6 Best Performing Arts Venues in Istria, Croatia

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.