The third Sofia Art Fair brings together 27 galleries and participants from eight countries, with works by 88 artists from 17 countries. It runs at the John Atanasoff Innovation Forum in Sofia Tech Park from 8 to 11 October 2026.

The galleries, independent spaces and collectives come from Bulgaria, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Hungary and Georgia. Six of the eight countries are in the EU. The programme includes painting, sculpture, photography, installations, video art, digital art and interdisciplinary art. Works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Carsten Nicolai and Tomás Saraceno are on show.

The official opening was on 8 October, and the fair is open to the public from 9 to 11 October. The SAF Talks conference is also held on these days. International experts speak there about the growth of contemporary art in the Balkans, professional support for artists, the role of art fairs and links with the public.

Fair founder Suni Danadzhi says contemporary art is part of the economy. Every work involves labour, she says, and a whole network of galleries, curators, collectors, experts and cultural groups builds up around it. Entry is free for children and young people up to 18 and for people in disadvantaged situations. Other visitors need tickets. The event is part of the cultural calendar of the Ministry of Culture and Sofia Municipality.

In 2025, 13 countries took part in the fair, twice as many as in 2024, and the number of foreign groups of collectors was six times higher, according to Danadzhi. The fair was then run by the Sofia Breathes foundation, whose executive director said "cultural diplomacy can be applied in its full sense" at the fair. Danadzhi also said Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone should strengthen the position of Bulgarian artists on the market.

Danadzhi wants the fair to become an annual event over the next three years.