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Bulgaria's calendar today marks the death of a revolutionary whose story reads like a National Revival thriller: school inspector by day, uprising organiser by night, drowned trying to cross the Yantra with Ottoman troops on his heels. Here's what you need to know about the man Shumen names its football stadium after.
Fuel prices in Bulgaria rose 27.8% year-on-year in April 2026, the fifth-highest increase in the EU. Diesel climbed faster than petrol across the bloc, and the Bulgarian pump has reflected the surge since late February.
A preliminary analysis projects Bulgaria could net between €45 million and €70 million from hosting Eurovision 2027, but the figure depends heavily on visitor numbers, infrastructure readiness, and whether the country can turn a one-week event into lasting tourism gains.
Former energy minister Rumen Ovcharov accused the state-appointed administrator of Lukoil's Bulgarian refinery of catastrophic mismanagement, warning the decisions have harmed Bulgaria's position in a pending legal dispute and cost the country millions in lost revenue.
The European Union added a million people in the year to January 2025, but Bulgaria was among the member states that lost ground. Latest Eurostat data underlines the country's long demographic retreat, with implications for British expats and anyone considering a future here.
Police in Shumen are searching for a 64-year-old woman who went missing from a village near Novi Pazar. Elsewhere, a relay run marking 150 years since Panayot Volov's death set off from the city towards Byala, and the local archaeological museum drew crowds for Night of the Museums with the story of the man who found the Preslav gold. A temporary traffic plan is also in force in the city centre today.
On 25 May 1876, a Bulgarian revolutionary band fought Ottoman irregular troops in the hills near Cherni Lom. The rebels won. Here's why the date matters, even on a quiet Monday 150 years later.
A pensioner inhaled toxic fumes in a flat fire, police stopped an elaborate property scam involving a pregnant woman, and a parade of 4,000 marked Bulgaria's literacy day. British expats in the city might also be interested in news from the regional football league, where Dragoevo have clinched the championship.
May 24 marks the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture, honouring Saints Cyril and Methodius and the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet that now serves over 250 million people across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The Bulgarian capital is projecting 5,000 to 10,000 international visitors when it hosts the European Men's Volleyball Championship in September, part of a wider strategy to position the city as a major sports and cultural destination.
It's the most photographed public holiday on the Bulgarian calendar, the one day every schoolchild knows by heart, and the only national celebration where the crowd carries letters instead of flags. Here's what 24 May means if you live here, and why the banks are shut.
A look at cultural events and emergency response in north-east Bulgaria. Shumen's museums open free for European Museum Night, Aksakovo unveils its first monument to Saints Cyril and Methodius, and rescue teams save a teenager from the river Yantra after heavy rain. Plus a children's play in Shumen, and Volov-Shumen 2007 faces Riltsi.
Bulgaria's largest Black Sea resort is heading into the summer season with many hotels still closed or short-staffed as consular backlogs delay foreign seasonal workers from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Nepal.
Bulgaria's calendar today marks the birth of a military officer who fought as a voivode in the Ilinden uprising, commanded in two Balkan wars, and then traded battlefield command for the archives. Here's what makes 23 May 1875 worth knowing if you live here.
Varna authorities have launched a tender to secure lifeguard services for eight beaches along Bulgaria's Northern Black Sea coast, yet 27 beaches in the region will remain unguarded in 2026 despite rising safety costs and new medical insurance requirements.
Shumen braces for a wet Friday with temperatures hovering around 18°C and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the city's university celebrated a pioneering mathematician, and Bulgaria's Eurovision star Dara sat down with the government in Sofia.
Last year on 22 May, Ludogorets beat CSKA Sofia 1-0 to lift the Bulgarian Cup for the fourth time. If you're wondering why this matters a full year later, the answer is European qualification slots and the fact that Bulgarian football's dominance pattern is now so lopsided it's reshaping the domestic game.
Bulgaria's competition watchdog has opened proceedings against Kaufland and T-Market over allegations of unfair trading practices towards suppliers. In Shumen, a 13 km power line feeding the city's main pumping station has no documented owner, leaving maintenance in limbo. Meanwhile, droppings from roosting birds at the cooperative market are prompting health warnings. The city council has also moved to narrow Simeon Veliki Boulevard to make room for cycle lanes, drawing complaints from drivers.
The new venue launches near the student halls on 22 May with European tournament-grade equipment.
