XXX International Music & Folk - Dance Festival “ LIHNIDOS - CITY OF LIGHT”
Location: OHRID, Macedonia
Director: Z S. & WOFA
Application Deadline: 5 January, 2025
I N V I T A T I O N
With pleasure we INVITE you (children, youth and adults groups) to participate on XXX International music &folk – dance festival “LIHNIDOS - CITY OF LIGHT” 21 - 25 August , Ohrid,
The intention of our invitation and the Festival light motive is to present the cultural tradition of different countries and to provide an opportunity for the members of groups to get together, to establish friendships and culture presentation trough dance and music.
Ohrid City – a mixture of rich history and modern life......
The seven wonders of Ohrid
Macedonia, deep in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, is simply a small country with extraordinary beauty.This ancient and biblical land is probably one of the last visited and least known countries in Europe, which in a way makes it even more mysterious and attractive .Finally, this terra incognita is now ready to be discovered. And without any doubt, its most precious jewels, shining one next to the other, are the city of Ohrid and the lake Ohrid . This is not just another story about some attractive tourist destination in Europe.
Unfortunately, not many people in Europian union are still aware about at least 7 remarkable universal achievements connected to the entire human civilization : According to famous television game show “who wants to be a millionaire “{2007} ,Ohrid is declared as the oldest city in the world, with continuous civilization advancement! Indeed, according to many historians, Lychnidos-the city of light (the ancient name of Ohrid ) was build in the 4th century B.C, but humans have lived there for more then 8.000 years. There are for sure settlements on many other places around the globe, but somehow and sometimes they were turned into abandoned and lifeless ruins. Reasons were different: earthquakes, floods, volcano eruptions , diseases, wars....here in Ohrid, from its beginning until today, life still goes on without ending.That is why is also called “the kingdom of archeologists”.
This small city seemed to be irresistible for great ancient rulers and kings, such as the legendary Phoenician prince Cadmus who build it, Fillip 2 of Macedon who once conquered and reconstructed it, Alexander the Great who enjoyed in it, Czar Samuel who ruled from it and many more.However, Ohrid is the only place in the world where 2 recognized saints actually lived in the same time - St. Kliment of Ohrid (840-916) and St.Naum of Ohrid(830-910), putting an extremely strong stamp of their existence.
These 2 exceptional persons, the very best students of Cyril and Methodius, were in fact the most educated people in the world in their time. Among other achievements, they will always be remembered as establishers of the first University in Europe (893), located in Ohrid Old Town, long before the University in Bologna (1088)!Besides that, St. kliments and St. Naum of Ohrid were investors of the Cyrillic Alphabet. As a result of their creativity and incredible work, today more then 200 million people still use this alphabet, mostly in Southeast and Eastern Europe. Ancient ruins, beautiful amphitheater, 3 citadel walls, St.Sofia Cathedral, many churches and monasteries, gallery of exclusive icons, museums, workshops for hand-made paper, woodcarving and famous Ohrid pearls, are among hundreds sites for tourists worth to visit. There is also a strong Roman connection to the city, since Lychnidos was along the famous route Via Egnatia, build in the 2nd century B.C., connecting the Adriatic and Aegean seas.
Considering the number of churches located in the Old town (365 churches according to the immemorial legend, for local people to celebrate every single day by honoring another saint), Ohrid is called “the Balkan Jerusalem”, successfully playing the role as the biggest pilgrimage spot for all the Orthodox Christian in the world. One of the most extraordinary churches in Ohrid is the mother of god Theotokos Peribletos-“ The most holy who can take a look everywhere”. Build in the year 1295, this church is a pure masterpiece of the medieval sacred architecture. But more than that , the most incredible elements are the frescos inside this church, painted in the same year by Michael and Eutychios . Actually, at the end of the 13th century, before any similar artistic movements on Italian soil, exactly 10 years before the first fresco-painting of Giotto in Padua’s Arena Chapel (1305), the name of god will be glorified in Ohrid with frescos containing exclusive elements of the earliest start. In 1979 and in 1980, Ohrid and Lake Ohrid were accepted as a Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. In fact, Ohrid is one of only 28 sites that are part of UNESCO's World Heritage that are both Cultural and Natural sites.
