Culture - libraries, cinemas, radio programme activities, television programme activities, performing arts and museums - 2025

The statistical surveys in the field of culture conducted by the National Statistical Institute provide information on the activities of museums, theatres, libraries, cinemas and the radio and television programme activity.

Museums

As of 31.12.2025, there were 182 functioning museums registered in the country according to the Cultural Heritage Act. By thematic scope, there were 100 general and 82 specialized museums (incl. art galleries).

The movable cultural values in 2025 forming the National Museum Stock were 7 865 thousand stock units, and in comparison with 2024, their number increased by 1.7%.

The visits to museums in 2025 were 6 394 thousand, and their number increased by 26.1% in comparison with 2024 (Figure 1). During the days of free admission 11% of all visits (700 thousand) were carried out. An increase in the number of visits by foreign citizens to museums was also registered - with 105 thousand, or by 9.6% in comparison to the previous year.

Performing arts

In 2025, in the currently operating 89 theatres in the country were organized 16 124 performances, visited by 2 303 thousand visitors. Compared to 2024, the number of performances remained unchanged, while the number of visits decreased by 2.8%. The average number of visitors per one performance was 143, and it remains the same compared to the previous year.

The distribution of theatres by type (Figure 2) and by realized performances in 2025 was as follows:

• 39 dramatic theatres with 6 053 performances;
• 7 opera and ballet theatres with 890 performances;
• 3 operetta theatres with 430 performances;
• 25 puppet theatres with 6 061 performances;
• 8 dramatic-puppet theatres with 1 819 performances;
• 7 circuses with 871 performances.

In 2025, there were 66 music formations operating in the country - 10 philharmonic and symphony orchestras, 27 professional ensembles for folk songs and dances and 29 orchestras. In comparison with 2024, the number of their performances increased by 37.5%.

Libraries

In 2025, the number of libraries with library collection above 200 thousand library units was 49. Their total collection was formed by 34 750 thousand library documents (Figure 3) - books, continued editions - newspapers, magazines, bulletins and others, with books having the highest share of its structure - 58.1% (20 189 thousand), followed by the other library documents (audio-visual, electronic, graphic and cartographic editions, micro-forms, patents and standards) - 26.1% (9 084 thousand), and the continued editions - 15.8% (5 477 thousand).

The registered readers (library users) were 287 thousand, which is 3.6% more than the previous year, and the library visits have increased by 12.5% and reached 4 930 thousand. The total library collection loaned was 7 567 thousand library units (Figure 4).

In 2025, in the National Library ‘St. St. Cyril and Methodius’ were registered 8 596 thousand library documents, which is 23 thousand more in comparison with the previous year. The library collection in the regional libraries (27) in the district centers was 12 231 thousand units and the library collection loaned there decreased by 41 thousand units in comparison with 2024.

Cinemas

At the end of 2025, the number of cinemas in the country was 85, and the number of screens - 238, their number decreased by 2 in comparison with 2024. The multiplex cinemas^[1] were 11 and 57.2% of all screenings were performed in them, and there were made 62.6% of all the cinema visits (Table 1).

Table 1. Cinemas, screens, screenings and visits

In 2025, in comparison with the previous year, the number of the screenings in the cinemas increased by 4.7%, and the visits decreased by 8.1%.

The biggest number of cinemas was found in the Yugozapaden region - 28 cinemas with 143 thousand screenings, visited by 2 049 thousand persons. In the capital, 17 cinemas were functioning with 85 screens, and 2 932 films were screened.

Radio programme activities

In 2025, there were 70 registered and licensed radio operators in the country, that broadcasted 583 thousand hours of radio broadcasts. This is with 23 867 hours less in comparison with 2024. The biggest share of radio broadcasts was that of the musical ones - 63.5%, followed by the news (bulletins, commentaries, sporting news and forecasts) - 8% (Figure 6).

Television programme activities

In 2025, there were 123 registered and licensed Bulgarian TV operators in the country, which was with 4 more than the previous year. Terrestrial, cable and satellite televisions broadcasted a total of 816.4 thousand hours of programmes, or 1.8% more in comparison with 2024. The specialized programmes (Figure 7) were distributed by hours as follows:

• Fiction programmes (feature and television) - 201.3 thousand hours;
• Music programmes - 143.0 thousand hours;
• Sport programmes - 83.2 thousand hours;
• News - 45.3 thousand hours;
• Advertisements - 48.8 thousand hours;
• Educational programmes - 9.5 thousand hours.

^[1] Cinema complex with 8 or more screens.

Methodological notes

Source of information about the activities of museums is a regularly conducted annual survey. Their activity is characterized by: museum stock units, visitors, cultural and educational activities of museums, personnel, revenues and expenditures and material-technical base of museums. In the number of museums are included independent museums, established by the order of art. 25, para. 1 and para. 2 of the Cultural Heritage Act (promulgated, SG No. 19 of 13 March 2009), and carrying out activities during the respective year.

Performing arts are object of a separate annual statistical survey. Units of observation are theatres, operas, operettas, circuses, musical formations, companies and associations that organize and hold recitals and concerts (pop, folk, symphonic, chamber, choral music, brass bands, mixed and others). Their activity covers the following main characteristics: stages, seating capacity, performances, visitors, stagings by nationality of the author, including new stagings.

Activity of libraries with over 200 thousand library units is object of an annual statistical survey. Their activity has the following main breakdowns of characteristics: library collection (books, continued editions and other library documents), readers, visits, library collection loaned, personnel, revenues and expenditures, computers, libraries area.

The activity of cinemas includes the following main characteristics - cinema seats, screens, screenings, visitors, ticket revenues. Film clubs and mobile cinemas are not observed.

Activity of radio and TV operators includes the following main characteristics - programs by type/genre in hours, incomes and expenditures.