Bulgaria switched to the euro on 1 January 2026. We look at what has happened to everyday prices since, where the quiet mark-ups landed, and how British expats can push back when something looks wrong.
Today's Bulgarian calendar swings the other way: a drowned anarchist turned building contractor, three towns holding municipal days, and one of the most name-heavy days in the entire calendar. Here's what actually matters if you live here.
Building permits in Shumen oblast jumped 24% quarter-on-quarter, though flat counts fell. Free heart screenings land in the city on 28 May. Prime minister Rumen Radev appointed Sevgin Halmi deputy regional governor, while police detained a 24-year-old methamphetamine driver from Novi Pazar.
Two new reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant are projected by project representatives to generate €55 billion in economic value and contribute 0.8% to GDP annually once operational. The AP1000 units are expected to begin operations in 2037, pending European Commission approval. The economic projections have not been independently verified.
Today marks the birth of Dimităr Kirov, known as DiKiro, born 20 May 1935 in Istanbul. Most British expats wouldn't recognise the name, but you've almost certainly walked past his work without realising it.
A handful of local stories from Shumen this Monday: the municipal assembly voting on the water company's AGM proxies, taxi drivers seeking a tariff hike, a councillor alleging dodgy waste-collection practices, and schools swapping the bell for Dara's Eurovision-winning hit. Plus Shumen's 24 May programme lines up.
Around 150 magistrates have declared five or more apartments each, with total holdings exceeding 20,000 properties. A new analysis criticises Bulgaria's 'complete mess' of an asset disclosure system.
Bulgaria Air restarts its seasonal route on 5 June, offering evening departures four times a week before switching to daily flights by the end of the month. The service runs until September and targets both holidaymakers and business travellers heading to the coast.
A clutch of local updates: afternoon showers forecast for the rest of the week, planned electricity interruptions across Shumen and surrounding towns, a motorcyclists' campaign demanding the dismissal of Bulgaria's insurance and infrastructure watchdogs, a centenary sculpture donation, and the third round of nursery-school admissions.
All ministries have been ordered to slash spending by 10% from September while protecting salaries, as the ruling Progressive Bulgaria party admits borrowing is now unavoidable to plug a shortfall roughly equal to the country's entire fiscal reserve.
Ninety-two years ago today, a group of military officers and nationalist intellectuals overthrew the Bulgarian government, dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution, and banned every political party in the country. Here's what actually happened, and why one small town in the Rhodopes marks this date as its municipal day.
Deputy PM says any deal requires detailed valuation as sanctions pressure mounts on Lukoil's Bulgarian operations, one of Southeast Europe's largest fuel-processing sites.
Police in Shumen and the surrounding region have been busy. Five people detained with narcotics ranging from cannabis to cocaine, a man arrested for stalking his estranged wife, another for threatening a nurse, and a 12-year-old killed in a motorcycle collision near Provadia. Plus, the mayor opens his door to residents next week.
Handball runners-up, power cuts across the city, a temporary reshuffle at the council, and the week's job vacancies. Plus a sunny start to the week with moderating winds.
Born in 1872 in what would soon become Bulgarian territory, Yane Sandanski became the most contradictory figure in Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary history: socialist federalist, brilliant tactician, kidnapper of American missionaries, and eventual assassination victim at the hands of his own side.
DARA's historic Eurovision victory has triggered a national debate over who pays for next year's event, with former finance ministers warning of budget strain and cities jostling for the spotlight.
Four short dispatches from Shumen oblast: Malniya claim a close win in local football, Razgrad pupils take honours in a robotics competition, theatre awards go to 'Puknatini', and Kaolinovo marks the victims of the Revival Process. Separately, no obvious British-expat through-line, but typical for a regional round-up.
Sunbed and umbrella prices shift to euros as Bulgaria moves towards full eurozone entry, with operators capping costs at existing concession limits but exploring legal loopholes for additional charges.
Balkan music star Svetlana Ražnatović will perform at Arena 8888 on 7 November 2026, following two sold-out club shows in March. Tickets range from €30 to €80, though the event has not been confirmed through official channels.
The Black Sea city has officially declared a bid to host next year's contest after Bulgaria's historic win, setting up a potential competition with the capital.
The city council meets next week over a waste-collection breakdown, Bulgaria's annual inflation reaches 6.8%, and Shumen motorcyclists join a national protest over insurance costs.
On 17 May 1965, in a maternity ward in Sofia, Lilia Ignatova was born. By the time she was fifteen she was already winning European Championships. Today is also the day Batak remembers its darkest hour and Gabrovo celebrates being the longest town in Bulgaria.
