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Victoria Mindova

Following the tradition of the Serbian city of Novi Sad, where each year for more than a decade is held the international Exit Festival, today Sofia also became one of the musical centers on the Balkan Peninsula. Festivals and other musical events attract fans from different countries who prefer to enjoy their favorite groups in the city that is growing, never grows old. The most regular musical tourists (if we call them so) remain the Greeks. Although in Athens are held the same events as in Sofia, the inhabitants of northern Greece prefer to attend concerts in Bulgaria for several reasons.

First road to Sofia for the people of Thessaloniki, Kavala, Xanthi and other areas of Greek Macedonia is much shorter. Furthermore, after updating the tariff for the use of Greek highways, the cost of travel in the direction from Thessaloniki to Athens and back increased several times in recent years. Another reason is that in many cases the tickets sold in Bulgaria are still cheaper than those in Greece. "I prefer to go to Sofia for my favorite shows because it is much cheaper, people are great and it is always a pleasant experience," says 29-year-old Michalis from Ceres. Another advantage of the Bulgarian capital is here that events always take place downtown, unlike those in Greece. The grandiose British festival Sonisphere for example, which passes like a storm through Europe this summer took place on the legendary stadium Vasil Levski in the very heart of the city. Unlike Athens, which can not accommodate a giant festival and it will be held in the area Malakasa of Terra Vibe grounds which is nearly forty kilometers away from the ancient city.

Last but not least is the willingness of Greeks to know Bulgaria better. What is a better way than to go to this concert and to share the euphoria of sound and vision of your favorite band with thousands of other fellows of yours. The warm spirit of the Bulgarian hospitality and the love for music, makes all music tourists (Greeks or not) to come back here every year when our musical scene offers another concert thrill.