SURVA 2024

The Surva festival has been held in the Pernik district of Bulgaria since 1966. "Surva", a local tradition, includes games and special rituals played by men called "Kukeri" with bells and masks to ward off evil on winter days. The festival also revives folk traditions and masked dances. The shows, called "Survakari" and "Kukeri", which also serve as competitions among the participants, offer entertainment and a good time for everyone of all ages, from children to the elderly. The magical tradition of masks has been preserved in Pernik for centuries. There is a "Kukeri group" in almost every village in the region. The "Surva" tradition from the Pernik region was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as an intangible cultural heritage in 2015.