Carnival in the Bakar area 2026: bell ringers, children’s reduta events and masked dances in all settlements of the City of Bakar

Carnival in the Bakar area 2026: bell ringers and masked dances bring the fifth season back to all settlements of the City of Bakar

The Bakar area also enters 2026 in its loudest and most cheerful time of the year, the one locals traditionally call the fifth season. From Saturday, 10. January, all the way to Wednesday, 18. February, a series of settlements in the area of the City of Bakar turns into a stage for the ringing of bell ringers, masked dances, children’s “reduta” parades and the final rites of burning the Mesopust effigy. The programme stretches from the coast and the old town of Bakar to the hilly hinterland, covering Kukuljanovo, Škrljevo, Zlobin, Hreljin, Krasica, Praputnjak, Meja, Plosna and Ponikve, with the idea that tradition and togetherness are felt in every corner of the area.

Carnival in the Bakar area is not only entertainment, but also the social “engine” of winter: weekends gain a rhythm of gatherings, associations and local committees mobilise their volunteers, and cultural centres become meeting hubs for generations. For visitors from the wider region, especially from the Rijeka ring, the carnival is an opportunity to experience more places, more customs and more interpretations of the same, recognisable Kvarner energy in a single day. Anyone planning to stay longer or come to multiple events can find a practical starting point through accommodation offers in Bakar and the Bakar area.

Start on 10. January: the Kukuljanovo bell ringers “open” the season, and Zlobin dances first

The carnival season begins on Saturday, 10. January, with the ringing of the Kukuljanovo bell ringers, who march in a procession through several places: Kukuljanovo, Škrljevo, Plosna and Ponikve. The bell ringers are among the most striking bearers of Kvarner’s carnival tradition, and the sound of bells, the rhythm of steps and the collective procession carry strong symbolism: the community “wakes up”, winter is provoked, and joy is announced as a social agreement to set worries aside for a while.

That same day, in the evening, the fifth season in Zlobin also gets its dance stage: in the cultural centre, the first masked dances are held with the band Aurora. Such a double start, a daytime procession and an evening dance, best describes the character of Bakar’s carnival: equally devoted to custom, but also to socialising, music and humour. For guests coming only for one Saturday, 10. January offers a “concentrate” of the entire programme, and those who want to arrange an extended weekend can check accommodation near the event locations so they can, without rushing, catch both the procession and the evening party.

Four children’s reduta events: carnival as a school of togetherness and imagination

Part of the programme is specially dedicated to the youngest, through children’s reduta events scheduled in four dates and four places. Children’s reduta events have a double role: on the one hand, they preserve the continuity of the custom because children grow up with carnival as something “normal”, and on the other hand, they encourage creativity, team spirit and a sense of belonging to the place. Parents and grandparents often follow the small parades on those days, photograph the masks, recognise characters and comment on originality, while cultural centres become a space where the local community is seen in its warmest edition.

• 17. January – Bakar: children’s reduta
• 18. January – Hreljin: children’s reduta
• 31. January – Škrljevo: children’s reduta
• 7. February – Krasica: children’s reduta

For families coming from other places and wanting to combine a reduta with an outing or evening dances, it is useful to consider in advance accommodation for visitors of the Bakar carnival, especially if visiting several settlements over a few weekends is planned.

Ringing through the settlements: three major routes of the Kukuljanovo bell ringers

In 2026, the Kukuljanovo bell ringers pass through the Bakar area in three key dates, with each route having its territorial and symbolic “arc”. In the first route, 10. January, the emphasis is on Kukuljanovo and nearby settlements, while on 17. January the procession expands towards Bakar, Meja, Praputnjak and Krasica. The third route, 7. February, includes Zlobin, Plase and Hreljin, transferring the ringing also to the direction that connects the hinterland with settlements in the wider ring. Such mobility gives the programme dynamics: each place gets its day and its moment, but also the opportunity to host the procession participants, friends, relatives and the curious.

• 10. January – Kukuljanovo – Škrljevo – Plosna – Ponikve: ringing of the Kukuljanovo bell ringers through several places
• 17. January – Bakar – Meja – Praputnjak – Krasica: bell ringers’ procession through central and hilly-hinterland points
• 7. February – Zlobin – Plase – Hreljin: ringing as an overture to the season finale

In practice, processions often attract an audience beyond the host settlement, so on ringing days traffic between settlements increases, and hospitality points and home gatherings become part of the experience. Anyone who wants to organise an arrival without improvisation can check in time accommodation in the vicinity of Bakar and Hreljin to make the arrival and departure logistics easier.

Masked dances on Saturdays: music as a shared language

While the bell ringers carry a strong element of custom and ritual, the masked dances in cultural centres bring a social “valve” and a space where different generations meet. In 2026, the dances are scheduled across several Saturdays and several places, with announced performers and a clear emphasis that each settlement is included in the story. According to the programme, the band Aurora has a central role in several dates, while for Škrljevo the band Fiesta is announced. Such a rotation of places and music further encourages the audience to “travel” across the area, instead of everything being concentrated in one centre.

