Vodice in December traditionally changes its rhythm: instead of the summer bustle, the city center is taken over by the scent of mulled wine, fritters, and local specialties, while the park on Duke Branimir Square lights up with thousands of lamps. This year's Advent in Vodice brings almost a month of holiday program – from Friday, December 12, 2025, to Saturday, January 3, 2026 – with an emphasis on concerts by famous performers, content for children and families, and several already well-known "points" that Vodice locals and guests do not miss.

For everyone planning to come from other regions or wanting to combine a concert outing with a weekend break by the sea, it is useful to check accommodation in Vodice for the Advent weekend in time – especially around the dates of the biggest concerts and holidays.

The Park on Duke Branimir Square as a holiday stage

The main stage and most of the program are located in the city park on Duke Branimir Square, in the very center of Vodice. Precisely that space transforms year after year into the city's "Advent living room": alongside cottages offering food and drinks, Christmas decorations, and music heard as soon as you enter the park, visitors linger both before and after official events.

The organizers – the Tourist Board of the City of Vodice and the City of Vodice – announced that the program this winter will again combine local forces and famous names from the Croatian scene, with constant logistics of children's workshops, quizzes, and DJ nights that "fill" the days between big concerts.

Grand opening on December 12: local forces and the first concert

The holiday story officially opens on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 6 PM, with performances by the Vodice Brass Band, Vodice Majorettes, Klapa Bunari, Klapa Oršulice, and the Lira choir. In the same time slot, the first block of the children's program starts through a workshop in the park, and the evening is rounded off with a concert by Ićo Sikirić at 8 PM.

Already a day later, on Saturday, December 13, the combination of children's content and music continues: the workshop is planned for the afternoon slot, while a concert by the group Oranž is expected at 8 PM, accompanied by a DJ program following the evening in the park.

Concert schedule: from Vojko V to Maja Šuput

The backbone of the Advent program consists of concerts – arranged so that the biggest names "cover" key dates in the second half of December and at the turn of the new year. According to the published program, performing on the stage in the park are:

• Vojko V – Saturday, December 20, 2025 (20:00)


• TBF – Friday, December 26, 2025 (20:00)


• Giuliano & Diktatori – Saturday, December 27, 2025 (20:00)


• Neno Belan – Tuesday, December 30, 2025 (20:00)


• Maja Šuput – Saturday, January 3, 2026 (20:00)

Alongside the listed names, the program includes a series of local and regional performers, so the audience in December will also be able to listen to Fenix (December 19), The Expendables (December 21), and Lili Gee (January 2). On certain evenings, the musical part is supplemented by DJ sets, and the schedule also mentions Shumpress Brothers, DJ Ante, DJ Roko, DJ Vlado, and DJ Mirabel – which is a clear message that the Advent atmosphere in Vodice will not be reduced to just a few "headline" concerts.

If you are coming from outside the Šibenik-Knin County or plan to stay for multiple days, it is practical to check accommodation in Vodice near the center in advance so that the evening departure to the concert and return are as simple as possible, especially in time slots around 8 PM when the biggest crowd is expected in the park.

Children's workshops, bike ride, and puppet musical

Advent in Vodice is distinctly "family" oriented, which is also seen by the number of time slots intended for the youngest. Children's workshops are planned on multiple dates during December, most often in the afternoon hours, and the organizers combine them with the evening program so that parents can combine a family outing with a concert or DJ night.

Particularly standing out is the Children's Bike Ride on Sunday, December 21, starting at 4 PM, after which follows a workshop and an evening concert. A few days before Christmas Eve, on Tuesday, December 23, at 6 PM, a puppet musical "Who Will Get the Most Beautiful Gift?" is announced along with the arrival of Santa with gifts – content that regularly attracts families from surrounding places as well.

For those who want to make a small Advent "trip" and stay for multiple days, with good logistics and proximity to all contents, it is worth taking a look at accommodation in Vodice for a family stay, because the program for children often means staying in the city longer than one evening.

Gastro cottages and Codfish Festival on Christmas Eve

Besides music, an important part of the experience is made up of Advent cottages offering hot drinks, sweets, and dishes that are linked to December in Dalmatia. In such an ambiance, a special place is occupied by the Codfish Festival, a traditional holiday gathering held on Christmas Eve, December 24, in the morning hours. According to the official program, the festival begins at 10 AM, with a musical performance by Mile Perkov.

