Stefan Elenkov, founder and CEO of Fest Team, has been named among this year’s honorees in Pollstar’s 2025 Impact International: UK/Euro Honors — one of the most prestigious recognitions in the global live music industry.
Pollstar, the leading worldwide source for live industry analysis and news, publishes the Impact International list annually to spotlight individuals who are transforming the live sector through vision, sustainability, and contributions to cultural growth in their regions. The 2025 edition includes only a handful of representatives from Eastern Europe, with Elenkov becoming the first Bulgarian ever to receive this recognition.
At a special ceremony held in London on November 11, Pollstar gathered top industry professionals from around the world to celebrate the people behind the biggest tours, festivals, and innovations in the live entertainment business. Among the honorees, alongside the Bulgarian promoter, were Barrie Marshall, founder of Marshall Arts and longtime promoter for Paul McCartney, Elton John, and P!NK; Harvey Goldsmith, producer of the historic Live Aid and Live 8 events; and Rod MacSween, founder of ITB Agency and agent for Pearl Jam, Guns N’ Roses, and Aerosmith.
“For me, this recognition shows that Bulgaria is now being seen as part of the major European concert map. I’m proud that Fest Team has managed to position the country in conversations about innovation, sustainability, and new markets in the music business,” said Stefan Elenkov.
In its feature, Pollstar describes him as “a driving force of change in the region” and “the person turning Bulgaria into a key destination for global touring artists.”
In 2025 alone, Fest Team has organized major stadium concerts by Guns N’ Roses, Enrique Iglesias, and Robbie Williams, along with the growing festival editions of HILLS OF ROCK and SPICE Music Festival. Upcoming events for 2026 include shows by Eros Ramazzotti and Iron Maiden in Sofia, the brand-new PHILLGOOD Festival in Plovdiv featuring The Cure, Gorillaz, and Moby, the next HILLS OF ROCK and BE4 HILLS editions, and concerts by Clutch and Chris Isaak.
In his Pollstar interview, Elenkov addresses real challenges facing the region’s live sector — such as the lack of specialized venues, rising production costs, and bureaucratic hurdles — but emphasizes that these very obstacles have made his team more resilient and innovative:
“Sometimes we have to turn sports arenas into concert halls or build temporary structures from scratch, but that’s exactly what made us more creative and adaptable.”
Fest Team continues to invest in building a modern music infrastructure in Bulgaria and in developing artistic talent through Fest Management, a new company dedicated to discovering and supporting artists with international potential.
Elenkov’s inclusion in Pollstar’s 2025 Impact International: UK/Euro Honors marks a milestone for Bulgaria’s growing presence in the European concert industry — one that is evolving with ambition, scale, and creativity comparable to the continent’s biggest live markets.