Editing Varna, Bulgaria (section)

== Culture ==
Varna has some of the finest and oldest museums, professional arts companies, and arts festivals in the nation and is known for its century-old traditions in visual arts, music, and book publishing, as well as for its bustling current hip hop and pop-culture scene. Over the past few decades, it developed as a festival centre of international standing. Varna is a front-runner for [[European Capital of Culture]] for 2019, planning to open several new high-profile facilities such as a new opera house and concert hall, a new exhibition centre, and a reconstruction of the Summer Theatre, the historic venue of the [[Varna International Ballet Competition|International Ballet Competition]].

=== Museums ===
[[File:Dolphinarium Varna.jpg|thumb|The [[Dolphinarium]]]]
[[File:Drazki-VNmuseum.jpg|thumb|National Naval Museum, on display ''[[Drazki torpedo boat]]'']]
[[File:NAOP.jpg|thumb|"Nicolaus Copernicus" Observatory and Planetarium]]

* [[Varna Archaeological Museum]] (founded 1888)
* Naval Museum (founded 1923)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.museummaritime-bg.com/eng/Istoria/Istoria.html|title=ВОЕННОМОРСКИ МУЗЕЙ|website=www.museummaritime-bg.com|access-date=12 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003062114/http://www.museummaritime-bg.com/eng/Istoria/Istoria.html|archive-date=3 October 2017}}</ref>
* [[Roman Thermae (Varna)|Roman Baths]]
* [[Aladzha Monastery]]
* [[Battle of Varna]] Park Museum (founded 1924)
* Museum of Ethnography
* National Revival Museum
* History of Varna Museum
* History of Medicine Museum
* Health Museum (children's)
* Puppet Museum (antique puppets from Puppet Theatre shows)
* [[Bulgars|Bulgar]] Settlement of [[Phanagoria]] ethnographical village (mockup, with historical reenactments)
* [[Aquarium]] (founded 1912)
* Nicolaus Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium
* Naval Academy Planetarium
* Museum of Natural History<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nature.museumvarna.com/en/|title=Museum of natural history – Varna|website=Приридонаучен музей – Варна|language=en|access-date=12 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301184155/http://nature.museumvarna.com/en/|archive-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>
* Terrarium
* [[Varna Zoo]]
* [[Dolphinarium]] (founded 1984)

=== Galleries ===
* [[Boris Georgiev City Art Gallery]]
* Georgi Velchev Gallery
* Modern Art Centre (Graffit Gallery Hotel)
* Print Gallery
* Numerous smaller fine and applied arts galleries<ref>[http://www.varna.bg/kult/galerii.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830083913/http://www.varna.bg/kult/galerii.htm|date=30 August 2009}}</ref>

=== Performing arts professional companies ===
[[File:Dramatheatrevarna.jpg|thumb|[[Stoyan Bachvarov Dramatic Theatre]]]]

* Opera and Philharmonic Society (opera, symphonic and chamber music, ballet, and operetta performances; earliest philharmonic society founded 1888)
* [[Stoyan Bachvarov Dramatic Theatre|Stoyan Bachvarov Drama Theatre]] (founded 1921)
* State Puppet Theatre Varna<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vnpuppet.com/en|title=State Puppet Theatre Varna|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902040926/http://www.vnpuppet.com/en|archive-date=2 September 2010|access-date=3 September 2010}}</ref> (in Bulgarian, founded 1952; often cited as the finest one in the nation, performances for children and adults)
* Bulgarian Theatre
* Varna Ensemble (traditional [[folk music]] and dance)

=== Other performing arts groups ===
* Morski Zvutsi Choir School (academic choirs)
* [[Dobri Hristov]] Choir School (academic choir)

=== Notable bands and artists ===
* [[Deep Zone Project|Deep Zone]] (tech house/electro)
* [[Deep Zone Project|DJ Balthazar]] (house)
* [[Big Sha]] and the Gumeni glavi (Rubber Heads) (hip hop)
* [[100 Kila]] (hip hop)
* [[Elitsa Todorova]] (ethnic & electro)
* [[Stephen Sacklarian]] (artist)
* [[Nelko Kolarov]] (composer, musician)
* Gery-Nikol Georgieva, [[Gery-Nikol]] (pop, R&B, club)
* Darina Yotova, [[Dara (Bulgarian singer)|Dara]] (pop, R&B)

=== Concert halls ===
[[File:Schuke organ Varna Bulgaria.jpg|thumb|Festival Centre organ]]
[[File:Sport Palace Varna.JPG|thumb|The [[Palace of Culture and Sports]] also hosts trade shows]]

* Festival and Congress Centre (in Bulgarian, 1986; concerts, film, theatre and dance shows, exhibitions, trade shows)
* [[Palace of Culture and Sports]] (1968; sports events, concerts, film shows, exhibitions, trade shows, sports classes, fitness)

