Sofia Pride has been held annually since 2008, and its support is constantly growing: from a hundred people at the first event to nearly 15,000 in 2022 making it the largest human rights event in Bulgaria and a key to LGBTI+ visibility.
Several informative campaigns accompany Sofia Pride, as well as a number of online and/or live cultural and sports events within Sofia Pride Arts, Sofia Pride Film Fest, and Sofia Pride Sports.
Bulgaria remains one of the few countries in the European Union that have not provided any legal recognition for same-sex families, no legal framework recognizing sexual orientation as a ground for aggravated criminal statutes, or legal gender recognition.
This not only creates many barriers for the LGBTI+ community, but it has also led to several cases litigated or pending before the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The pride is organised by a group of LGBTI organisations: Bilitis Foundation, LGBTI Deystvie, and GLAS Foundation; as well as the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and many volunteers.