07 august 2026 "Nabucco" is The Third Event of "Opera of the Sanctuary"

The next event of the festival program "Opera of the Sanctuary" 2026, implemented for the seventh year by the State Opera - Burgas, in a successful partnership with the Municipality of Primorsko, is the performance of the epic opera by Giuseppe Verdi "Nabucco". After the undisputed success of the first two titles of the festival: "Un Ballo in Masquerade" /July 25/, "Carmina Burana" and "Bolero" /August 1/, on August 8, Saturday, at 8:30 p.m., among the natural decor of the Thracian sacred site of Begliktash, another beloved opera title will be presented, which will leave lasting emotional traces in the memory of the lucky ones who have the opportunity to experience the magical combination of nature and music. In the picturesque space under the stars, in the cultural and historical space of the ancient sanctuary, charged with mysticism and magnetism, among the majestic stone blocks of the ancient megalithic complex, on the third festival evening, the magnificent spectacle carrying messages beyond time will be presented again. The opera title by Verdi was presented with triumphant success during the 2021 Opera of the Sanctuary festival, as well as in 2023 and 2025. Nature will once again listen to the angelic-voiced soloists and choir, accompanied by the wonderful musicians who recreated the story of the cruel king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. The audience will be subjected to the strong dramatic charge of "Nabucco" and to the talent of all the excellent soloists, orchestra, choir and ballet, who will convey - with absolute dedication, precision, devotion to Verdi's musical score and the messages embedded in the work, the exciting tragic story of the great king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar, his power-hungry cruel daughter Abigail, the dignified high priest of the Jews Zechariah, the two lovers Fenena and Ishmael - bound by fate by love that is above the dogmas of faith. "Nabucco" is a symbol of the omnipotence of redemption and forgiveness and the reign of justice. The famous "Chorus of the Jews" will sound as a kind of hymn to the fusion of Nature and Music, when it seems that even the earthly forces fall silent to give expression to the heavenly melody. The famous choir brings the nostalgic care of sadness, but also the omnipresent power of hope and a prayer for more light – in hearts and in relationships. “Nabucco” undoubtedly leaves lasting emotional traces in those present and carries universal messages beyond the historical time of the action.
Those present will witness the impressive beauty of the musical and stage art in sync with the masterful performance of renowned opera artists under the baton of Prof. Ivaylo Krinchev /guest/.
The entire artistic cast of “Nabucco” is magnificent. The unconventional stage incarnation of the singers – standing dignifiedly on the megaliths, illuminated by multi-colored paints, complementing the emotional states of the characters and the dynamics of the dramatic plot – is highly anticipated.
The roles of the dramatic title, representing the difficult fate of the ancient Jews, exiled to Babylon and Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, include eminent opera singers with a strong artistic presence. The eminent baritone Marian Jovanoski, soloist of the National Opera of the Republic of North Macedonia and the State Opera - Burgas, will perform in the iconic role of Nabucco, King of Babylon, who undergoes dramatic metamorphoses. The eminent baritone Marian Jovanoski will be traditionally sweeping as the King of the Assyrians - with a powerful voice, dramatic development, and intelligent interpretation of the image, captivating artistry. He will once again be unapologetic and giving, as he will be able to present all the nuances of the complex image, presented in development, gradation, passing through madness, suffering, purification, catharsis and spiritual greatness.
The impressive bass Diman Panchev will take on the role of the High Priest of the Jews, Zechariah – with his majestic timbre and remarkable interpretation of the image, exploring the spiritual wanderings of a “messenger of God” on earth in order to establish justice and peace – between nations and in human souls. In the role of the High Priest, the bass will be impressive again – with his beautiful, rich timbre, captivating with a strong emotional charge, skillful psychologism and gushing artistry, which made his image credible, highly impactful – as a carrier of the message of reconciliation.
The renowned soprano with an amazing vocal technique, Yoana Zhelezcheva, who on August 15 this year will also enter the role of Aida in the opera of the same name by Verdi, also from the festival program of the "Opera of the Sanctuary", will also be at the expected level in developing the psychological role of the cruel Abigail, which requires not only a wide vocal range, but also enviable self-control - due to the complexity and internal contradictions of the character.
The role of the Jew Ishmael, nephew of the Jewish king, fatefully in love with the non-believer Fenena, will be played by the tenor Yanni Nikolov - bright, artistic, with a bewitchingly beautiful timbre.

The talented and beautiful young soloist of the Burgas Opera, Maria Yurkovskaya, will make her debut in the role of Fenena, Nabucco's daughter and Ishmael's beloved. All the soloists will be woven into the overall exciting stage canvas of "Nabucco": the powerful soprano Nona Krastnikova - in the role of Anna, sister of the High Priest of the Jews Zechariah - with brilliant vocal technique and stability in the ensembles; the wonderful bass Kostadin Mechkov - awe-inspiring as the High Priest of Babylon; the excellent sounding tenor Milen Dinolov - as the Babylonian warrior Abdalo, faithful to his king Nabucco, who is faithful to his master - both in good days and in moments of trials and leads him to enlightenment and hope.

For the second time on the stage of Begliktash, "Nabucco" will be presented with a multimedia environment, in which Jewish relics and sacred writings, as well as artifacts from Ancient Babylon, will come to life. The rock massifs will be transformed into mysterious relics and historical artifacts from ancient times - the emblematic lions of the Ishtar Gate, one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis, a mysterious Moon illuminating the winding path of earthly creatures seeking justice and relying on heavenly signs, mysterious forest landscapes and majestic waterfalls symbolizing both the human fall and the purifying power of enlightenment and the elevation of the spirit.

The director of the impressive productions from the festival program, adapted for the open stage of the sanctuary, is Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev. Assistant directors of the production among the megaliths of Begliktash are Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov. Conductor of the choir is Alexander Chepanov, plastic art is the work of Galina Kalcheva, and ballet tutor is Marina Zmeeva-Markova. The costumes of “Nabucco” were created by Denis Ivanov, concertmaster is Hristo Belchev, multimedia is the work of Nikola Peshev, sound director is Eng. Kiril Yanev, assistant sound director – Iliana Todorova.

The organization of the large-scale cultural event “Opera of the Sanctuary” is remarkably good – in terms of preparing the terrain for the specifics of an opera performance in natural conditions. In the implementation of a forum of such a scale, it should also be mentioned the traditionally high level of the technical services, which during the festival take care of ensuring the overall vision of the performances, taking into account the difficult terrain and the specifics of the open stage. The logistics of the Municipality of Primorsko are also at a high level, tailored to the needs of visitors, in order to ensure optimal comfort during the performances and to make the experience under the stars of Strandzha unforgettable. We hope that on the last night of the festival, the stars of the clear sky will protect the ongoing mystery of the ancient sanctuary and that the forces of nature will once again be favorable to the impact of music and its magical power of the Nabucco spectacle!

Tickets for "Nabucco": at the box office of the Opera House, the "Clock" box office / open from Monday to Sunday /, at the Tourist Information Center - Primorsko, as well as in the Grabo and Eventim networks.