On June 20 and 21, Ocho Latin Fest will fill Sofia with music, dance and Latin American rhythms for its fourth edition, taking place at the Rotonda square in front of Sofia Central Railway Station. The festival is free to attend and brings together concerts, DJ sets, dance workshops, an amateur dance competition, a market and a programme that presents Latin American culture not as exotic decoration, but as a living experience – one that happens between people.
This has been at the heart of Ocho Latin Fest since its very first editions. The idea came from Peruvian musician Piero Epifanía, who invited Georgi Popov – a percussionist and well-known name on the Bulgarian music scene – to organise the festival together. For Georgi, one of the festival’s most important goals remains bringing together the different elements of Latin American culture in Bulgaria: musicians, dancers, dance schools, teachers, bars, food, drinks and audiences. Not as separate scenes, but as a community.
If we look at the authentic culture of neighbourhoods in Latin America, everyone comes together and celebrates – without separation between stage and audience, between those who ‘can dance’ and those who simply want to be part of the energy, says Georgi.
photo: Ocho Latin Fest organizers Piero Epifanía and Georgi Popov
This year, the festival returns to the Rotonda in front of Sofia Central Railway Station – a location that has already become part of its identity. The choice is not accidental. Central Railway Station is a symbolic place for the capital: a space of constant movement, but also great potential. In this sense, Ocho Latin Fest continues the direction it began last year – showing how culture can transform the feeling of an urban space, even when that space is not the most obvious choice for a celebration.
photo: last year’s edition of Ocho Latin Fest
Last year, the festival attracted people who came especially for the event, as well as local residents and accidental passers-by. This unexpected encounter is part of its charm. Latin American culture often lives outdoors – in the street, in the neighbourhood, around music, food and dance. And the Rotonda, with its flow of people and directions, turns out to be unusually fitting for that feeling.
The musical highlight this year is Calle Mambo from Chile – a band arriving in Sofia with their explosive mix of folklor electro-urbano. In their sound, traditional Latin American instruments such as charango, quena and zampoña meet electronic beats, rap, cumbia and Caribbean rhythms. With more than 300 concerts around the world and appearances at festivals in France, Belgium, Norway and Spain, Calle Mambo are among the bands that carry Latin music as emotion – with many instruments, energy and a sense of celebration that does not remain only on stage.
photo: Calle Mambo
The programme also includes Orquesta Combo BG – a formation made up of students from the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” and established musicians from the Bulgarian scene. They will present classic Latin pieces, as well as their own versions in Latin jazz style.
Among the dance highlights are workshops by De Fuego and Sabor Cubano Dance Studio, the open dance performance format and the open Latin dance competition for amateurs. Over the two days, there will also be DJ sets, food, drinks and a festival atmosphere that invites people not just to watch, but to take part.
photo: last year’s edition of Ocho Latin Fest
For the organisers, authenticity remains a guiding principle. In every edition, they make sure there is an international artist, but also a strong local presence. This meeting between cultures is one of the festival’s most interesting lines. At first glance, the Bulgarian and Latin American scenes may seem distant, but they share common values – warmth, rhythm, emotionality, closeness to community and the ability to turn music into a reason to gather.
You can’t hide in music – if you don’t do it with heart, it shows immediately, says Georgi Popov. That is why, for the festival, quality matters more than quantity, and the desire of the participants to truly be part of the event is just as important as the programme itself.
And if last year Ocho Latin Fest showed that Sofia Central Railway Station could be brought to life through culture, this year the festival returns to continue the conversation – bolder, more colourful and with an invitation to everyone who wants to feel summer not only as a season, but as celebration.
Dinya Recommends
To warm up ahead of the festival, Dinya has prepared a special Spotify playlist – “Dinya presents Ocho Latin Fest 2026” – with a selection of artists from previous editions of the festival, participants from this year’s programme and more music that carries the spirit of the Latin American scene.
The festival will take place on June 20 and 21, 2026, in Sofia. For the full program and updates, follow Ocho Latin Festival on social media.
photos: courtesy of the festival and Calle Mambo
text: Sofia Hussein for Dinya
