56th International Folklore Festival: Keepers of Traditional Heritage

When you spot amateur folklore ensembles from Croatia and the world in the streets of Zagreb and hear them sing, this is a signal that the International Folklore Festival is taking place. For almost six decades, this event has been a keeper of valuable traditional heritage.

The 56^th International Folklore Festival will take place in Zagreb from 20 to 24 July, and this year the theme is Traditional heritage between Central Europe and Mediterranean. This is a chance to present permanent values of ethnographic and folklore creativity in this area, along with visitors from other continents, as part of modern life in the European Union. During the festival, many folklore groups usually present their work in the morning in the city streets and squares and thrill the audience with singing, dancing and traditional costumes. Special programme will be held in the evenings on the Upper Town Gradec plateau. The festival will be accompanied by interesting exhibitions, fashion shows and workshops, and traditional crafts and trades will be presented in practice throughout the day in King Tomislav Square. 

The International Folklore Festival has taken place in Zagreb since 1966. Through performances of numerous groups from Croatia, other European countries but also from other continents, it showcases traditional culture and asserts amateurism in folklore.  

In 2014 the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb named the International Folklore Festival a festival of national importance with the reasoning that it asserts specific values of Croatian culture and equally valuable homeland dance, music, language and customs and values of world cultural heritage.