Strumica was admitted to the International Association of the Carnival Cities on the 14th congress held in Norrkoping, Sweden in 1994 so this year the 10 years’ jubilee is marked. At the 15th congress in Malta Strumica applied for host of the 18th congress and won against the candidate Tores Vedras from Portugal.

At the 17th congress in Aruba, Strumica took over the congress flag and won the epithet World Carnival Capital for 1997-98.

From 1994 Strumica is a member of the International Association of the Carnival Cities FECC. The Association is established in 1981 and every year holds International Congresses of the Carnival Cities in different parts of the world. Strumica was host of the 18th Congress in 1998.

Until now 25 congresses have been held in the following cities:

1981 1 congress – Patra, Greece
1982 2 congress – Siros, Greece
1983 3 congress – Keffalonia, Greece
1984 4 congress – Samos, Greece
1985 5 congress – Kos-Patmos, Greece
1986 6 congress – Kalymnos - Leros, Greece
1987 7 congress – Valeta , Malta
1988 8 congress – Trinidad Tobago- Barbados
1989 9 congress – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Spain
1990 10 congress – Patra, Greece
1991 11 congress – Rosas - Spain
1992 12 congress – Aalborg, Denmark
1993 13 congress – Curacao , Netherlands Antiles
1994 14 congress – Norrkoping , Sweden
1995 15 congress – Valeta , Malta
1996 16 congress – Maribor -Ptuj , Slovenia
1997 17 congress – Aruba , Netherlands Antiles
1998 18 congress – STRUMICA , MACEDONIA
1999 19 congress – Dubrovnik ,Croatia
2000 20 congress – Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Spain
2001 21 congress – Sankt Petersburg , Russia
2002 22 congress – Krakow - Zakopane , Poland
2003 23 congress – Ovar , Portugal
2004 24 congress - Pernik , Bulgarija
2005 25 congress - Nadur , Gozo Malta

The 26th congress will take place in May 2006 in Novi Vinodolski / Rijeka Croatia