Each 3rd of February, Kotor celebrates the day St. Tryphon, the town’s patron saint. The celebration that started 12 centuries ago stretches for days and the whole Kotor takes in the festive spirit. While the bells from the cathedral and basilica solemnly ring, the proud Boka Navy performs the original routine at the city square - lining up and reporting. The jovial traditional town music walks down the streets of Kotor, the Boka Navy members dressed in the beautiful black costumes with golden embroidery perform their dance. Exalted Mass, a procession, performance of the church choirs are only part of the celebration.
Winter carnival has an array of events – traditional masked ball, dance of the majorettes, children’s carnival, promotion of local cuisine, concerts etc. When Kotor organizes the carnival it gets several thousand people bigger. It gathers together people from Kotor, Montenegro and Europe.
Honoring a beautiful flower of camellia that was brought from the Far East to Stoliv and which decorates almost all gardens in Boka Bay, exhibitions of flowers, art exhibitions, theater performances, workshops in nature, "Bal of camellia" and the election of Lady of Camellia are held in Kotor and Stoliv. The lady is usually a socially engaged and contributing woman. This local event gathers together a large number of cultural workers, flower admirers and camellia growers.
The festival is held in one of the Kotor squares, and it features movies filmed in the depths of the world seas and oceans. You can enjoy the beauty of the subaquatic world where only courageous divers dare to enter.
The youngest tourists enjoy the plays for children organized in the open stages of the Old Town of Kotor and meeting new friends from all over the world.
Enjoy the ceremonial procession on the 22nd of July where nicely decorated ships and boats circulate around the island of Our Lady of the Rock in Perast. You will be a spectator of the ritual where locals throw stones around the island to make its foundations stronger. Celebration is accompanied by traditional songs and late fish dinner.
Klapa music is a form of traditional a cappella singing in Boka and Croatia. Klapa usually sings about love, wine, homeland and sea. Main elements of the music are harmony and melody. This festival is held in Perast. It is soothing.
August is a carnival time in Kotor! Everybody wears a mask to hide their super excitement and join the colorful and jovial crowd. You will simply love it.
You will see boats in disguise in shiny materials, with shiny people waving from them to the shiny people at the shiny coast. Long prepared, boats cruise along the Kotor harbor to fascinate spectators and infect everyone with the contagiously festive atmosphere. Cheerful music makes everybody jig, fun inhabits Kotor and festive fireworks make this event dreamlike. August in Kotor is surreal!
Fashion festival lasts for two days and it gathers fashion designers from Montenegro and abroad. Distinguished Italian designers such as Dolce Gabanna, Pal Zileri, Prada, Armani, Ferre, Versace take the biggest attention with their latest creations. These days Kotor is a meeting point of the world of jet-set.
Fusion of diverse artistic expression happens in Kotor when music heritage of the area blends into modern sound providing unique melody experience. The admirers of rich sound, classic and spiritual music that is used to be played in European courts will find a concert suiting their taste in some of the churches and concert halls in Kotor.
Budva loves festivities, carnivals, fishermen's gatherings, and cheerful crowds. Visit it at the time of the Spring Masked ball, an international carnival that gathers a large number of visitors from all over the region. When the carnival starts, the Old City bars get invigorated, Budva’s squares turn into concerts and DJ’s stages, and the carnival procession brings together participants from around the world. Children have their own small international masked parade. Behind every mask there is smiling and cheerful face.
The festival that has hosted top international music stars such as The Prodigy, Jamiroquai, Underworld, Rudimental, Róisín Murphy, Skrillex, Hurts, Lost Frequencies, John Newman, Sean Paul, Fatboy Slim, gathers fans from all over the world. It is voted the best European medium-sized festival. Chill out at the beach of Budva Riviera having fun, twinkling and celebrating life in the rhythm of your favorite performers and DJs. seadancefestival.me
If you want to take something to remind you of Montenegro or buy a present for someone, visit the fair of souvenirs with Montenegrin motifs in hotel Tara in Becici. You can choose a keepsake between a wide range of nice and vivid items demonstrating Montenegrin life.
Theater City has been a token of theater life in the Montenegrin coast during the summer for more than 20 years now. It starts in July, and ends in the middle of August. Majority of plays are performed in south Slavic languages though.
Petrovac Jazz Fest starts in the end of August, and lasts for couple of days. Jazz and blues musicians play, but also take part in workshops and interact with the audience through participation in workshops, interviews and discussions.
There are many Yugo-nostalgic people in Tivat and this town still celebrates Yugoslavia’s former president Tito’s birthday on the 25th of May. Everybody cherishing the memory of Yugoslavia and its president gathers to revoke the spirit of the past days when it was celebrated all over Yugoslavia, singing its anthem, featuring Tito’s pictures, organizing football games, and concerts.
Tivat cultural summer puts on stage good theater plays, performances, literary evenings, fine art exhibitions, concerts, stand-up comedies, film projections, recitals, folklore plays in July and August.
