The 20th Belgrade Summer Festival BELEF, which will last until August 7 and comprise various programmes, started late on Friday by a classical concert staged in the concert hall of Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment.

The festival under the slogan 'Audio Visual 21st Century - AV 21' was opened by Assistant Mayor Tatjana Pasic on behalf of the City of Belgrade, as the founder and patron of the festival that has been included in the list of manifestations that bear special importance for the city.

Last year, BELEF joined the European Festivals Association, as a manifestation that introduces fresh spirit into the city during the summer, Pasic said.

In cooperation with Spanish Embassy in Belgrade, BELEF was opened by concert performed by mezzo-soprano Ana Hasler, accompanied by Spain's Enrique Bernaldo de Quiros on the piano. All festival programmes this year are devoted to the people of Japan.

The opening of the 20th annual BELEF was marked by classical music, although audio and visual programmes are in the focus of festival's attention this year, with projects that bring together audio and visual arts and deal with the connection between technological development, nature and humans.