The second edition of the LUNAR Festival of Lights will take place in Sofia, between 11 and 14 May 2023. The art event will transform the central part of the city into a huge and glamorous open-air gallery, where Bulgarian and international artists will present exciting 3D mapping projections and light installations. The organiser and main artistic team behind the project is the Bulgarian visual effects studio MP-STUDIO, in partnership with one of the world’s most renowned light festivals, Festival of Lights International. The event will be held with the institutional support of the Bureau of the European Parliament in Bulgaria, the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria and the Sofia Municipality, under the honorary patronage of the Chairman of the Sofia Municipal Council Georgi Georgiev. Access to all works will be free.
More than half a million residents and guests of Sofia visited the pilot edition of LUNAR, and 14 artists from three continents created artworks that gave a new look to the evening city. This year, the four nights of the event will offer the public the opportunity to immerse themselves in buildings, parks and squares brought to life through art. Artists from around the world will tell stories, provoke the imagination and demonstrate the endless possibilities of this kind of art, placing the capital city alongside some of the most innovative cities in the world.
“After the sensation that the pilot edition of LUNAR in 2022 caused and the warm reaction of the Bulgarian public, we were sure that our dream of turning the festival into a tradition was on its way to come true. Our experience with similar formats around the world shows that the event has the opportunity to become one of the most successful ones in Europe. Therefore, this year, together with our partners, we have prepared unforgettable surprises for all visitors, so that we can offer quality content for all visitors from the country and abroad,” shared Marin Petkov, founder of MP-STUDIO and LUNAR, and art director of the Festival of Lights International Productions GmbH.
The festival aims not only to showcase inspiring art, but also to convey important messages to its visitors. One of them will be on the occasion of the European Year of Skills and will emphasize the importance of human potential, thanks to the Bureau of the European Parliament in Bulgaria and the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria.
The artists of the festival will unite to direct the audience’s gaze to the theme of preserving the planet, which was also a key focus of the first edition of LUNAR. This year, it will find an interesting new reading, thanks to Mastercard.
The “green” cause, implied in the light installations, expands its scope with the partnership of OMV Bulgaria. As part of the company’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality, OMV is strongly committed and supports projects to promote sustainability. The artists will draw the audience’s attention to efforts to limit and reduce CO2 emissions and climate-neutral driving.
The messages that are embedded into the artworks will be an important element of the festival which will help elevate urban spaces through art. This will happen with the special partnership of City Cash in support of the company’s efforts in this direction.
In order for young people in Bulgaria to gain new knowledge in the field of digital audio-visual arts, free trainings for young talents will once again be organized during the event. The seminars will be hosted by the Hyatt Regency Sofia hotel, and registration will open in March.
Challenges to local and foreign artists will continue this year as well. They will have the opportunity to create their own artworks for some of the capital’s iconic buildings, and details of the competition programs will be announced very soon.
bTV Media Group is the main media partner of the event and its reports and live coverage will provide interesting information about the festival and make viewers across the country part of the event.
More information and all the latest news about LUNAR can be found at the website and on the festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
More than 500,000 citizens and guests of the city visited the thirteen light installations, part of the pilot edition of the LUNAR Festival of Lights in Bulgaria. The three-kilometer route [...]
