The Festival and Congress Centre in Varna are one of the most prestigious cultural institutions not only in the city but in the country and in the whole region as well. Located on the Black Sea shore just next to the Sea Garden in the very center of the city, it is a multifunctional venue, purpose built for festivals, cinema and theatre performances, concerts, shows, exhibitions, congresses, conferences, symposia. The Festival and Congress Centre were opened to the public in 1986 and since then the most prestigious cultural events in Varna have been held in it.