that makes us what we are.A wonderful emotion that lasts long in the heart and soul.
The mountain has opened, music is flowing in the hearts.The whole world is rocking, Bulgarian horo is playing!
You have a little more than a month to prepare for the Magic of Rozhen!
The great Bulgarian horowill go to all the scenes of Rozhen meadows on:
It will be magical!We are expecting you!
Rozhen and the Rhodope Mountains will unite the nation once again and will become the beating heart of Bulgaria this year!
From the 19th to the 21st July, #Bulgarians from all over the country and from abroad will meet on the occasion of the next edition of the Festival of Folklore and Livestock Breeding “Rozhen”.
Again in 2019 the Festival will combine the ethno-cultural aspect of the event with the livestock breeding, which is an ancient Rhodope livelihood and is the basis of the folk culture, folklore and crafts.
• The Rozhen meadows will again be decorated with the biggest tricolor flag of over 8000 sq.m!
During the three days in Rozhen you will find:
• National folklore competition for singers, instrumentalists, folk dances, customs and verbal folklore
• The Mobile Museum Exposition “The Spirit of the Rhodopes”
• Every day at 12.00 – Big Rhodopes Horo
• Specialized exhibitions of different types of sheep, goats, dogs, cattle and buffaloes; dairy and meat food from the farm; agricultural machinery and equipment.
• Traditional meals
• Farmers competitions and horse riding attractions
• Nestinari (Fire-dancers), dance competitions, folk festives, evening concerts
• Contest for authentic Rhodopian male, female and children’s traditional costume and attractive presentation
• Children workshop
The innovative cultural event is organized by Association “Rozhen – Heritage in the Future” and Smolyan Municipality in partnership with Chepelare Municipality and is included in the National Cultural Calendar.
