Because of the ongoing water shortage in the town of Pernik, the traditional mummer International Festival Surva will not be held this year, Pernik Mayor Stanislav Vladimirov has told media. On Tuesday Bulgaria's Minister of Healthcare Kiril Ananiev and the Chief State Health Inspector Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev visited the town. The firm opinion of health authorities is that because of the risk of diseases, it was better to cancel the forthcoming edition of the festival. The Regional Health Inspectorate has also called against conducting Surva 2020. The risk for human health is big, so we had to make this difficult decision, Vladimirov said. 

The 29th edition of the festival, which is part of UNESCO’s World Intangible Cultural Heritage, was to be held from 24 to 26 January. Nearly 6,000 mummers from more than 100 groups had registered for taking part in this year's festival. Every year the festival attracts participants from all ethnographic regions of Bulgaria as well as numerous foreign guests. The first edition of the festival was held in 1966.