=== International arts festivals ===
* In the Palace International Short Film Festival, founded in 2003, annual
* [[Varna International Ballet Competition]], founded 1964 (biennial)
* ''Varna Summer'' International Music Festival, founded 1926 (annual)
*[https://radar-festival.eu RADAR Festival Beyond Music], founded 2014 (annual)
*[https://movingbodyfest.com/ Moving Body Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803152943/https://movingbodyfest.com/ |date=3 August 2020 }}, founded 2016 (annual)
* ''Without Borders''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scenderman.com/festival/|title=- Scenderman – Artistic Network / Production / Management / Network -|first=Yasen|last=Kazandjiev|access-date=26 August 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016084148/http://scenderman.com/festival/|archive-date=16 October 2014}}</ref> International art forum and Festival – Varna, Albena, Balchik (biannual)
* ''Varna Summer'' International Jazz Festival (annual)
* International May Choir Competition (annual)
* European Music Festival (annual)
* ''Operosa Euxinograd'' opera festival (annual)
* ''Sea and Memories'' international music festival devoted to popular sea songs (annual)
* International Folk Festival, (annual)
* ''Discovery'' International Pop Festival (annual)
* ''Song on Three Seas'' pop and rock competition (annual)
* Brazilian Culture Festival (annual)
* ''Varna Summer'' International Theatre Festival (annual)
* ''Golden Dolphin'' Intenrtional puppet festival (triennial)
* ''Under the Stars'' arts festival (annual, theatre and opera)
* ''Zvezdna daga'' children's competition (annual)
* ''Love is Folly'' film festival (annual)
* International Festival of Red Cross & Health Films (biennial, founded in 1965) [http://redcrossfilmfest.org/ International Red Cross Films Festival ]
* World Animation Festival (founded 1979, to resume in 2009)
* International Print Biennial (founded 1981)
* ''August in Art'' festival of visual arts (triennial) (in Bulgarian)
* ''Videoholica'' international art festival (annual)
* ''product'' Festival of Contemporary Art (annual)
* ''Slavic Embrace'' Slav poetry readings (annual)
* ''Fotosalon'' (annual)

=== National events ===
* [[Golden Rose Bulgarian Feature Film Festival]] <!-- formerly biennial, annual since 2014? -->
* ''Got Flow'' National Hip-Hop Dance Festival (annual)
* May Arts Saloon at Radio Varna
* ''Bulgaria for All'' National Ethnic Festival (annual, minority authentic folklore)
* ''Dinyo Marinov'' National Children's Authentic Folklore Music Festival
* ''Morsko konche'' (''Seahorse'') children's vocal competition (annual, pop)
* Navy Day (second Sunday of August)
* Urban Folk Song Festival
* Christmas Folk Dance Competition

=== Local events ===
* Easter music festival
* Classical guitar festival
* ''Golden Fish'' fairy tale festival
* ''Kinohit'' movie marathon
* Crafts fair (August 2012)
* [[Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral, Varna|Dormition of the Theotokos]] festival, cathedral patron, Varna Day (15 August)
* Beer Fest
* [[Saint Nicholas]] Day (6 December)
* Christmas festival
* New Year's Eve concert and fireworks (Independence Square)
* Operosa Opera Festival
* Anifest (Anime, Manga and Japanese culture Festival)

=== Varna in fiction ===
* In [[Bram Stoker]]'s 1897 novel ''[[Dracula]]'' Varna was [[Count Dracula]]'s "transportation hub" — the point of origin of the ship ''[[Demeter]]'', the initial destination of the Czarina Catherine, and the place where the vampire's annihilation was planned to be carried out.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/bstoker/bl-bsto-drac-25.htm |title=25 – Dracula – Bram Stoker (1845–1912) |publisher=Classiclit.about.com |date=30 September 2008 |access-date=6 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418011700/http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/bstoker/bl-bsto-drac-25.htm |archive-date=18 April 2009 }}</ref>
* In the ''[[Mechanic: Resurrection]]'' film, [[Tommy Lee Jones]]'s character Max Adams lives in Varna and the headquarters of his criminal organisation is based there.
* In [[Andrei Gulyashki]]'s novel ''[[Avakoum Zahov versus 07]]'' British spy 07 kidnapped Soviet physicist Konstantin Trofimov from a villa in Varna.
* In [[Geoffrey Trease]]'s novel ''[[The Hills of Varna]]'' "the monastery at Varna" is a fictional place in the Balkans, not related to the real city.
* In ''[[All the Year Round]]'' (Vol. 30), 1873 [[Charles Dickens]] mentioned modern Varna when he visited the city as a war correspondent during the [[Crimean War]] in 1854.
* In [[Garth Greenwell]]'s 2016 novel ''What Belongs to You'' Varna is the hometown of Mitko, the narrator's love interest, and a pivotal scene takes place in a hotel there.