Lake Ohrid is one of Europe’s deepest and according to most experts the oldest lake in Europe. The importance of the lake was further emphasized when it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. Feel Ohrid for once in your life and you already know why you will return. For more information visit www.ohridinfo.mk
Festival program will be held on the main square in Ohrid.
How was on the festivals last years you can see on the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFo9Rx6z_4U
General rules :
- The number of groups participants of the festival are not limited,
- Every group has the right to participate.
- is a non-competitive sample of traditional and modern dances and music performed by groups.
- On the festival may participate children and youth folklore dance groups, modern dance groups, vocal groups, instrumental groups and soloists, as well as groups and performers from other art styles.
- The number of participants are limited (only 3 folk groups from each country),
- Each group should consist of most 70 members including dancers, managers,musicians and family members
- Ensemble should have prepared at least 2 folk dances 12-18 minutes each with orchestra or USB.
- The Choral groups -two parts from 12 – 18 minutes free program. The performances will be in the evening hours so you can plan the day ahead and use it for visiting the historical part of the city and excursions. Also, we will choose the best girl's and men's folk costume and the best dancing couple
- To send us short CV and photos of the group,
- To take a flag of the country,
- Groups should have there own transport for arrival and departure,
Program Proposal
21.08. Day 1
13.00.Arrival in Ohrid, , hotel accommodation,
19.00 – 20.00 Dinner in hotel
21.00. Welcome meeting with festival representative
22.08. Day 2
09.00 -11.00 Breakfast,
11.00 -14.00 Ohrid sightseeing – visiting cultural monuments (St.Sofia church, Samoil fortress (2 euro), Antique theatre, Plaosnik,(2 euro) St. Kaneo church, Bridge of wishes …)
18-19.00 Dinner in hotel
19.00. Ensembles parade (old town)
20.00. Parade and festival evening
23.08 day 3
09.00 -10.00 Breakfast,
10.30 – 14.00 Visiting Stara carsia, oldest tree called – Cinar, Biljanini izvori, Ohrid pearl, old paper manufactory, shopping ,,or Visiting STRUGA..
19.00 – 21.00 Dinner in hotel
Free time
24.08.day 4
09.00 – 10.00 Breakfast ,
11.00 – 15.30 Cruising with boat on Ohrid Lake, visit Museum on water and most famous tourist resort St.Naum monastery, culture place, – (price 13 euros per person, ),
19.00 – 20.00 Dinner in hotel
21.00.- 00.00 Party in hotel
25.08 day 5
09.00 Breakfast
11.00 Departure of the participants
Participation fee with acommodation is:
- To ensure a comfortable and enjoyable stay in the festival yas, WOFA offers several accommodation options.
- Choose from our top-tier city-center hotels or lakeside properties, each offering different board options to fit your needs.
Suggested Accommodation:
1. Hotel Delago & District Villa (MAIN SUGGESTION FOR BEST ACCOMMODATION IN STRICT CENTER)
- Located just 100 meters from Ohrid’s main square, Hotel Delago & District Villa offers 4-star comfort with double rooms and top-quality breakfast & dinner options.
- Availability is limited!
- Double rooms accommodation!
*rooms will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
More about Hotel Delago & District Villa
Pricing Options: (BB)
- 3 Nights/ 4 days (BB): 99€ per person (Bed & Breakfast)
- 4 Nights/ 5 days (BB): 132€ per person
- 5 Nights/ 6 days (BB): 164€ per person
(HB)
- 3 Nights/ 4 days (HB): 114 € per person (Half Board - 2 meals/day)
- 4 Nights/ 5 days (HB): 149 € per person
- 5 Nights/ 6 days (HB): 189 € per person
2. Hotel Desaret & International
- An exclusive 3-star lakeside hotel with an outdoor swimming pool. Hotel Desaret features open buffet meals and is partially renovated for added comfort. It is 14.2 kilometers from the main square of the city.
