Zagreb Events, Things to Do and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Zagreb, Croatia)

Zagreb is the main focus for festivals in Croatia and there is always something happening month on month, with religious days seeing the local churches fill up, particularly during Holy Week. Summertime is, of course, the busiest time for things to do, when there is a huge lineup of music festivals and independence celebrations.

Croatians are very much into the arts and films, a product of regained independence and being able to express oneself. Nearly every month in Zagreb has some type of concert or musical event, while film is well represented by both local and international talent.


Particular highlights worth adding to your calendar include the various seasonal trade fairs held at the Zagreb Fairground, the Folklore extravaganza each July, and the Summer Festival in July and August, where concerts, theatre shows and fun activities abound.

Zagreb Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• New Year's Day (Nova Godina) - January 1st, a national Croatian public holiday
• Women's Alpine Skiing World Cup - early January, the nearby Sljeme Ski Resort is the venue for this annual slalom ski tournament for women
• Men's Alpine Skiing World Cup - early January, a part of the women's ski competition at the Sljeme Ski Resort, sees men compete later on
• Epiphany (Bogojavljenje, Sveta Tri Kralja) - January 6th, a religious Croatian holiday

February

• ZagrebDox - late February to early March, with international documentary films at Kaptol's MoviePlex, with many themed programmes and competitions drawing in the crowds
• Boat Show - late February, a leading boat fair staged each year at the Zagreb Fairground, being amongst the biggest to be held in south-eastern Europe

March

• RAF Amateur Film Festival - featuring a collection of filmmakers vying for the best short movie where the audience gets to vote on who they think is best
• Easter Celebrations - late March / early April, with Easter Monday (Uskrsni Ponedjeljak) being a public holiday and the cause for much local festivity

April

• Transport Show - early April, the International Fair of Commercial Vehicles, staged at the Zagreb Fairground every other year
• Music Biennial of Contemporary Music - noted biennial event happening every odd year and featuring a lineup of avant-garde music by up and coming Croatian musicians
• Days of Croatian Film - early April, another of the city's noted film-centric festivals, taking place at the University of Zagreb's Student Centre over four days and seeing lots of excitement and awards
• Queer FM - late April, the last week of the month is a gay themed extravaganza of music, dance, movies and parties
• Thirsty Ear (Zedno Uho) - late April, with a host of contemporary electro-pop music performed by international bands

May

• International Workers' Day - May 1st, a public Croatian holiday often better known as Labour Day
• Festival of the Zagreb Philharmonic - a popular classical music fest in the city featuring orchestras from around the country banging out famous sounds
• Dance Week Festival - late May, attracting a mixture of experimental dance troupes from Croatia and all over the world, held during the last week each May

June

• Strossmartre - throughout June, featuring numerous open-air film screenings, along with concerts, dogs shows and more, based along the Strossmayer Promenade
• Corpus Christi (Tijelovo) - early / mid-June, a religious holiday held 60 days after Easter
• FloraArt - the most colourful time to be in Zagreb, when parks and gardens come alive with flowers and plants. There are many floral displays and competitions staged throughout the city during FloraArt
• Festival of Animated Films (Animafest) - mid-June, held every other year during even-numbered years, featuring a variety of animated films of all descriptions
• Anti-Fascist Struggle Day - June 22nd, this 'Day of Anti-Fascist Resistance' remembers the outbreak of resistance on June 22nd, 1941
• Statehood Day - June 25th, an important annual event in Zagreb, marking Croatian independence (from 1991), with traditional music and dancing, along with parades and much merriment
• T-Mobile INmusic Festival - late June, this funky two-day music event takes place on the shores of nearby Lake Jarun and features many international bands, which in the past have included the likes of Iggy Pop, Moby and Lily Allen
• Gay Pride - late June, the city's annual gay pride fest, which was first held in 2002 and now features a lengthy procession through the city centre, along with lots of costumes, flags and banners, followed by a series of parties and activities

July

• Summer Festival - throughout July and August, with a wealth of concerts and theatrical performances in the Upper Town. Notable venues include the Jesuit Church of St. Catherine, the Klovicevi Dvori Gallery, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Mark's Church, as well as a number of the public plazas
• International Folklore Festival - late-July, a five-day event of folklore with groups from all over Europe, including Croatia, and even the US and Mexico, at Ban Jelacic Square (Trg Josipa Jelacica). Expect lots of costumes, fiddlers, folk dancing, workshops, art and fun
• Zagreb Histrionic Summer - late-July, with performance artists and various fun acts on stage in Opatovina, one of the city's most popular events with visitors

August

• Day of Croatian Defenders / Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day - August 5th, a memorial day for the Croatian War of Independence, which ended in 1995
• Feast of the Assumption - August 15th, a national holiday in Croatia, also referred to as the Assumption of Mary
• International Puppet Festival - late August to early September, a noted event on the world stage, being one of the world's top such puppet events, with many European ensembles appearing in venues around the city

September

• World Theatre Festival - a ten-day event at venues around the city, with notable performances by the Zagreb Youth Theatre, as well as the Croatian National Theatre
• International Autumn Fair - mid-September, a crowd-pleaser with a huge mixture of trade stands and side stalls, at the Zagreb Fairground

October

• Urban Festival - a popular multimedia event with presentations and installations by skillful visual artists from around the globe
• Independence Day - October 8th, held all over Croatia, with various processions and thanksgiving
• Zagreb Film Festival - mid- to late-October, a week-long event showcasing local and international filmmakers, with prizes in many categories, such as the 'Golden Pram'

November

• All Saints' Day - November 1st, with wreaths laid and candles lit in order to honour the dead
• Zagrebfest - the big event for the youth of Croatia, featuring pop music blasting out at selected city venues, with local and international talent on the stage and prizes galore
• Day of the City of Zagreb - celebrating all aspects of this city and its long history, with a plethora of activities and events that tourists can enjoy at places around the city, including Lake Jarun

December

• Christmas Day - December 25th, a public holiday in Croatia, as well as the 26th, Boxing Day (St. Stephen's Day), with lots of snow, carol singing and a variety events set up by hotels and shopping malls citywide