The government said the country’s 35th Independence Day celebrations were fully funded without direct spending from the state budget, with the main financing provided through the State Lottery and additional corporate contributions.
Government spokesperson Marija Miteva said the State Lottery allocated MKD 300 million from undistributed profits designated for 2024 to sponsor the celebrations, following a government decision adopted on April 28, 2026. The government then issued a public call on May 4 for the organization of the events, receiving one bid from Stardust DOOEL Skopje, the legal entity through which Avalon International Booking participated.
Miteva said an external expert commission conducted the selection process based on the bidder’s experience, production capacity and proposed program. She added that socially responsible companies contributed another MKD 40 million, bringing the stated financing for the celebrations to MKD 340 million. Miteva emphasized that taxpayers did not directly finance the celebrations through the state budget.