Autumn Wave Fest takes place on October 10 and 11, 2026 at Club Pave in Sofia. Night in Athens and Lust For Youth, two names from today's dark wave and synth-pop scene, come to Bulgaria for the first time.

The first night is led by Night in Athens, the project of London's Tina Boletti. The sound is raw punk synth with ghostly vocals and hypnotic electronics, and the theatrical shows have taken her to festivals such as Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, Grauzone and Substance. Alongside her are Bulgaria's The Silence Inside, the project of Nikolay Berberov - Bebo and Angelina Saparevska - Angeli, and BAC, a Sofia post-punk duo with a drum machine.

The second night belongs to Lust For Youth. The project was started by Swede Hannes Norrvide in Gothenburg in 2009, as a solo, dark and deliberately raw effort. It later grew into a band, and the albums "International" (2014) and "Compassion" (2016) for Sacred Bones brought the more transparent, danceable synth-pop they're known for today. The programme also features Plovdiv's low-key, a mix of post-punk, shoegaze and stoner rock, and producer Evitceles.

During the festival Club Pave will also be a gallery: the Autumn Wave Exhibition shows 15 works by eight artists. A one-day ticket costs 25 euros (about 1,540 denars), a two-day ticket 40 euros (about 2,460 denars), and 30 euros per night at the door.