Festival of Folk Instruments and Songs "Pece Atanasovski"Фестивал на народни песни и инструменти „Пеце Атанасовски“

The Festival of Folk Instruments and Songs “Pece Atanasovski” is an annual event in Dolneni (Prilep) dedicated to Macedonian traditional music 1. It features performances and competitions of folk instrument players (especially bagpipes, or gajda) and singers of epic songs and circle dances, aiming to transmit the rich Macedonian folk heritage 1. Since its founding, the festival’s stated mission has been to preserve, nurture and convey Macedonian traditional wealth 1, with participants (reported at 250+ in past editions) coming from across Macedonia (and even abroad) 2.

Rooted in the village of Dolneni (Prilep), this festival highlights the local community’s identity as a center of bagpipe tradition. Organizers have noted that Dolneni was once “the cradle of bagpiping” and the festival’s return to “its roots” on the Orthodox feast Spasovden reinforces that identity 1 2. The event now includes workshops and a “Day of the Gajda” to honor the instrument’s UNESCO listing 3, underscoring continuity with village traditions of communal music-making and dancing over generations.