The capital has the opportunity to invest up to €9.6 million to host three prestigious international skateboarding competitions between 2027 and 2029. The proposal was submitted to the Sofia Municipal Council by Mayor Vasil Terziev, Sofia Municipal Council Chair Tsvetomir Petrov and municipal councillor Dimitar Petrov.
According to the report, dated October 29, Sofia will bid to the international federation World Skate to host two Olympic qualifying competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, as well as a World Cup event in 2029.
The first competition is planned for autumn 2027, the second for spring 2028, while the third is to take place in 2029. There is still no final decision on the exact dates, disciplines or status of the individual tournaments in the Olympic qualification process.
The maximum financial resource of €9.6 million is intended to acquire the hosting rights. This amounts to an average of up to €3.2 million per event. The document stresses, however, that the sum does not cover all costs related to organising and holding the competitions.
Specialised facilities certified in accordance with World Skate requirements will be needed for them. They must meet specific standards for surfaces, lighting, areas for competitors and judges, medical support and anti-doping control.
One of the options under discussion is the construction of a permanent skateboarding facility in Sofia that would receive the necessary certification to host Olympic qualifiers. The proposal does not currently specify an estimated cost for such a project, however.
Sofia Municipality will be able to attract its own sponsors and commercial partners. Preliminary financial estimates envisage revenues of between €670,000 and €690,000 from each competition. Thus, the total for the three tournaments could reach approximately €2.01–2.07 million. These forecasts do not represent guaranteed revenue, but according to the proposal, funds from the municipal sponsorship programme would remain entirely with Sofia Municipality.
The expectation is that hosting such events would attract more tourists, provide Sofia with international media exposure and stimulate the development of sports infrastructure. An initiative for students is also planned: 100 skateboards would be provided each year of the three-year project to children from schools in the capital.
If the bid is approved, Mayor Vasil Terziev will have to negotiate with World Skate and agree on the hosting terms. The necessary funding will be planned in Sofia Municipality’s budgets for 2027, 2028 and 2029. To this end, it is proposed that the Sofia Municipal Council grant the mayor the relevant powers.
The proposal also includes mechanisms to limit financial risk. These include payments in separate stages, the official inclusion of the competitions in the international federation’s calendar and the possibility of recovering funds if any of the events is cancelled or its status is changed.