Dubrovnik Summer Festival

Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Dubrovacke Ljetne Igre) is held annually in Dubrovnik during July and August. The Festival begun back in 1950’s and includes daily performances of theatre plays and classical and folk music and dance.

The shows are held in several open-air stages within the Old Town, created exclusively for that purpose around Dubrovnik’s squares and towers. The indoor stages within Crkva Svetog Vlaha, Knežev Dvor and Sponza are also used as Festival venues.

Being one of the most important art festivals in Croatia, Dubrovnik Summer Festival attracts the best Croatian artists as well as some international names. It also attracts all sorts of crowds – from snobbish to fun and unpretentious arty types.

My favourite bit of Dubrovnik Summer Festival is its opening night which takes place on Stradun in the evening of 10^th July. I usually come in Dubrovnik day earlier, on the 9^th and spend the evening in restaurants in vicinity of Dubrovnik’s Old Harbour, waiting for the midnight when the last rehearsal for tomorrow’s Opening ceremony takes place…

If you happened to be in Dubrovnik on that evening don’t’ miss it – Stradun is usually pretty empty at that time so you can sit very close to the stage and see the whole thing much better then on the evening itself.

However, to see the fireworks, you have to be there on the 10^th- and yes it’s worth it!

My advice – the best place to watch the fireworks is from Ploce from where you can truly enjoy the views of the Old Town and fireworks above it.

Some additional info about Festival: