59th International Folklore Festival Zagreb: Dedicated to 1100th Anniversary of Croatian Kingdom
This July you will once again encounter folklore groups in the town centre, whether at scheduled concerts or in spontaneous city tours. They will bring joy to passers-by with traditional songs and dances.
From 16 to 20 July, streets and squares of Zagreb will be marked by folklore processions, traditional songs and customs performed by participants of the 59th International Folklore Festival Zagreb for citizens and visitors. This is one of the most significant festivals of folklore and traditional culture in Croatia. In 2014, the festival was declared a festival of national importance and it is part of a world-wide movement to preserve cultural heritage which is in line with UNESCO programmes. It is used to assert specific values of national culture as well as traditional dances, music, language and customs and values of world cultural heritage.
This year’s festival is specifically dedicated to the 1100th anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom. The central event, which is to take place on 18 July at the newly renovated Gradec Plateau, will be dedicated to the anniversary. In addition to the central Ban Josip Jelačić Square, the plateau is the place where numerous concerts and performances dedicated to the rich folklore heritage will take place. In addition to a number of folklore ensembles from Croatia, visitors from Costa Rica, Bulgaria, France, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Italy will also perform at this year’s events. Owing to all of them, life in Zagreb will be marked by tradition, folklore and customs during five days in July. During this period, ensembles and processions will walk the city streets and hold scheduled but also spontaneous performances for audience which greets them every year and welcomes them with a thrill.
The folklore festival has been taking place in Zagreb since 1966 and next year, the 60th edition will be marked by a celebration of the grand jubilee.