- By plane: The most convenient way is to come to Sofia by plane. Sofia Airport (SOF) has good connections to many European cities, with both budget and major airlines offering flights. Airlines that fly directly to Sofia include Wizz Air, Ryanair, Bulgaria Air, EasyJet, and Lufthansa.
- By train: Train travel is a slower but green and more scenic option, especially for journeys through the countryside. However, there aren’t many direct train connections to Sofia from other major European cities. You may need to make connections in cities like Bucharest or check this website.
- By car: Driving to Sofia can be a good option if you are coming from a neighboring country or if you want the flexibility of having your own transportation.
Most probably, you will be staying in the Sofia city center, so here are your transport options to get there:
– from Sofia Airport:
- Metro: The cheapest way to get to the hotel is by metro. Sofia Airport station is located next to Terminal 2 and the ticket costs around 1 Euro. From there you can get to all the central places, including Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia, where you will be staying if you choose one of the packages that include accommodation.
- Taxi: Taxis are readily available at Sofia Airport. The ride to the center will take around 20 minutes and the fare will be around 15 Euro.
– from the Central railway station:
- Metro: you can take the metro from Central Station and reach every part of the center in just a few minutes. If you are staying at the Grand Hotel Milenium, you have to get off at NDK station and walk for 10 minutes to reach the hotel.
Tram: other options for public transportation are trams number 6 or 7, which take you to Grand Hotel Millenium directly.
Taxi: by taxi the ride will be around 15 minutes and it will cost about 7 Euro.
- 1 Euro is equivalent to about 1.96 Bulgarian Leva (EUR 1 = BGN 1.96)
- While in most of the places credit cards are accepted, we advise you to be prepared with some cash just in case.
- Wifi is prevalent, but any EU sim card will allow you to roam and use 4G/5G as you would at home; paying with your phone is not an issue in Sofia.
Depending on your needs, we have created four different packages that include different options for your stay. The main differences between the packages are the options for accommodation covered by us in the Grand Hotel Millenium and the length of your stay, with an option to extend until the end of A to JazZ Festival (conference, mentoring sessions, showcase included).
- We recommend choosing the Accommodated packages for two reasons: first, your hotel will be around 3 minutes walking distance from Toplocentrala Cultural Center (the venue where classes will be held) and second, because that way you will be able to spend time and network with other SoMA students, lecturers, artists and delegates of the festival.
- We recommend choosing the Festival packages, because your extended stay in Sofia will grant access to the conference panels, networking sessions, workshops, and A to JazZ Festival VIP deck for the full festival weekend, allowing you to join festival and conference delegates for A to JazZ as well as access the 2025 delegate contact database. You will be able to meet over 150 musicians, 40 delegates, and journalists from all over the world! Last but not least, you will enjoy the unforgettable A to JazZ Festival experience and celebrate one of the biggest music festivals in Bulgaria!
The International A to JazZ Festival plays a prominent role in the urban culture of Sofia, Bulgaria. Its mission is to spread and promote jazz, world and improvised music among young people. With over 60 000 visitors a year, the festival traditionally marks the beginning of summer, presenting world class headliners, international and local artists. A to JazZ takes place in the beautiful South Park II, very close to the Sofia city center and the Millennium Hotel.
Founded in 2011 by a young and motivated team, the festival today has evolved into a platform with different modules that include an art-bazaar of Bulgarian works of art, an educational program for children (A to JazZ Kids), jam sessions and afterparties, workshops, sports events and musical yoga, and an elaborate professional program including showcases, our Music Talks Conference and mentoring sessions.
In 2023 the World Music Showcase was added to the festival’s program. This module focuses on the promotion of emerging world music artists among international bookers, festival programmers and music curators and also introduces them to the large audience of the event. A to JazZ Festival & Showcase is a part of UPBEAT – The European Showcase Platform for World Music.