Antonja 2026 in Rovinjsko Selo: Istrian supa festival and wine and olive oil exhibitions with free admission

Antonja 2026 in Rovinjsko Selo: two days of Istrian supa, wine and olive oil with free admission

Rovinjsko Selo on 16 and 17 January 2026 once again becomes the center of winter gatherings in the Rovinj area: the Antonja 2026 event brings together the 12th Istrian Supa Festival, the 35th Rovinj Area Wine Exhibition and the 23rd Rovinj Area Olive Oil Exhibition, with tastings, the competitive nature of the exhibitions and an evening music program. The program was presented at a press conference held on 13 January 2026, where it was emphasized that Antonja is one of the most important traditional events dedicated to the winegrowers, winemakers and olive growers of the Rovinj area, with the support of the local community and the City of Rovinj-Rovigno.

Already in the announcement, the combination that draws audiences from all over Istria year after year was highlighted: tradition on the table and in the glass, competition that encourages quality, and socializing in the atmosphere of a village festa. The events take place in Rovinjsko Selo, in a large heated tent at Lakuverča, and admission is free on both days. For many visitors planning to stay the whole weekend, it is practical to check in advance [accommodation offers in Rovinjsko Selo and the surrounding area], especially because of the evening concerts and tastings.

What is Antonja and why it matters for the Rovinj area

Antonja is more than a calendar event: at its core it preserves the continuity of rural Istria and emphasizes the role of local producers in preserving the region’s identity. At the press conference, Mayor Emil Nimčević especially emphasized the importance of preserving tradition and the fact that Antonja has for decades nurtured Istrian heritage, customs and identity, along with the event’s role in strengthening the cohesion of the local community. In the same vein, representatives of the organizers emphasized that the program includes both gastronomy and exhibitions, but also content related to the very valorization of products, knowledge and the work of producers.

In practice, this means that visitors over one weekend get a cross-section of what Istria is known for: from simple winter flavors such as supa, to wines and olive oils that undergo more serious judging and analyses before they are presented to the public. According to the official description of the events, the exhibitions are competitive in nature, and samples of wine and oil undergo physicochemical and sensory analyses before the results are presented. This gives Antonja an educational and developmental dimension as well: awards and recognitions are not just a protocol part, but also a tool that motivates raising standards.

Location and atmosphere: a heated tent at Lakuverča

The program takes place in a heated tent at Lakuverča in Rovinjsko Selo, which is a detail that is not incidental for a winter event: the audience gets a comfortable enclosed space for tastings and the music program, and the event becomes accessible to both families and older visitors. In announcements, the organizers emphasize two evenings of music and gastronomic content, with free admission, giving Antonja the character of an open festa for the entire community and guests.

For those coming from other parts of Istria or from outside the county, it is useful to plan your stay in advance and look at [accommodation near the event location], because the program runs into the evening hours and includes performances by popular artists.

Friday, 16 January: 12th Istrian Supa Festival and an evening with Alfa Time Band and Montenegro Band

The first day of Antonja, on Friday 16 January, is dedicated to the 12th Istrian Supa Festival. According to the announcement, the program starts at 18:00 with a tasting of Istrian supa and a competition in its preparation. At 19:00 a welcome address is planned, while the announcement of the best supa and the awarding of diplomas is scheduled for 20:45. The evening continues with a music program, and the audience will be entertained by Alfa Time Band and Montenegro Band.

• 18:00 Tasting of Istrian supa and a preparation competition
• 19:00 Welcome address
• 20:45 Announcement of the best Istrian supa and awarding of diplomas
• evening Entertainment program: Alfa Time Band and Montenegro Band

The supa festival in Rovinjsko Selo is not merely a gastronomic detail, but a reminder of one of Istria’s most recognizable winter traditions. According to the description by the Istria Tourist Board, Istrian supa is based on red wine (often Teran), olive oil, sugar, pepper and toasted homemade bread and is traditionally served in bukaletas. The ritual character of consumption is also emphasized: supa is most often drunk on cold winter days, in good company and by the hearth in a konoba, which gives it a social dimension that goes beyond the recipe. That is precisely why the supa festival at Antonja is not only a tasting, but also a public celebration of a custom that in many homes has been passed down for generations.

Such a context explains why competitions in supa preparation often judge nuances: the choice of wine, the spice balance, the way it is served and the overall impression. For visitors, it is an opportunity to taste multiple variants of the same custom, compare styles and, through conversation with teams and hosts, get a “live” lesson about tradition. And after the gastronomic part, the concert program turns the event into an evening get-together that also attracts a younger audience.

Saturday, 17 January: wine and olive oil exhibitions, award ceremonies and performances by Magazin, Tequila and the duo Danijel & Igi

The second day of Antonja, on Saturday 17 January, is dedicated to the 35th Wine Exhibition and the 23rd Rovinj Area Olive Oil Exhibition. The program begins at 17:00 with a holy mass in the Church of St. Anthony in Rovinjsko Selo. At 18:00 the opening of the exhibition and a tasting of wines and olive oils follows, with a welcome address at 19:00. Award ceremonies are scheduled throughout the evening: at 19:45 an award and recognition ceremony for olive oils is planned, and at 20:45 recognitions for the best wines. Saturday evening features an entertainment program with the duo Danijel & Igi, the group Tequila and Magazin.

