For another year, Plovdiv museums are participating in the international initiative European Night of Museums 2023. The 19th European Night of Museums is an event that takes place in more than 3000 museums in nearly 30 European countries.  On this occasion, museums open their doors for free in the evening and offer various interesting activities for their visitors. Its traditional organiser is the French Ministry of Culture and Communication and the event is usually held under the patronage of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and UNESCO.

On Saturday, 13 May, Plovdiv residents and guests can enjoy the rich cultural heritage of Plovdiv, in addition to the standard working hours of cultural organizations, but also between 18:00 and 24:00. In addition to their rich exhibitions, this year the museums and the City Gallery of Fine Arts will offer a series of cultural activities and events for young and old with free admission.

Regional Ethnographic Museum - Plovdiv participates in the European Night of Museums with the presentation of the audio walk "Shepherd and Bride". The museum team, together with the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, developed a joint conceptual project for a digital itinerary, which is applicable for both blind people and the general public. The tour passes through eight of the exhibition halls and tells the story of love between two young people during the Bulgarian Renaissance. Visitors will have the opportunity, by scanning the QR code on each of the eight signs, to uncover the secrets of the exhibits that will "tell" their stories. On the night of May 13, REM - Plovdiv will be open to visitors after hours from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm with free admission.

The Regional History Museum - Plovdiv takes part in the European Night of Museums with two special initiatives. In the exposition "Unification of Bulgaria since 1885, on Saedinenie square. "In our hearts we carry the Bulgarian" exhibition, which demonstrates the rich diversity and beauty of Bulgarian embroidery, will be opened. In the exposition "Bulgarian Revival", at. 1 Tsanko Lavrenov str. in the Old Town, will be held the traditional demonstrations of cold and firearms from the period of the Bulgarian Revival of the Plovdiv Rodolyubie Society.  On May 13, both expositions will open their doors for free after 18:00 and will receive visitors until 24:00.

As part of its program for the European Night of Museums, the Regional Archaeological Museum - Plovdiv will offer its audience the opportunity to watch in real time the ordering of the museum's next temporary exhibition - "Discoveries 2022". Through the glass walls of the temporary exhibition hall, museum specialists will show what goes behind the glass cases of an archaeological exhibition and how exactly ancient artifacts are arranged. There will be a separate "Colour the Past" activity area for young and old visitors alike. There, they will be able to recreate the wonderful colours of various images from past eras or create their own colourful version of the past. The events start at 6:00 p.m. and will run until 10:00 p.m. The museum will be free to enter during this time.

For another year, the Regional Natural History Museum - Plovdiv takes part in the European Night of Museums initiative with a special event "Real-time video observation of bird families". On special monitors in the foyer of the museum, visitors will be able to "peek under the covers" of several bird families. Thanks to the real-time video surveillance system of Green Balkans, we will learn when the Lesser Kestrels go to bed and whether the storks are "night birds". Entrance to the museum is free from 20:00 to 23:00.

The City Gallery of Fine Arts is joining the 19th Night of Museums with five of its buildings that will have extended hours and free admission. 

From 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., the Permanent Exhibition can be viewed on 14 Saborna str. in the Old Town, which will also host a concert by the Chamber Choir "Ivan Spasov" from 18:30. The Icons Permanent Exhibition on 22 Saborna str., the author's exhibitions in the Kapana gallery and in the 2019 Exhibition Hall, as well as the halls for temporary exhibitions, will also await Plovdiv residents and guests of the city until 21:00.