This Culture Night, visit the Embassy of Bulgaria to explore the ancient tradition of Kukeri through exhibitions, photography, an artist talk, and a live performance celebrating ritual, transformation, and cultural heritage.

Kukeri is an ancient winter ritual in which participants wear elaborate masks and costumes made of fur, feathers, and other natural materials. Historians trace its origins to Thracian times. The ritual symbolizes the death of winter and the rebirth of nature in spring, expressing the eternal cycle of renewal and fertility.

Dr. Niki Collier presents her solo exhibition, “Monsters and Me,” inspired by a year-long exploration of festivals celebrating fear, loss, and transformation. Drawing on research into Bulgarian Kukeri and Welsh and Irish Mummers traditions, the exhibition features costumes, masks, and puppets exploring identity, ritual, and collective memory. The program also includes a live performance and an artist talk. A Dublin-based multidisciplinary visual artist, educator, and designer, Dr. Collier is internationally recognized for her innovative fiber art, large-scale installations, and socially engaged practice.

Photographer Diana Dimitrova presents an outdoor exhibition at the Embassy of Bulgaria in Dublin, capturing the spirit of the Kukeri tradition. Featuring images from Bulgaria’s renowned Surova in Pernik (inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) and Starchevata in Razlog festivals, her work reveals the mystery, energy, and cultural richness of this centuries-old ritual.

This event is part of the European Culture Trail – a EUNIC Ireland (European Union National Institutes for Culture) in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Ireland. For those visiting European Culture Trail events in person, download the passport here. You can win some wonderful prizes!

See other participating venues in the European Culture Trail here.