• 17:00 Holy mass in the Church of St. Anthony, Rovinjsko Selo
• 18:00 Opening of the exhibition and tasting of wines and olive oils
• 19:00 Welcome address
• 19:45 Award and recognition ceremony for olive oils
• 20:45 Recognition ceremony for the best wines
• evening Entertainment program: the duo Danijel & Igi, the group Tequila and Magazin

The Saturday segment is especially interesting to audiences who like to “read” terroir through a glass and a drop of oil: exhibitions in a competitive format show how quality changes year by year, who the producers are that raise standards and which styles the audience prefers. According to the official description of the event, that is precisely one of Antonja’s key roles: to bring products closer to the wider public of Rovinj and Istria and to all lovers of traditional gastronomy, wine and olive oils, with an emphasis on preserving and raising the quality of the fruits of labor from this area.

For visitors who want to combine the exhibition part and the evening concert, it is practical to consider [accommodation for Antonja visitors], because the award ceremonies and performances are expected later in the evening, and the program is designed so that the audience can stay in the tent even after the tastings.

The role of Agrorovinj and how the competitive part is prepared

The Agrorovinj association, as one of the key actors of Antonja, emphasizes both the organizational and professional dimension of the event. At the press conference, the program was presented by the association’s president Kristijan Damjanić, highlighting a content-rich schedule that includes the Istrian Supa Festival as well as wine and olive oil exhibitions, with an emphasis on the valorization of local products and producers’ knowledge. In its official announcements intended for producers, the association also states that samples of wine and olive oil are collected in advance for the needs of the event, with defined rules for sample delivery and an emphasis on the wine harvest. This shows that the competitive part is not an improvisation, but a process that requires organization, logistics and criteria, so that the judging results carry weight.

For readers who are not involved in production, perhaps the most important message is that “diplomas” and “recognitions” are the result of structured judging, and not just a formal part of the festa. For the producers themselves, Antonja is also a place of comparison: recognition from a local showcase is often the first step toward visibility on the broader market, because a good reputation for wine or oil in Istria still travels strongly through recommendation, tasting and local events.

Why Istrian olive oils and wines are increasingly mentioned outside the region

The context of Antonja fits into the broader picture of Istrian gastronomy: for years Istria has been building a reputation through olive oils, wines and local products, and local showcases like this one make quality visible to a wider public, not only through restaurants and specialized shops. In its overviews, the Istria Tourist Board cites examples of international competitions, such as NYIOOC in New York, where Istrian olive oils have won a higher number of gold medals, along with a broader analysis of samples from multiple countries. Such data show how local work can be “translated” into the international language of criteria and judging.

In that sense, Antonja can also be read as a “front line” of quality: producers present themselves to their community, receive feedback, recognitions and visibility, and visitors in direct contact taste what a good year, good technology and good work in an olive grove or vineyard mean. Add to that the fact that Istrian supa is precisely an example of how a traditional custom can be touristically attractive without losing authenticity: supa remains simple, but is presented through a festival, competition and socializing.

Winter weekend in Rovinjsko Selo: a festa for locals and a reason for guests to come

In announcements of the event, it is emphasized that Antonja brings together all generations: from those who come specifically to taste supa or see the judging results for oil and wine, to an audience that primarily comes for the music. The president of the Rovinjsko Selo local committee Emil Radovan especially highlighted a diverse music program over both days, with the intention of creating an atmosphere that encourages gathering and socializing. Combined with the heated tent, this makes Antonja one of the few larger winter events in Istria that offer a “festival in miniature” even when the tourist season is not in full swing.

For visitors who, along with Antonja, want to explore Rovinj and the surrounding area, planning is easier with [accommodation offers in Rovinj and Rovinjsko Selo], because the event can be linked to a weekend trip: Saturday mass and exhibitions, an evening concert, and during the day a walk or a visit to local producers according to available information. At the same time, events like this often have a local function: at a time when agricultural work is at rest, Antonja becomes an opportunity to meet, exchange experiences and jointly celebrate the fruits of the past year.

Practical information: dates, program and admission

The most important for visitors is the following: Antonja 2026 takes place on Friday 16 January and Saturday 17 January 2026 in Rovinjsko Selo, in a heated tent at Lakuverča. Friday is reserved for the Istrian Supa Festival starting at 18:00, and Saturday for the wine and olive oil exhibitions, starting at 17:00 with mass in the Church of St. Anthony and continuing in the tent from 18:00. The music part includes Alfa Time Band and Montenegro Band on Friday, and the duo Danijel & Igi, the group Tequila and Magazin on Saturday. Admission is free on both days.

For an audience coming from afar and wanting to follow the program without rushing from tastings to concerts, it is advisable to look in time at [accommodation for the weekend in Rovinjsko Selo], especially because a large number of visitors is expected and the events are concentrated over two days.

Sources:
- City of Rovinj-Rovigno – announcement of Antonja 2026 and a detailed program with times, speakers and award ceremonies (link)
- Istria Tourist Board (istra.hr) – description of the Antonja event, location (Lakuverča), dates, performers and information about the competitive character and sample analyses (link)
- IstraIN – report on the holding of Antonja in Rovinjsko Selo and confirmation of the location in a heated tent at Lakuverča and the highlighted music program (link)
- Agrorovinj – organizer information on preparing the event and collecting samples for Antonja 2026 (link)
- Istria Tourist Board (istra.hr) – context of Istrian supa (ingredients, way of consumption and traditional framework) (link)
- Istria Tourist Board (istra.hr) – overview of international awards for Istrian olive oils and the NYIOOC context (link)