24 Best Performing Arts in Croatia

At this idyllic open-air summer cinema, first opened in 1956 in the woods above Bačvice Bay, films are projected among the pine trees as boats glide across the bay and crickets chirp in the background. Popcorn and drinks can be bought on-site, and the movies shown include major Hollywood pictures, Croatian movies, independent films, and kids' flicks. Check the schedule on the website, as some movies are not available with English subtitles.

During the last week of June, the Croatian Summer Salsa Festival offers eight days of dancing lessons in various town squares, gallery spaces, and even on the beach, as well as beach and pool parties, dance-life workshops, and best practices on how to DJ and emcee dance parties. International salsa experts and professional DJs entertain, inspire, and encourage more than 2,000 attendees.

Since the 19th century, a live performance and musical theater has sat where the modern Gervais Center sits today. The theater started showing films at the beginning of the 20th century, until it officially became the city cinema in the 1950s. In 2012, the original building was demolished, then in 2017 the current contemporary performance house opened, offering a vibrant year-round schedule of regional musical theater, plays, concerts, opera, festivals, and movie screenings.

For an incredibly entertaining cultural show that the whole family will enjoy, catch a performance of the Moreška, a colorful medieval sword dance—using real swords—that has been performed in Korčula for more than 400 years. The word Moreška means "Moorish" and is said to celebrate the victory of the Christians over the Moors in Spain, told through the story of a clash between the Black King and the White King over a young maiden. The dance itself is not native to Croatia and was once performed in many Mediterranean countries, but the tradition has disappeared elsewhere and nowadays only remains here. The hour-long performance involves traditional a cappella singing, a live brass band, and the energetic sword dance, performed only by males from local families. Performances take place at 9 pm Monday and Thursday in July and August and Thursday in May, June, September and October. They happen on an open-air stage just outside the city walls next to the Land Gate, with a spectacular performance held on July 29, the feast day of Korčula's protector, St. Theodore.

Known as the "fifth season," Carnival lasts from the end of January until mid-February and awakens a specific kind of energy in the city only experienced during this time of year. The passion locals pour into Karneval cannot be compared to neighboring Venice's big-city sophistication, but celebrations here have a village feel and are closely linked to local traditions that are safeguarded in each particular town and passed down through generations. The excitement in the streets as the city is taken over by crazy antics, colorful costumes, and masquerading revelers who poke fun at local politics all make Rijeka a worthy winter destination. The season kicks off with the Carnival Queen Pageant and continues with weeks of fun activities and masked parties all over town, ending with the Children's Carnival Parade and the International Carnival Parade.

In May each year, at least 80 different Istrian winemakers exhibit their wines at Vinistra, a wine fair produced by the Association of Wine Growers and Winemakers of Istria. Local gourmet food producers, farmers, and restaurants also provide tastings cleverly paired with a variety of wines on offer. During this three-day festival, viticulture classes, seminars, presentations, and award ceremonies fill the schedule between sips. 

Klapa singing, an integral part of Dalmatian—and Croatian—culture, is widely celebrated all summer long with festivals devoted specifically to the cherished musical tradition. The Dalmatian Klapa Festival in Omiš, usually held for several weeks between June and July, brings together the best klapa performers from the region. Performances are staged in the parish church and on the main square, where you can enjoy the UNESCO-protected melodies alfresco.

The city's cultural highlight is the annual Dubrovnik Summer Festival, which runs from mid-July to late August and attracts thousands of artists from around the world. A variety of open-air classical concerts, ballets, and plays are held at various venues within the walls, and the city becomes a riot of folklore, traditional dresses, midnight performances, and music. The most prestigious event of the festival is the performance of Hamlet at Fort Lovrijenac. Tickets can be purchased online or at the festival box office.

From the end of November until the first week of January, the Old Town makes a spectacular backdrop for the Dubrovnik Winter Festival. Expect all the trappings of a traditional European Christmas market, with mulled wine and rakija, wooden booths selling handmade goods and sugary delicacies, concerts, and a giant skating rink. The Winter Festival is a much more relaxed and local affair than the Summer Festival and is another way the city is trying to attract visitors to Dubrovnik in the off-season.

The Croatian National Theater is Osijek's venue for a broad array of Croatian and international plays. The building that has housed the theater since 1907 is an imposing structure whose Venetian-Moorish style renders it the most striking of a string of classical facades along Županijska Ulica.

Classical music recitals in the cloisters of Hvar Town's Franciscan monastery have long been the highlight of the Hvar Summer Festival. Also look out for theater, folklore, and jazz at various open-air locations around town. The annual festival usually runs for one to several months sometime between June and September.

Watch a movie outdoors with either the city walls or the Adriatic Sea as your backdrop at Dubrovnik's two open-air cinemas, which show predominantly English-language films in their original versions nightly throughout the summer. Kino Slavica is located in a walled garden on the main road between the Old Town and Lapad, while Kino Jadran is right in the Old Town, completely hidden from sight.

This 10-day Baroque music festival takes place in September in venues across Korčula Town, including the Cathedral and the atrium of City Hall. Established in 2012, it has become one of the most important festivals on the island, attracting musicians and visitors from around the world.

Despite its name, this month-long series of classical music concerts and recitals, staged between early July and early August, is held in the Forum, St. Anastasia Cathedral, St. Donatus Church, and Marina Dalmacija, down the road in Bibinje.

Featuring a range of music on and around the main square as well as dance and folk-song performances, Pag Carnival takes place immediately before Lent (which varies from year to year but is typically in February). There is also a shorter carnival held on the last weekend of July. See the tourist office website for specific dates.

An array of thrilling music festivals come to the island of Pag every summer. Some island festivals include Hideout Festival and Sonus Festival.

The center of alternative and creative culture for youth in the city, Palach is a somewhat gritty urban space filled with exhibitions, workshops, performance, live music, and DJs, rotating on a regular basis.

Dating back to 1954, this annual film festival is the oldest Croatian film festival and occurs in mid-July, before the more well-known Motovun International Film Festival. Screenings occur in the Arena and feature Croatian and international works.

Beginning in late June, the four-week annual Rijeka's Summer Nights festival ensures that venues, streets, and squares are filled with cultural performances. Visitors can experience classical music and theater, as well as contemporary music and performance art. Most of the venues are outdoors under the stars; smaller venues are in the various small squares throughout the city and add a charming intimacy to the atmosphere.

Usually running annually from mid-July to mid-August, the festival includes a variety of open-air operas, classical music concerts, and dance and theatrical performances. Experience two highlights in one, as shows are held in gorgeous venues across the city, such as the Meštrović Gallery, Peristil, and a church on Marjan Hill. Tickets can be purchased online or from the theater box office. Book your accommodations in advance, as hotels fill up and rates go up during the festival.

In the third week of August, Poreč's annual Street Art Festival enlivens the Old Town's streets and squares with musical, theatrical, art, multimedia, and acrobatic events and street performances.

From mid-July to the beginning of September, Ljeto na Gradini brings theater plays, live concerts, craft fairs, conceptual art, and themed events to the Trsat Castle grounds.  

As the first festival of light in Croatia, Visualia has installed a variety of light, technology, performance, and multimedia installations all over the city for almost a decade now, usually geared to a single theme. In one of the most popular displays, Lighting Giants, the illuminated cranes of Uljanik Shipyard struck a nerve and has become a consistent symbol of local pride. The Pulska Xica, a fun night run that starts at the Arena and passes the Lighting Giants, takes place during Visualia.