The city that seems to be furthest ahead in this process is Burgas. At the beginning of 2025, the deputy mayor of the Bulgarian city, Diana Savateva, who chairs the Burgas 2032 Foundation, announced: “By 2028, a decision will be made on which city will represent Bulgaria as the European Capital of Culture for 2032. We are ready, not least because we were the first to make our candidacy official.”

“Burgas is more than just a tourist destination; it is a multicultural center where people from different ethnic groups can find opportunities for development,” says Diana Savateva, adding:

“We are the southeastern border of the EU. Unlike many other cities, we are able to turn the fact that we are a young city into an advantage. Since we are not like Plovdiv, we do not have a historic center (Plovdiv was European Capital of Culture in 2019), but we have ‘hidden’ spaces in the surrounding area with a history dating back thousands of years, and what we can do is make them more visible. Burgas already had experience as a candidate for European Capital of Culture in 2019, when all 13 municipalities in the region joined forces in a common project. Now, our city is once again focusing on partnerships with neighboring municipalities on the Black Sea coast for our candidacy," says Mayor Diana Savateva.

Initially, two other cities had decided to enter the race: Veliko Tarnovo and Gabrovo.

Veliko Tarnovo had already tried to win this title for 2019, but was defeated by Plovdiv. Now it is trying again. However, according to the latest press reports, this time it will not be alone.

The other city that had decided to apply was Gabrovo. But in recent weeks, the idea of preparing a single application for Veliko and Gabrovo has been gaining ground.

The proposal came from the mayor of Veliko Tarnovo, Daniel Panov, during the 48 Hours - Varusha South festival. On the open-air stage in front of the Tsarevets Fortress, the festival's artistic director, Galin Popov, thanked all the participants and guests who, for the fourth year, shared the cultural and artistic spaces of Veliko Tarnovo. He emphasized that it had long been his dream for the two cities to join forces and show their potential with a joint bid for the prestigious title.

“If the two cities join forces, they will have a good chance of success,” Popov said.

Mayor Daniel Panov invited all artists who support the idea to work together to make it happen, as the two cities share a common region and have rich historical ties dating back to the Bulgarian Renaissance.

This year's partner of the Veliko Tarnovo festival is the Goethe-Institut. The institute's director and head of cultural programs, Kirsten Hackenbroch, said she was impressed by the rich program and the exchange of different cultures, languages, and forms of communication in over 50 locations in Veliko Tarnovo, which provide a solid foundation for future development.

The city of Veliko Tarnovo has initiated a series of meetings with partner cities that have been designated European Capitals of Culture.

The Veliko Tarnovo delegation's first visit began on Thursday in Maribor, at the invitation of the Slovenian city's mayor, Sasa Arsenovic. Arsenovic met with representatives of the Bulgarian delegation immediately after the large-scale ballet performance entitled “Tango Under the Stars” on the open-air stage in the city's central square. Arsenovic said he would be happy to visit Veliko Tarnovo, as the development of culture and tourism are key priorities for his administration, and that he would exchange experiences with Mayor Daniel Panov.

Maribor was declared European Capital of Culture in 2012. The most important thing that has happened in these 13 years is that Maribor has established itself as one of the favorite tourist destinations in Europe, said the city's deputy mayor.

The second largest city in Slovenia, with a population of around 95,000, continues to develop both its natural resources and the opportunities that have opened up since it was declared European Capital of Culture. One of the highlights of the coastal road throughout the year is the oldest vine in Europe, listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Every year, the new creative season of Maribor's cultural institutions begins with the major event Ballet Under the Stars, organized in one of the city's squares. This year, the production was by Romanian choreographer Eduard Klug. Representatives of the Veliko Tarnovo delegation shared the Bulgarian municipality's experience with the Stage of the Ages Summer Opera Festival and the Arbanassi Summer Music Festival dedicated to classical chamber music. This year, the Plovdiv Opera's ballet Romeo and Juliet during the Stage of the Ages was choreographed by Valentina Turcu, director of the Maribor Theater Ballet.

The twinning agreement between Maribor and Veliko Tarnovo was signed in 2016. Both parties expressed their hope that cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism would continue. In addition to the delegation from Veliko Tarnovo, which included experts from the Directorate of Sport, Youth Activities, Tourism, International Cooperation, and Demographic Policies, the hosts also welcomed representatives from twin and partner cities in Serbia and Hungary.