Advent in Zagreb

Once again this Advent season, Zagreb will shine in a new light. Aside from festive decorations, the streets and squares of the city centre will feature various entertainment programmes and events that will certainly attract numerous citizens of the Croatian capital as well as their guests.

If you decided to spend the Advent season in Zagreb this year, you might want to prepare yourself for the numerous events that will be ongoing at Ban Josip Jelačić Square, every day between the 4th and the 23rd of December. On weekends, the programme will begin at 11 a.m., while on weekdays it will begin at 6 p.m. Apart from the announcement of Santa’s arrival, there will also be various programs, including performances by numerous cultural and artistic societies, dance troupes and various choirs, stage plays, concerts of classical as well as pop music, magic shows, etc.

Concurrent with these events at the main city square, there will also be organized events in other parts of the city. For instance: the concert by the best known gospel choir in the world, the Angels in Harlem Gospel Choir, which will perform in its full ensemble with a rich repertoire of Christmas songs on December 4th at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall. Between the 6th and 10th of December, the Old City Hall will host an exhibition “Christmas Reflects in Me”, while the church of St. Francis of Ksaver will be the venue for performances by the Croatian Peasant Singers’ Association Podgorac from Gračani, as well as the Cultural and Artistic Society Koprivničanka from Koprivnica on December 19th. On December 21st, the church of St.Anthony of Padua will be the venue for a performance by Lado, while, for the 11th year in a row, there will be a live nativity scene in front of the Zagreb cathedral as of December 5th.

Nativity scene performances feature excellent set-design, including a stable and an inn, the citizens of Bethlehem, the farm animals, as well as realistic costumes, and amateur actors playing the roles of the holy family, the wise men, and the shepherds. Shows will take place on December 18th, 19th, 25th, 26th, 27th and 31st of 2010, and the 1st to the 6th of January 2011, between 4 p.m. and 5.30 p.m., and between 6.45 p.m. and 9 p.m.

As in previous years, the main square will also feature a New Year’s Eve celebration that will include performances by numerous musicians and a spectacular fireworks display. A lot of fun will be had by all, and the numerous foreign visitors who find themselves in Zagreb at this time are also in for a surprise: on January 1st, the Zagreb Tourist Board is organizing a New Year’s folklore evening just for them, starting at 7 p.m. at the Komedija Theatre. And, of course, do not forget the Christmas fair complete with huts located in the streets around the main square, where you can pick your own memento of Zagreb among various gifts, artefacts and souvenirs.