Most British expats know the umbrella-assassination Markov. Today marks the death of a different one: the literary critic who spent sixteen years running the theory department at Sofia University and built the intellectual scaffolding for how Bulgaria reads its own National Revival.
Three short stories from the city today. Residents can drop off unwanted clothing and shoes at a collection drive near Arena Shumen this morning, while temporary traffic restrictions take effect this afternoon for the National Majorette Dance Festival, 'Madarski Konnik'. Meanwhile, the weather forecast sees sunshine in the east, but yellow warnings for rain and thunderstorms across western Bulgaria.
Makri, once marketed as an €8 million luxury development site, will be auctioned in November at a starting price comparable to a modest Bulgarian apartment after EU environmental rules blocked large-scale construction.
Bulgaria's annual inflation stands at 6.8% as April figures emerge, while police bust a contraband network near Pernik. Closer to home, Shumen's schools sent off 1,165 graduates, the city's ninth batch of refurbished bus stops is underway, and a national student writing competition opened at the university. Five short dispatches from across the region.
Public sector pay rises faster than private, while manufacturing sheds 14,600 jobs. New official figures show mixed fortunes across Bulgaria's labour market in the first quarter of 2026.
Bulgaria's postal operator will restart services to four Middle Eastern countries from 18 May following disruptions caused by the Israel-Iran conflict. Transport routes through the region are recovering gradually, but broader shipping risks remain.
Planned power cuts across the city and surrounding villages, clouds and showers arriving this afternoon, a restored fountain wins funding, and the deputy governor of Shumen region loses his job. Four items from the city over 24 hours.
Singer DARA secured Bulgaria's place in Saturday's Eurovision grand final in Vienna after opening the second semi-final with an energetic performance that impressed juries and viewers. The UK automatically advances as part of the 'Big Five'.
A round-up of recent stories from the city: junior firefighting teams secure podium places, primary-school artists win national recognition, a children's sports festival resumes after a long pause, and the council convenes an emergency session to tackle a mounting waste-collection crisis. From triumphs in the classroom and arena to a breakdown in basic services, it's been an eventful fortnight in Shumen.
Official figures show Bulgaria recorded one of the strongest monthly industrial production increases across the European Union in March 2026, driven by capital goods and consumer durables, as the country registered its first year-on-year growth in over a year.
Planned maintenance is cutting electricity to multiple towns and villages across the Shumen region today and tomorrow. Meanwhile, the mayor of Shumen received an award from Bulgaria's naval academy, and forecasters predict sunshine but unseasonably cool temperatures.
GDP rose by 2.9% year-on-year in the first three months of 2026, driven by strong household consumption and investment, according to preliminary National Statistical Institute estimates. The quarterly increase was 0.7%, though imports outpaced exports and the trade balance remained negative.
Three cultural items from Shumen this week. The city's Philharmonia is preparing a Side by Side concert featuring young prize-winners, police visited a kindergarten to teach children about road safety, and the 20th edition of the Magia na Tantsa dance festival opens for entries. Meanwhile, the national police reshuffle sees Iliya Ivanov return to Gabrovo as regional director, having left Shumen after only a few months.
Bulgarian authorities arrested 12 people and recovered more than a kilogram of pure fentanyl alongside cocaine, marijuana, and €385 in cash during a multi-location operation targeting drug distribution networks across the capital.
Brussels unveils reform to let passengers book multi-operator journeys through one platform, with automatic compensation for missed connections and mandated early ticket release. Proposals must clear lengthy negotiations before becoming law.
Police in the Shumen region detained a cocaine-positive driver following a crash in Veliki Preslav, arrested three people for domestic violence offences, and local bikers are preparing a Friday protest over soaring motorcycle insurance costs. Separately, the city's identity documents office will operate shortened hours for pest control.
Proposed legislation targeting retail pricing faces sharp criticism from business groups and economists who argue that the new rules will impose administrative costs on businesses, create market distortion, and fail to address the real drivers of inflation in Bulgaria.
Annual inflation jumped three percentage points in a single month, driven by sharp rises in diesel, petrol, and airfares linked to Middle East tensions. Food, clothing, and entertainment prices also climbed sharply in April 2026.
Three stories from Shumen and the region: the poverty line climbs, waste collection teeters on collapse as most trucks sit broken, and three city schoolgirls head to Italy to compete in a European computing olympiad.