- 3 Nights/ 4 days (HB): 99 € per person (Half Board - 2 meals/day)
- 4 Nights/ 5 days (HB): 129 € per person
- 5 Nights/ 6 days (HB): 159 € per person
- 3 Nights (FB): 109 € per person (Full Board - 3 meals/day)
- 4 Nights (FB): 139 € per person
- 5 Nights (FB): 172 € per person
3. Hotel International, Hotel Mizo, Hotel Prestige,
- 119 euro per person for 4 days (3 nights with 2 meals per day )
- 149 euro per person for 5 days (4 nights with 2 meals per day)
4. Hotel De Luks Apartments
- Ideal for those seeking a longer stay, Hotel De Luks offers meals included in both Half Board and Full Board packages.
Pricing Options:
- 3 Nights (HB): 91€ per person (Half Board - 2 meals/day)
- 4 Nights (HB): 119€ per person
- 3 Nights (FB): 109€ per person (Full Board - 3 meals/day)
- 4 Nights (FB): 139€ per person
5. Additional Central 3 & 4-Star Hotels
- For a wider selection, these centrally located hotels offer various room configurations (double, triple, and quadruple). Price information is available upon completion of the application form.
- Hotel Plaza – Visit Hotel Plaza (Lakefront)
- Hotel Internacional – Visit Hotel Internacional
- Hotel Montenegrin – Visit Hotel Montenegrin
Festival organizers provide:
- for 24 dancers – one gratis,(24+1)
- souvenir and gift for each group,
- Certificate for attendance,
- drinks during the performance,
- free parking
- advertising of the festival (social media promotion, posters and news letters)
INSURANCE:
Personal responsibility and health insurance are within the other obligations of the groups. First Aid and Medical Hospital will be available, medical services must be covered by the group.
On your request, You can continue your stay in Ohrid. Price will be 33 Euro per day per person FB or 29 euro HB – price is special for the participants in festivals that we can provide.
After the festival finish organizers will send you link where they can take the photos and videos...
The festival will organize the transport for the groups coming by plane by picking them up from airport, during the festival days and back to the airport. You can also arrive through Skopje, Tirana (Albania) or Thessaloniki (Greece) Airport which are only 200 km from Ohrid. The cost of the transportation will be covered by the group and will be additionally agreed according to their number. We will also assist you in obtaining visa for Macedonia if necessary.
Also, you can arrive by plane in Ohrid airport and we will organize free transport to the hotel.
By applying you confirm that you accept all festival conditions. All detailed information will be supply after your confirmation for participations.
Organizers: Culture association Models & Youth Culture centre Ohrid with cooperation of World Festival Association, National institution Centre of Culture ”G.Prlicev” – Ohrid and Municipality of Ohrid
Each year we have around 400 participants on the festival from 08-10 countries.
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NEWS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL Published on 18 April 2019
"GREAT FESTIVAL MOOD ON THE FESTIVAL IN OHRID"
From 26- 30 August in very famoues tourist place Ohrid,Macedonia was held XI International music and folk dance festival Lihnidos - city of light"
On the festival participated 8 groups ( folk dance ensembles and choir groups) with over 400 participants from Poland,Bulgaria,Latvia,Estonia..Festival was organized by World Festival Association - WOFA with support of Municipality of Ohrid.Festival evening was held on the main squere in Ohridon the open stage on27 august where director of the festival Mr.Zoran Strezovski wish them welcome on the festival and open the festival..After performances the groups were awarded with sertificates but also with huge aplause from audience on the squere ..econd festival evening was held on the open stage Dolni Saraj in the old city..On 28 june was realised closing party on the beach where all participnts dancing together untill midnight..During the days participants visited Ohrid and Struga cityes, swimming in very hot Ohrid Lake and enjoy on the great beaches and swimming pool in hotel Deasret...
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Reviews from the groups:
This festival has review of 6 groups and average estimation is EXELLENT- 9,1/10