Boćanje is a Mediterranean sport similar to modern bowling and is the oldest pastime in Tivat. There are no referees overseeing the game, as the rules are clear and all contestants stick to it. This is the only Olympic Games which are held every year in the open terrains. You can join the tournament. If not, enjoy watching skillful players that have kept the spirit of past by playing the oldest group entertainment from this area.
Mimosa tree is a symbol of freedom, compassion and genuine love that flowers in February. Mimosa is celebrated the same month in Herceg Novi as a tree that indicates coming of the spring and sunshine. It is believed that it brings good luck in love and in career.
During the two week festival, wind orchestra is playing and marching with beautiful majorettes. Everywhere in Herceg Novi - on the streets, squares, and beaches local ladies fry fish for passersby. Masked balls and parades are organized at each corner and artists gather to exhibit their fine art, sculptures, or to act. The festival finishes with prosecution and burning of a big doll that personifies the evil spirit that had haunted locals over the previous year. Mimosa is worshiped in Herceg Novi and this loving is contagious and fun.
HAPS gather together theaters from the region. At first, it was a small event assembling local amateur theaters from ex-Yugoslavia that has grown into a trendy gathering of the well-established theatres from Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia.
The International Classic Music Festival is held in July in Herceg Novi. All concerts are held in the Park Hall, which is the headquarters of Herceg fest. Serene melody with the scent of salt air provides guests with enriching spiritual experience.
If you are a fan of techno sound, Entrance is the right event for you. In a lively ambience where the stone and water marry up, the leading European DJ’s perform, and all senses surrender to an incredible amusement.
Film Festival in Herceg Novi is held at one of the most magnificent locations below the stars and overlooking the horizon. Herceg Novi then becomes a place where cultures meet and intercultural exchange takes place as the festival gathers film authors and actors, directors, producers from all over Europe while the audience is from all over the world.
There is a cross made of yew wood plated with silver that was in hands of Jovan Vladimir, ancient and remembered ruler of lands around Skadar Lake at the moment of his death. The cross is kept in the utmost secrecy in one family and is a symbol of unity, harmony and respect for diversity. That is why it has been carried to Rumija’s top at dawn of St. Troica day in May, where there used to be a church. The procession gathers members of three religions living in Bar and everybody taking part in, carries a stone to the mountain top to make a myth that the church will reaper come true. Joining this pilgrimage will bring you to one of the mountain tops with beautiful views overlooking the sea and make you live a legacy and myths of Montenegro.
Bar’s chronicle is the festival with various programs which include: theater plays by theater troupes from the country and abroad, fine art exhibitions, literary nights, concerts of spiritual, classical, jazz and rock music. Program is scattered throughout the city of Bar. Mediterranean fair of books is part of the festival.
If you are a good swimmer willing to test your endurance in a 5 km race, take part in the August swimming marathon from Sutomore to Bar.
Entertaining event that exhibits tradition, heritage and cultural identity of the Bar area is organized the last week in July in Mrkojevići. Apart from folklore dance and traditional songs, the event provides gastronomic experience – traditional local organic dishes.
Old Town of Ulcinj takes form of a stage each July and August where various theater plays, concerts, ballet dance, fine art exhibitions, music concerts, stand-up comedies, film projections, recitals, and folklore plays take place.
Over the whole summer hot Podgorica turns into a stage where a range of cultural events take place. Numerous theater pieces that are played in the open, movie nights, concerts, poet nights, folklore shows, ballet dancing performances, fine arts exhibitions are sprinkled all over the city.
Alternative theater festival gathers troupes from the South East Europe. It is claimed to be among the best festivals of alternative theatre in Europe. FIAT put on stage Becket, Shakespeare and others in a completely different way.
In summer Cetinje and the surrounding villages turn into a big stage where various performances take place. The town that is at least five degrees cooler than the coastal ones boils with events: folklore exhibitions, chivalry games, concerts, author nights, opera, book promotions, fine art exhibitions, theatre plays, fairs, sport tournaments, local product fairs. Visit Cetinje from the middle of June till late July, and you will find the echo of its summer.
If you are a speed addict and love car race, make sure to come to Cetinje in July and watch the International Hill Car Race. The race track is 8km long; it is steep and narrow, very demanding and nearly xtreme.
"Golden Eagle of Durmitor" gather alpine skiers from Montenegrin and ski clubs from the region. This is the high-quality, most massive competition in Alpine skiing in Žabljak that that takes place in March.
If you want to take part in an eight-hour long international recreational cycling race over one of the most beautiful mountain massifs in southern Europe, apply for the Durmitor Ring race. Cyclists have the opportunity to enjoy the beauties of the Tara, Sušica and Piva canyons, numerous lakes scattered around the mountain wreath and the breathtaking beauty of the highland. The course of the race changes every year, so those who took part in can join again and experience new splendors of this magical land. More detailed information and applications for the mentioned race can be made by: durmitorringrace.me
At the end of May or at the beginning of June, the Lim regatta gathers rafters, nature and extreme sports lovers, tourists from around the world to socialize and have fun rafting over 130 kilometers. Lim regatta features shifts of canyon whirlpools and a quiet part of the green dark deep river.