Volleyball in Bulgaria is once again experiencing a national resurgence. Just days after tickets went on sale for the Men's European Volleyball Championship 2026, interest in the Group B matches, which will be played in Sofia, exceeded all expectations.
The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation (BVF) announced that over 16,000 tickets have been sold so far – and this is months before the start of the tournament, which will take place in September 2026.
🇧🇬Bulgaria – Poland Match Nearing Sell-Out
The clash between Bulgaria and Poland, scheduled for September 16, caused a real ticket frenzy.
The federation clarified that only a few individual seats remain, and these are also selling out quickly.
'The Bulgaria – Poland match is attracting the most interest. Currently, only a few individual seats remain for it, with a tendency to sell out,' states the official announcement from the BVF.
'To meet the exceptional interest, we have taken steps to reallocate part of the quotas from package offers to individual tickets,' the federation further specifies.
🎟️ What Fans Need to Know
| Ticket Type | Status |
|---|---|
| Single Tickets (Bulgaria – Poland) | Almost Sold Out |
| Single Tickets (other Bulgaria matches) | Still Available, but Tending Towards Selling Out |
| Package 'Follow Your Team – Bulgaria' | Limited quantities |
| Package 'Group Stage Sofia – 15 Matches' | Limited quantities |
| Package 'Tournament Ticket Sofia – 21 Matches' | Limited quantities |
The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation correctly reacted to the growing interest by reallocating part of the package contingents to single tickets. This gives more fans a chance to attend at least one match, and not just those who purchased full packages. Such a move is rare in European sports and shows flexibility and care towards spectators.
🏟️ Why there are blocked seats
Around 25% of the hall's capacity temporarily remains blocked. This includes areas for television production, media, partners, and official guests - obligations that Bulgaria undertakes under its agreement with CEV.
After certain deadlines expire, unused seats will be released for open sale, with each new release announced at least 24 hours in advance through the federation's website and social channels.
📅 Group B Schedule (Sofia, "Arena 8888") – EuroVolley 2026
| Date | Match | Start time |
|---|---|---|
| September 9 | Bulgaria – North Macedonia | 19:00 |
| September 11 | Bulgaria – Portugal | 19:00 |
| September 12 | Bulgaria – Ukraine | 19:00 |
| September 14 | Bulgaria – Israel | 19:00 |
| September 16 | Bulgaria – Poland | 19:00 |
The group is extremely balanced – Poland is the reigning European champion, but the other opponents can also cause surprises. The match against the Poles will be a kind of final in the group stage.
🗣️ The Federation's Stance
"BVF guarantees that all available seats will be accessible to fans before the start of the championship. Our goal is for the maximum number of volleyball fans to have the opportunity to attend this great sporting event live," the statement reads.
It concludes with the words: "Thank you for being with us! Champions in our hearts!"
EuroVolley 2026 has not started yet, but the interest in the Bulgarian matches is already phenomenal.
Polish media are commenting with concern on the difficulty of getting tickets, while in Bulgaria, ticketing enthusiasm shows that volleyball is once again the number one sport in terms of emotion and popularity.
On September 16, Sofia will not just host a European Championship match
— it will be the center of volleyball Europe.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
