Some 1,000 young people from 19 countries will be taking part in the 11th Balkan Youth Festival in Sandanski, Southwestern Bulgaria, between September 7 and 12, Festival Manager Emilia Marinova told a news conference on Wednesday.

The event, mottoed: "Balkan Youth Today: Europe’s Future Tomorrow", will proceed under the auspices of Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev. It is supported by the State Agency for Youth and Sports.

The entrants include folk acts, pop and rock artists and modern dance performers from Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Romania, Poland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Moldova and Bulgaria.

As usual, the festival will open with a parade through the town. Performances will be staged not only in Sandanski, but also in Petrich, Melnik and Simitli. One of the highlights will be a "fire show" on September 10, performed by 60 young people from seven countries. The programme also includes an exhibition of paintings and photographs and a mass dance based on the traditional horo.

One of the main events will be the Youth Round Table on the topic: The Digital Communications – a key factor for development and partnership in the Youth Sector. The aim is through exchange of information, experience, best practices and dialogue the participants reach an accord for the importance and the role of the digital communications at national and European level in creating partnership for developing the youth sector.

The main goal of the Balkan Youth Festival (BYF) is to assist young people from Bulgaria, and the Balkan and European states in the achievement of their aspirations to get to know each other, to exchange information, to expand the network of contacts in various fields related to their interests and problems, skills, and opportunities for participation and collaboration.

It is motivated by the fact that:
 young people are the cornerstone of positive changes;
 through their joint efforts, they will build up the Balkans with no frontiers;
 in the new era of a United Europe, they will be the ones to build up the future!

The involvement of the young people with the problems of the region and the instigation of their activity gives entirely new approach while solving the problems. The Balkan Youth Festival is the biggest forum of “The Balkan Youth” for the integration of the young people from the countries, where the disagreement is a basis of their relationships.

For more information please visit the website of the: Balkan Youth Festival