David Garrett approches with Sonya Yoncheva at the Blue Gala 2026 in Sofia

On August 27, nearly 8,000 people witnessed the world premiere of the collaboration between opera star Sonya Yoncheva and violin virtuoso David Garrett. “Blue Night” became the largest seated open-air classical/crossover music event ever held at St. Alexander Nevsky Square in the heart of Sofia.

Tons of equipment and hundreds of professionals brought together music, video production and a spectacular drone show above Sofia’s night sky — a tribute to Bulgaria and its remarkable classical music tradition.

“Blue Night” was a journey where boundaries between classical and contemporary music disappeared. Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, performed by the Sofia Opera Orchestra and Chorus, opened the evening before Garrett took the audience from Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” and the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”.

Yoncheva moved effortlessly between Handel’s “Lascia ch’io pianga”, Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro”, Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever” and the passionate “Historia de un amor”.

Voice and violin came together in Garrett’s “Io ti penso”, inspired by Paganini, and his deeply moving “Serenity”. Between Bach, Bizet and contemporary music came “One Bulgarian Rose” — Yoncheva’s intimate tribute to her homeland.

Two unforgettable encores followed: “Time to Say Goodbye” and the Bulgarian folk song “Zableyalo mi agantse”, continuing Yoncheva’s tradition of closing every GALA IN SOFIA with an iconic Bulgarian song.

Conducted by Leonardo Sini, the Sofia Opera Orchestra and Chorus joined David Garrett’s band for this extraordinary musical encounter.