• 10. January – Zlobin: masked dances with the band Aurora
• 17. January – Praputnjak: masked dances with the band Aurora
• 24. January – Bakar: masked dances with the band Aurora
• 31. January – Škrljevo: masked dances with the band Fiesta
• 7. February – Krasica: masked dances with the band Aurora
• 14. February – Hreljin: masked dances with the band Aurora

The role of the dances is not only fun, but also social: they are places where anecdotes from the processions are retold, shared masks are agreed, the “best creations” are commented on, and the network of acquaintances is maintained in areas where people otherwise do not see each other every day. Precisely because of this, carnival in the Bakar area often goes beyond a tourist frame and remains firmly inscribed in the local identity.

Messages from the organisers: tradition, heritage and community above all

The Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Bakar, Sonja Jelušić Marić, emphasises that the carnival is deeply rooted in the identity of the Bakar area and that the tradition is nurtured through the joint work of the City of Bakar, the tourist board and carnival associations. In her message she highlights gratitude to the associations for cooperation, effort invested and dedication in organisation, with an invitation to citizens and visitors to join the events and experience the atmosphere of masked dances across the area. In this formulation, the emphasis is not on a single event, but on a network of events that support each other, and that is precisely the recognisable characteristic of Bakar’s approach to the carnival period in recent years: the “fifth season” truly is shared across places.

The Mayor of the City of Bakar, Tomislav Klarić, in his address gives the 2026 carnival a socio-political framework: he speaks of a time when laughter and fun spread, of identity and togetherness, and of the importance that the programme takes place in all settlements, each Saturday in a different one. He particularly highlights an invitation to associations, guests and friends to support the bell ringers, enjoy the reduta events and dances, and create memories that remain even after the masks come off.

In the same address, the mayor also warns of an important exception: this year there will be no bell ringers’ gathering “Zvona i kanat za bakarski kraj”, due to extensive and necessary reconstruction works on the renewal of the cultural centre in Kukuljanovo. The message is clear: it is an investment that is “worth the wait”, and already next year, after completion of the works, a return of the event is expected in the renovated space which, according to announcements and existing plans, will be a strong infrastructural support to the cultural and social life of the settlement. Such investments in cultural centres and public spaces are often not experienced in smaller communities only as a construction intervention, but as a strategic question of preserving customs and gathering spaces.

Burning the Mesopust: the final act that closes the season

The finale of the carnival period traditionally brings the burning of the Mesopust effigy, a rite that symbolically “seals” the season and marks the transition towards the Lenten period. In the Bakar area, the burning of Mesopust is scheduled in several places and with precisely set times, emphasising that the final act belongs to the whole community, not only one location. On Tuesday, 17. February, Mesopust is burned in Bakar, Hreljin, Kukuljanovo and Škrljevo, while on Wednesday, 18. February, the programme ends in Krasica.

• 17. February – Bakar: At Puntin at 17.30
• 17. February – Hreljin: in front of the cultural centre at 19.00
• 17. February – Kukuljanovo: in front of the cultural centre at 20.00
• 17. February – Škrljevo: in front of the cultural centre at 20.00
• 18. February – Krasica: in front of the cultural centre at 17.00

In many Kvarner communities, the trial and burning of the effigy is experienced as a mix of satire, local commentary and a ritual “cleansing” of the year, so in the Bakar area this final part is often emotionally strong: for some it is the climax, for others a farewell to the period when one laughs and speaks more freely than usual. After the burning of Mesopust, the story naturally closes, and with it the intense social rhythm that carnival brings.

Who organises and where to follow programme changes

Many carnival associations and groups take part in organising the events: Bakarske maškare, Čočman Express, Krasica pa Rio, Kukuljanski zvončari, Mesopustari Praputnjaka, Miće bakarske maškare – DND Bakar, Simo via tamo – Zlobin and Škrljevske maškari, with the patronage of the City of Bakar and the Tourist Board of the City of Bakar. The organisers reserve the right to change the programme, and information about possible changes is published by the official channels of the City of Bakar, the tourist board and individual associations, which is especially important in winter months when weather conditions, venue availability or other circumstances can affect the timetable.

Sources:
- Tourist Board of the City of Bakar – organisational structure, responsible persons and contact ( link )
- Tourist Board of the City of Bakar – official information about the area and settlements ( link )
- City of Bakar – official mayor’s page ( link )
- City of Bakar – event calendar: Burning of Mesopust ( link )
- Kanal Ri – reconstruction and extension of the Kukuljanovo cultural centre ( link )
- Novi list – details of the renovation of the Kukuljanovo cultural centre and context of bell-ringer events ( link )
- Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia – the annual carnival bell ringers’ procession from the Kastav area on UNESCO’s list ( link )
- UNESCO – overview “Annual Carnival Bell Ringers” (Kastav area) ( link )