Bulgaria officially became part of the eurozone in the first minutes of 2026. The historic event was marked with a large-scale concert on "Knyaz Alexander I Battenberg" Square in Sofia and a light show with drones, which illuminated the sky over the capital exactly at midnight.
"Let people bring their good mood and dress warmly, because the temperatures will be negative," said Blagorodna Zdravkova, deputy mayor of the Sofia Municipality, quoted by Mediapool.bg. She emphasized that preparations for the concert began at the beginning of summer in order to guarantee a festive atmosphere on this key night for the country.
A special drone show symbolically marks our country's membership in the single currency union. At the same time, the European Central Bank in Frankfurt also celebrated the event with a light installation. The festive program in Sofia included performances by Mary Boys Band, Irina Florin and the group "Signal". For the first time in its 30-year history, the Mary Boys Band took to the New Year's stage of the municipality.
"We have created a program that will quickly bridge the years", said Maria Mutafchieva from the group.
Despite the festive spirit, security measures in the center of Sofia were unprecedented. The Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs (SDVR) set up checkpoints, and police officers with long-barreled weapons walked among citizens.
"All measures to ensure order and road safety have been taken", said Chief Inspector Ivan Georgiev from the SDVR. He warned that people who have overdosed on alcohol or drugs will not be allowed to the square, and the use of private drones is absolutely prohibited.
The New Year and the entry into the eurozone were also celebrated in other large cities. In Ruse, the program began at 11:00 p.m. on the square in front of the Municipality. In Veliko Tarnovo, the "Tsarevets" fortress remained open to tourists, and Mayor Daniel Panov led the New Year's horo after the festive dawn. In Kyustendil, the organizers gave away 35 gift vouchers worth over 700 euros, and Sliven welcomed 2026 with the rock band "Ahat".