The Codfish Festival has for years been a point where local tradition and "tourist" atmosphere mix: codfish as a symbol of the Christmas Eve table, live music, and socializing in the city center, which often becomes an introduction to family preparations for the evening. For guests coming to Vodice then, it is an opportunity to feel what Advent looks like outside of concert times.

Along with Christmas Eve, the program also highlights daily content on New Year's Eve: on Wednesday, December 31, a children's New Year's celebration is announced at 10 AM at Poljana, while a barbecue is planned at 12 PM at Gumno (Vladimir Nazor Waterfront) – events that give a "daily" dimension to the manifestation and open space for staying in the city before the evening outing.

Quizzes, DJ nights, and "rhythm between" big concerts

The Advent calendar in Vodice is also filled with contents that connect different generations. The Park Quiz, for example, is announced on Thursday, December 18, and again on Monday, December 29, both times starting at 7 PM. Such time slots often attract groups looking for something different from a classic outing during the Advent period, and the quiz naturally continues into the DJ program in the park.

In the schedule, DJ nights appear on multiple dates as an independent part of the program or a continuation after concerts. This is a format that has become a standard in Adriatic cities in recent years: cottages remain active, the audience lingers in the park, and the atmosphere builds up even on "ordinary" days between weekends.

Highlighted dates from the schedule: what not to miss between weekends

Although the greatest attention will be attracted by a few "headline" concerts, the official schedule shows that events will be happening in the park almost every week in December and early January – and sometimes several times a week. Precisely these "smaller" time slots often create the most pleasant atmosphere: the audience is diverse, it is easier to get to the cottages, and the experience is more like a relaxed winter walk than a large concert outing.

Among the highlighted points, alongside standard children's workshops, the organizers also list several events taking place outside the main stage, but are content-wise part of Advent in Vodice:

• Thursday, December 18 (19:00) – Park Quiz in the park, with a DJ program.


• Friday, December 19 (19:00) – Christmas-New Year concert of the Vodice Brass Band at the Cultural Center Vodice, with a continuation of the evening program and a concert by the group Fenix in the park (20:00).


• Tuesday, December 23 (18:00) – puppet musical and arrival of Santa with gifts, as an introduction to Christmas Eve.


• Friday, December 26 (19:00) – Christmas concert of the Lira Choir in the Church of the Holy Cross, followed by a TBF concert in the park (20:00).


• Sunday, December 28 (20:00) – evening with DJ Mirabel, for those seeking a lighter outing after the Christmas days.


• Monday, December 29 (19:00) – second date of the Park Quiz, with DJ Vlado.

In practice, this means that a visit can be arranged in multiple ways: someone will come "just for one concert", while others will use several days in a row – for example, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and holiday walks – and then stay until the concerts at the end of December. In such a plan, accommodation in Vodice for the holidays becomes a key part of logistics, especially if you want the city center to be within reach without driving after midnight.

One of the advantages of Vodice Advent is also that most content is located within a small radius: the park on Duke Branimir Square as the main center, and several separated locations for concerts and special programs. Because of this, it is easy to combine a walk, gastronomic offer, and concert evening, and adapt the pace to one's own company – from a family outing to a night gathering with a DJ program.

How to plan a visit: dates, crowds, and checking the schedule

Most evening programs in the park start around 8 PM, while children's contents are most often in earlier time slots. Given that the center of events is located in the city center, the recommendation is to arrive earlier and leave enough time for a walk through the park, touring the cottages, and finding a spot in front of the stage – especially on dates when performers attracting an audience from the wider region are performing.

For visitors wishing to maximize their weekend in Vodice, the combination of a concert and daily contents (workshops, bike ride, festival, or quiz) can easily turn into a mini-vacation. In that case, it is good to check accommodation in Vodice during Advent in advance and choose an option that allows pedestrian arrival to Duke Branimir Square.

The entire program with exact times and locations (including events at the Cultural Center Vodice and in the Church of the Holy Cross) is published on the official website of the Tourist Board of the City of Vodice, and organizers usually update any changes at the same place. More information and a detailed schedule of events is available at: vodice.hr – Advent in Vodice.