Kukeri Games in PirinКукерски игри в Пиринско

An annual New Year festival in Blagoevgrad, "Kukeri Games in Pirin" (Кукерски игри в Пиринско) showcases traditional kukeri (masquerade) groups from the Pirin region. In this one-day event, dozens of costumed participants parade along a city route, ringing bells and performing dances to drive away evil spirits. The parade usually starts at the courthouse and ends at Georgi Izmirliev Square 1 2, where each group presents a 15-minute enactment of their local kukeri ritual to a committee and audience. Groups are then awarded prizes for authenticity and artistry as part of the judging. 1 2. The festival illuminates Shopluk's winter customs, with locals of all ages filling the streets dressed as scary folk characters. It is deeply intended for the community (both for villagers visiting the city and urban families) as an authentic expression of Bulgarian winter ritual culture.

Kukeri games are traditional Bulgarian rituals performed after New Year’s to ensure health and fertility. Blagoevgrad’s festival brings together local village ensembles. It’s an example of how Shopluk communities preserve pagan-derived customs (driving off evil with noise) in a modern urban pageant. The tradition dates to Thracian-Phrygian origin but remains living folklore in Pirin villages, where entire families build masks and costumes months in advance.