International festivals of brass bands "Diko Iliev" - Montana

The Municipality of Montana is the main organizer of the Diko Iliev Brass Band Festival. This is the most significant event, presenting the typical for Northwestern Bulgaria urban (by type) wind music and is emblematic of the city. The first edition of the Festival of Brass Bands "Diko Iliev" was in April 1988, since then it has been held without interruption in the spring of every even year. For the first time foreign participation took place in 2008, since then it has become international.
According to their status, the Festival aims to preserve the tradition of brass bands in the region and in Bulgaria as a whole, to promote the heritage of Diko Iliev and folk music, to enrich the cultural life and festival tourism of Montana and to support international cooperation.
Participants can be both professional and amateur brass bands and cheerleaders. As the Holidays are not competitive, there are no age restrictions, and participation is distributed in the program by days on a thematic and artistic basis. All participants must perform at least one of the works of Diko Iliev is another contemporary Bulgarian composer. All participants receive a statuette and a certificate of participation from the Municipality of Montana.
Accompanying events are the International Children's Drawing Competition "Drum beats, you dance" and the Competition for creating new works for brass band.

The celebrations of the brass bands "Diko Iliev" are held in three festival evenings in the spring of each even year in Montana. In the last ten years there has been international participation. They include brass bands and cheerleaders, and accompanying events are organized. The festivities are not competitive, the performances are outdoors and are open to the public. The festival is dedicated to one of the most famous composers of music for brass bands in Bulgaria and is probably the most significant event in the genre in the country.