Sofia Art Fair 2026 Strengthens Its International Focus With a Creative Director From the Global Art Scene
Sofia Art Fair 2026 will be held from October 8 to 11, 2026 for the third consecutive year in the spaces of the John Atanasov Forum in Sofia Tech Park and will once again transform Sofia into an international scene of contemporary art.
After two extremely successful seasons, the Sofia Art Fair team has already started the active preparation of its third edition. In 2006, Sofia Art Fair will continue to be open to the general public and to show the latest trends in contemporary art, but will also strengthen the international presence of the exhibition by attracting a creative director to its team in the person of Stefan Stoyanov – one of the recognizable names in the global art scene.
“In 2026, we will continue our active work to establish Sofia Art Fair as one of the most significant art events on the international cultural map. During last year’s edition, the strong interest from foreign participants and the growing flow of international visitors showed that we are heading in the right direction. Sofia Art Fair 2026 will help even more in this regard, as we have attracted as part of our team the international art dealer Stefan Stoyanov, who has a serious reputation and many years of experience in working with leading artists and institutions. He has worked with museums and collectors in the USA, Europe and Asia, has participated in international art exhibitions and biennials around the world, and for the past few years has served as a strategic advisor to the Vienna Contemporary exhibition. Stefan is known for his sense of new trends, attention to to innovative practices and the ability to discover and develop talents. His experience and international contacts will be key to attracting an even wider range of international collectors and professionals to Sofia Art Fair 2026,” said Sunny Danaji, founder of Sofia Breathes Foundation and organizer of the only international contemporary art exhibition in our country – Sofia Art Fair.
Sofia Art Fair has already announced an open call for applications for participation in this year’s art exhibition. International and Bulgarian galleries and art collectives can submit their applications by March 31, 2026. All details about the conditions and criteria for participation are published on the exhibition website and on the social channels of Sofia Art Fair 2026.
During the exhibition in October 2025, over 3,500 visitors, 27 galleries and more than 80 artists from 14 countries – Bulgaria, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Spain, the Czech Republic, Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, the USA and the UK participated. Sofia Art Fair 2025 has also established itself as an economic driver for the local and regional art market. The participating galleries reported an average of four sales each, with a total value of over 150,000 euros.
In its third edition, Sofia Art Fair has the ambition to continue its cultural and educational programs SAF Talks with the aim of building a sustainable, interested and informed audience, open to contemporary art. Following the mission to be the engine of the creative ecosystem, Sofia Art Fair 2026 will offer an enhanced program aimed at collectors, in order to stimulate the development of the local contemporary art market and to support the creation of connections with international art dealers.
The Sofia Art Fair team expresses its gratitude to all partners, institutions, participants, volunteers, collectors and visitors who made the first two editions possible and laid the foundations of one of the most significant art events in the region.