Croatia in Europe, Europe in Croatia

This year’s 47th International Folklore Festival, which will take place between July 17th and July 21st, will be dedicated to Croatia’s accession into the EU and it will showcase European heritage through the appearances of folklore and dance ensembles from many countries.

Every year, Zagreb’s streets burst in the colours of national costumes worn by the participants of the International Folklore Festival. This year’s 47th edition of the event, titled “Croatia in Europe, Europe in Croatia”, will take place between July 17th and July 21st, and it will be dedicated to Croatia’s accession into the EU. The main theme of this year’s folklore event is European dance and music heritage, much of which is shared by various European nations and cultures.

The beginnings of this dance and music movement are associated with high societies and noble houses, while they later spread among other classes in the cities and villages.

Influenced by various local, urban as well as rural communities, certain dances and music have undergone changes and adaptations, and they have been preserved until today as diverse variations of promenades, contra dances, quadrilles, cotillions, mazurkas, furlans, manfrins, but also waltzes, polkas and swing.

For the first time ever, the entire repertoire of this year’s folklore festival will have the same theme, while all stage performances by folklore ensembles from many countries will showcase the common European heritage to festival visitors. Like in previous editions, this year’s folklore festival will also feature various concurrent events such as dance and music workshops, exhibitions and concerts of sacral and world music.