Bulgaria’s Oldest City Honored as European Culture Capital

People are silhouetted as they walk in the old town of Plovdiv, ahead of the opening ceremony of Plovdiv as the European Capital of Culture, in Bulgaria, on Jan. 12, 2019. Plovdiv is the first Bulgarian town named to celebrate the most prestigious cultural initiative of the European Union, along with the Italian city of Matera as the twin European Capital of Culture for 2019. AP Photo

SOFIA, Bulgaria—Plovdiv, the oldest city in Bulgaria, has been officially inaugurated as the European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Some 50,000 people gathered on a main square on Jan. 12, to watch the opening show dubbed “We are all colors” with 1,500 local and foreign artists on several stages. The entertainment included traditional Bulgarian folk dancers, 200 choir singers, a brass orchestra and a musical and laser spectacle.