Three days before the biggest Macedonian holiday, the state leadership announced details about the celebration. This year, President Stevo Pendarovski will be in Krusevo, but for the first time no speech will be delivered at Meckin Kamen. A novelty is that instead of 12 h, the celebration will start at 18 h.

DUI leader Ali Ahmeti will attend the event for the first time, and a personal invitation has been sent to Hristijan Mickoski, but there is no confirmation whether he will accept it. The leaders of the Alliance for Albanians Zijadin Sela and tLevica Dimitar Apasiev have also been invited. Zaev will also be in attendance, as well as Stevce Jakimovski, Ivan Stoiljkovic and Maja Moracanin. Olympic silver medalist Dejan Georgievski has been invited as well. Former Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski will not be in Krusevo because he was not in the country.

Pendarovski said at a briefing with the editors that this year they decided to go with a new way of celebration, which he does not say is better, but they decided to try it.

What is the purpose of speech ?! It causes whistling, offenses, division. The current concept of celebration is division, not unification. People are fed up with political speeches, Pendarovski said.

Instead of a speech, Pendarovski will have a short video address of two minutes. Ilinden messages will be conveyed by actor Nikola Ristanovski, and Vlatko Stefanovski will also perform.

Although the Ilinden celebration is one of Bulgaria’s demands, there will be no representatives from the eastern neighbor.

The traditional cavalry will be in Krusevo and an honorary battalion of the ARM will march.

At the celebration, an ensemble for Albanian songs and dances will parade alongside the Tanec folklore musical ensemble.