To mark the International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Etar Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum is organising a special event entitled “The Bagpipe – Bulgaria’s Voice to the World”. The occasion celebrates the historic achievement of 2025, when the element “Bagpipes and Bagpipe Playing in Bulgaria – Transmission of Knowledge and Skills” was officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The event will take place on Saturday, 17 October, with the first part starting at 11:30 a.m. and the second at 2:00 p.m., in the area in front of Sakova House and the Museum Centre at the Etar Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum. Visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the magic of one of Bulgaria’s most iconic musical instruments through live musical performances, a documentary screening, interactive games for children and introductory hands-on bagpipe-playing sessions.

The programme will begin in front of Sakova House with a short musical performance entitled “Hear the Voice of Tradition”, featuring master bagpipe maker and musician Tsvyatko Tsvyatkov and his students. This will be followed by practical activities and an introduction to the instrument as part of the “Pass the Sound On” module.

On Level 3 of the Museum Centre, the programme will continue with a presentation entitled “What Is a Bagpipe Made Of?”. Master Tsvyatko Tsvyatkov will introduce visitors to the instrument’s individual components, the materials used in its construction, its structure and the intricacies of traditional craftsmanship. The programme will also feature a screening of the documentary “Bagpipes and Bagpipe Playing in Bulgaria”, produced as part of Bulgaria’s UNESCO nomination, as well as “Discover the Sounds of Tradition”, an interactive sound-recognition game.

The event celebrates a living tradition, craftsmanship and the transmission of knowledge and skills from one generation to the next. Admission is included in the museum’s regular entrance ticket.

Join us in experiencing tradition as a living, vibrant and powerful voice of Bulgaria.