Varna Summer International Music Festival is the oldest music festival in Bulgaria and one of the festivals with the longest tradition in Europe. It was founded in 1926. It is held every year in June-July. The festival has won national and international recognition and today is an important and prestigious forum of Bulgarian and world music and performing art in the field of classical music. The rich and varied programme is a visiting card of Varna as a center of international cultural tourism. The diversity of genres features opera, symphony concerts, chamber and choral music, cycles "Early Music" and "Young Talents", International Summer Academy, Summer Scientific Meetings.

     During its almost 80-year existence the Festival has achieved national and international recognition. It has contributed greatly to the promotion of Bulgarian musical composing and performing art. The slogan of the founders "to bring together the greatest music authorities in the country" has found its followers in the promotion of Bulgarian musical art today. A great number of Bulgarian music pieces have been performed for the first time at Varna Summer.

     In the overall image of the festival feature masterpieces of Bulgarian and world music with a diversity of genres and performance of renowned musicians. Varna Music Institutions and renowned Bulgarian performers and groups traditionally perform here.

     Foreign soloists, conductors, symphony and chamber orchestras, choirs, opera ensembles, ballet companies of world value impress with their yearly presence such as the Maly Theatre – St. Petersburg, the National Academic Theater for Opera and Ballet - Odessa, Ballet of the Hungarian Opera, the Ballet Company of Komische Oper-Berlin, Bolshoi Theatre - Moscow, Picolla Scala-Milano, Gyorgy Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Royal Swedish Ballet, Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lyon Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Milan's La Scala Chamber Orchestra, Schubert Ensemble, "Borodin" Quartet, Camerata Amsterdam, Camerata Trajektina.

     Premiers feature largely in each year's editions. The cycles "Days of the Young Chamber Performer" and "Early Music" are also met with great interest. Since 1984 Varna Summer Academy has featured within the festival. The Master classes are conducted by tutors and performers of international authority and fame. Since 1993 Varna Summer has been enriched by the Scientific Meetings. The Festival is a member of the European Festival Association.