The Experience Quay turns Adamić Pier into Rijeka's holiday center
Advent in Rijeka has gained another striking stage in recent years: the Experience Quay on Adamić Pier, the popular Gat Advent. Located right by the sea, within reach of the city center, this Rijeka advent point has quickly become an unavoidable meeting place for citizens and visitors from all over Croatia, as well as abroad. Free entry, a diverse music program, quiz nights, family content, and a rich gastronomic offer turn this part of the port into a vibrant winter stage, ideal for relaxation after work, a weekend night out, or an all-day family trip.
This year's Gat Advent lasts from November 22, 2025, to January 11, 2026, and is part of the wider advent offer of the city, which unites different locations in the center and the Rijeka ring. Particular attention is drawn to the finale of the program in the week around Christmas and New Year, when concerts, DJ programs, and thematic events intended for all generations line up on the Pier – from early morning gatherings with a Christmas fairy tale to evening parties for adults.
The proximity to the center and Rijeka's good traffic connections make Gat Advent attractive to weekend visitors from other parts of Croatia and neighboring countries as well. For those who want to extend their stay and experience the entire advent atmosphere, the city offers diverse accommodation offers in Rijeka, from hotels and hostels to apartments in the old core and right by the waterfront.
Free entry and a program for all generations
One of the key characteristics of Gat Advent is the fact that entry to the event is completely free throughout its entire duration. Visitors can thus freely walk by the sea, listen to a concert or DJ performance, participate in a quiz, or simply enjoy the holiday atmosphere without additional ticket costs. Organizers emphasize that the goal is to create a meeting place where both the young and the elderly, families with children, casual passers-by, and tourists can feel good.
The program is conceived so that almost every day brings a different type of event: from Aftermath Monday evenings for those who want to extend the weekend in a somewhat more relaxed rhythm, through advent quizzes with prizes and cheerful after-parties, to family Sundays with children's workshops, playrooms, and socializing with Santa Claus. Special attention is devoted to children – alongside classic children's programs, Santa Sunday, Kids corner, and Games corner are organized on the Pier, in which little ones can participate in games, creative activities, and animation programs.
At the same time, in the evening, Adamić Pier turns into an open-air concert stage. During December, bands and DJs of the most diverse styles alternate – from domestic cover bands to thematic music evenings and retro parties. For those who want to experience Rijeka's holiday atmosphere by the sea, with the possibility of an evening night out and a late return to accommodation near the event venue, Gat Advent offers an almost daily reason for coming.
Christmas Eve on the Pier: DJ Daddy D and Supercover Band
The climax of the December program on the Experience Quay arrives on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, when the Pier officially becomes one of the liveliest stages of Rijeka's Christmas atmosphere. The program starts as early as 3 PM with a performance by DJ Daddy D, who takes on the role of host for the afternoon warm-up. Rijeka and regional visitors thus have the opportunity to get into the holiday rhythm already during the day, with music and socializing in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere.
From 8 PM, the Supercover Band takes the stage, one of the recognizable groups that the Rijeka audience already knows well from previous performances on the Pier and other city events. A repertoire filled with domestic and foreign hits provides an ideal background for singing along, dancing, and entering Christmas night by the sea. After the live performance, DJ Daddy D takes over the desk again and continues the holiday party until late hours, making Christmas Eve on the Pier a kind of extension of traditional family gatherings into a format of a friendly open-air gathering.
For guests who decide to spend Christmas Eve in Rijeka, the possibility to walk to the Pier after dinner or Midnight Mass and view the city lighting along the way represents added value. Many visitors from outside Rijeka plan their arrival precisely in that period, combining advent contents with a tour of the city and a stay in various accommodation capacities in Rijeka.
Christmas Fairy Tale on December 25: Program for families and the youngest
On Christmas itself, December 25, 2025, Gat Advent brings a program with the symbolic title "Christmas Fairy Tale". The event starts as early as 10 AM, emphasizing the family character of this advent location. While most city amenities open somewhat later on the holiday, the Experience Quay offers the possibility to start the day with a relaxed walk, a warm drink, and an animation program for children.
According to available information, the Christmas Fairy Tale is designed so that the focus is on the youngest visitors. In practice, this means a series of smaller thematic activities, games, and meetings with characters from holiday stories, with a musical background adapted to the family atmosphere. Parents can enjoy a break with a view of the sea and the city, while children spend time in a safe, animated environment.
