What's on
What's on in Croatia
Events worth planning a trip around. We check each date with the organiser, but confirm before you book.
November 2026
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6 Nov – 8 Nov
Food & drink · Opatija
Festival čokolade
Opatija's chocolate weekend centres on a sweet fair at Centar Gervais and the Juraj Šporer art pavilion, with chocolate dishes in local restaurants and cafés, music and themed spa treatments.
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9 Nov – 15 Nov
Arts · Zagreb
Zagreb Film Festival
A week of screenings in Zagreb, with competition programmes of feature films and international shorts, plus side events and a schedule you can plan by venue.
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27 Nov – 6 Jan 2027
Market · Varaždin
Advent u Varaždinu
Bring children to Santa's magic town, then browse the Korzo stalls, visit the Ledena Čarolija ice area and ride the big wheel in Varaždin's old centre during the holidays.
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28 Nov – 3 Jan 2027
Festival · Dubrovnik
Advent u Gradu
Dubrovnik's winter programme, called the Dubrovnik Winter Festival until last season: concerts on Stradun including the New Year's Eve show, a skating rink, children's events and theatre, spread from Lazareti and the old town to Lapad and Mokošica.
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28 Nov – 7 Jan 2027
Market · Zagreb
Advent Zagreb
Spend a winter evening walking between Zagreb's festive locations, with mulled wine, live music and seasonal dishes such as sarma and paprenjak biscuits.
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28 Nov – 10 Jan 2027
Market · Rijeka
Rijeka Advent
Move between several city locations for the festive programme, food stands and the Greeting Party, in a season that runs well past New Year.
January 2027
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January 2027 Exact dates not announced
Arts
Noć muzeja
For one winter evening, museums and galleries around Croatia stay open late with special programmes, so you can plan a route through several in one night. The last edition was on 30 January 2026.
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17 Jan – 10 Feb 2027
Tradition · Rijeka
Rijeka Carnival
Plan your visit around the big parade of 7 February, when decorated floats and thousands in costume take over the centre. Festivities begin on 17 January, and younger visitors get their own procession on 30 January.
February 2027
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February 2027 Exact dates not announced
Tradition · Dubrovnik
Festa sv. Vlaha
Dubrovnik honours its patron saint with doves released at the opening on 2 February, then a mass and a procession carrying his relics through the city on 3 February. The 2027 programme isn't published yet.
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February 2027 Exact dates not announced
Tradition · Lastovo Island
Lastovski poklad
An island carnival tied to a local legend about a captured envoy, led through the village on a donkey and burned at Dolac. The 544th edition opens on 17 January 2027 and builds to its final days.
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February 2027 Exact dates not announced
Tradition · Samobor
Samoborski fašnik
Samobor's carnival reached its 200th edition in 2026: join masked groups, street stages and parades, ending on Shrove Tuesday with fireworks and the mock trial and burning of Prince Fašnik.
June 2027
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June 2027 Exact dates not announced
Arts · Zagreb
Animafest Zagreb
One of the oldest festivals devoted to animation, with competition screenings, retrospectives, talks and a children's programme around Zagreb. The 2026 edition ran from 8 to 13 June.
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12 Jun – 26 Jun 2027
Festival · Šibenik
Međunarodni dječji festival
Two weeks of theatre, music, art and street programmes made for children in Šibenik, with workshops too. A strong reason to bring a family here in early summer.
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27 Jun – 29 Jun 2027
Music · Zagreb
INmusic festival
Three days of big international bands at Jarun in Zagreb, with a festival campsite for those staying over. This is the 19th edition.
July 2027
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July 2027 Exact dates not announced
Arts
Cinehill
The former Motovun Film Festival now screens independent films in the forests of Gorski Kotar, with a campsite and a relaxed green-carpet mood. It ran from 21 to 26 July in 2026.
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July 2027 Exact dates not announced
Sport · Umag
Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
Watch ATP tour tennis in Umag, then stay for the evening music and Istrian food events around the tournament. The 2026 final was played in July.
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July 2027 Exact dates not announced
Tradition · Đakovo
Đakovački vezovi
Slavonia's big folklore gathering: watch dancers and tamburica players in embroidered costume, the parade through Đakovo and the shows in front of the cathedral and in Strossmayer park.
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July 2027 Exact dates not announced
Arts · Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik Summer Festival
See drama, music and dance staged outdoors on Dubrovnik's squares and at forts such as Lovrjenac. The 2026 edition ran from 10 July to 25 August; 2027 dates aren't out yet.
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July 2027 Exact dates not announced
Arts · Pula
Pulski filmski festival
Watch Croatian and regional films under the stars in Pula's Arena, then join the crowds around the red carpet and side events. The 2026 edition opened on 9 July.
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July 2027 Exact dates not announced
Tradition · Rab Island
Rabska fjera
Rab town goes medieval, with costumed locals, artisan stalls in the lanes and a crossbow tournament on the last day. It's held on 25-27 July each year, the feast days of three saints.
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July 2027 Exact dates not announced
Arts · Split
Splitsko ljeto
Split's summer festival puts opera, drama, ballet and concerts on open-air stages, with opera on the Peristil. In 2026 it ran from 14 July to 14 August.
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7 Jul – 13 Jul 2027
Music
Love International
Seven days of non-stop dance music near Tisno, on five stages at a beachside site, plus daytime and evening cruises with DJs and a separately ticketed after-hours club reached by shuttle.
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9 Jul – 11 Jul 2027
Music · Split
Ultra Europe
Three days of big-stage dance music in Split, easy to pair with a holiday on the Dalmatian coast. Tickets for the 2027 edition are already on sale.
August 2027
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August 2027 Exact dates not announced
Sport
Maraton lađa
Hundreds of rowers race traditional wooden boats 22.5 km down the Neretva from Metković to Ploče, urged on by drummers. It's held on the second Saturday of August; the start at Metković bridge is the moment to see.
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August 2027 Exact dates not announced
Festival · Varaždin
Špancirfest
Varaždin's old town fills with street performers, music stages, theatre, craft and food areas for about ten days. The 2026 edition ran from 21 to 30 August.
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August 2027 Exact dates not announced
Tradition
Trka na prstenac
Sixteen riders gallop down a course in Barban trying to spear a small ring with a lance, a contest first recorded in 1696. It's held on the fourth weekend of August.
September 2027
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September 2027 Exact dates not announced
Music · Varaždin
Varaždinske barokne večeri
Hear early and Baroque music played in Varaždin and nearby places by Croatian and visiting performers, at a festival founded in 1971. In 2026 it ran from 18 to 29 September.
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September 2027 Exact dates not announced
Tradition · Vinkovci
Vinkovačke jeseni
A long-running autumn celebration of Slavonian village culture in Vinkovci, with folklore evenings, traditional dress and tamburica music. The 61st edition took place in September 2026.