53rd International Folklore Festival: Performances of Folklore Groups from Croatia and Abroad

From 17 to 21 July, when the 53rd International Folklore Festival will take place, Zagreb will be marked by genuine folklore of Croatia and other countries.

The International Folklore Festival, whose 53^rd edition will take place in Zagreb this year, is the most renowned manifestation of genuine folklore which presents and preserves local heritage. 

This year from 17 to 21 July guests from Algeria, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, India, Iraq, China and Latvia will present their songs, dances and customs on Zagreb stages to citizens and visitors of Zagreb, as is expected,  in addition to folklore groups from entire Croatia. Also folklore groups of Croats who live in Lithuania, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia and Canada are expected to perform at the Festival. The program events will be presented on stages in the Ban Josip Jelačić Square and Gradec Stage, and original songs and dances will be heard as a part of organised but also spontaneous performances in the city centre.

The Festival, which continues the tradition of the Festival of Croatian Village Culture that was organized in the 1930s, was first organised in 1966. It is estimated that around a thousand participants take part in the festival each year, and in 52 years their number exceeded 50 thousand.

The European Festivals Association has recognised the value of this event and awarded it with the EFEE Label 2019- 2020, Europe’s quality stamp. It confirms the value of arts festivals which, in addition to preserving tradition, also prompt local community engagement in their activities and remain open to the international community.