Christmas mornings in open locations like Adamić Pier are becoming increasingly attractive to visitors coming from other cities as well, because they combine a stay in the fresh air, a holiday atmosphere, and diverse contents that do not require additional ticket costs. As Advent in Rijeka attracts more guests every year, the demand for accommodation for advent visitors grows, especially near the center and the waterfront.
Last Friday and Last Saturday party: DJ Chokzy takes the stage
After Christmas Day, Gat Advent rapidly enters the final phase of the December program. On Friday, December 26, 2025, from 8 PM, the "Last Friday party" is announced, for which DJ Chokzy is in charge. A day later, on Saturday, December 27, 2025, in the same time slot, the "Last Saturday party" is also held, also under Chokzy's direction.
These two evenings are intended primarily for an audience seeking a dynamic dance rhythm and a club atmosphere outdoors. It is a kind of bridge zone between the Christmas holidays and New Year's events, when many decide on extended weekends or short city-break visits to Rijeka. With music ranging from contemporary hits to proven dance classics, the Last Friday and Last Saturday parties further solidify the image of the Pier as a place where the end of the year is awaited in rhythm, but also in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.
During these evenings, Adamić Pier also attracts those who have arrived in the city for only one or two nights, so Gat Advent also functions as a starting point for getting to know Rijeka's nightlife scene. Visitors often decide on a combination of an evening night out on the Pier and a later visit to other city bars, with a return to accommodation near the city center.
Family day, Games corner and Kids corner: Sunday for the whole family
The holiday weekend is rounded off on Sunday, December 28, 2025, with the program "Family day & Games corner & Kids corner", which starts at 4 PM. After a series of evening parties, the Pier completely turns back to family content. The concept is clear: Sunday afternoon is reserved for families with children, but also for everyone who wants a quieter, playful, and daytime experience of the advent atmosphere.
The Games corner and Kids corner imply different types of games, workshops, and activities designed to offer children a fun, interactive, and safe stay on the Pier. At the same time, parents can relax with the offer of food and drinks or simply enjoy the view of the Rijeka port, with the feeling that the children have content adapted to their age.
This approach confirms the trend in which advent locations try to adapt their content to a wide spectrum of visitors: from young people coming to concerts and DJ programs, through couples in search of a romantic walk by the sea, to families who want their children to experience their holiday experience too, and not just a stay in the crowd. Gat Advent structures its program so that every day of the week has a recognizable theme, and the Sunday Family day is the logical conclusion of the weekend cycle.
Advent on the Pier as part of the wider Rijeka holiday offer
Gat Advent is not an isolated event, but one of the key elements of the wider concept of Advent in Rijeka. In recent years, the city has systematically developed the advent offer at multiple locations, from the historic core to Trsat and the area by the sea. Adamić Pier, as the only larger advent location directly by the sea, gives a special vista to the entire program – the blend of industrial, port scenography and holiday lighting creates a recognizable atmosphere by which Rijeka differs from other Croatian advent destinations.
In this context, Gat Advent gains additional importance in a tourist sense as well. Visitors staying in Rijeka for several days can combine a tour of different advent points – from a walk through the historic center and visits to festive fairs to evenings on the Experience Quay. Such a schedule allows the stay in the city to be planned in several thematic units, with a choice of different accommodation options in Rijeka, depending on the desired type of experience.
According to information from tourist institutions, Rijeka is increasingly strongly positioning itself as a winter destination for city-break trips, in which Advent is no longer just an occasional accompanying event, but an important motive for arrival. Gat Advent, with emphasized musical, entertainment, and family contents, is one of the assets in that strategy.
Organization, safety, and visitor expectations
The organizer of Gat Advent is the company 9 d.o.o., with the support of the Tourist Board of the city of Rijeka and other partners. According to official announcements, the program is designed to cover the period from the lighting of the lamps at the end of November to the beginning of January, with an emphasis on the diversity of content, but also on visitor safety. Since it is an open-air event in the winter period, there is always a possibility of adapting the program to weather conditions, which the organizers themselves point out through the note that they reserve the right to change the schedule of events.
For visitors, this practically means that it is good to follow current information on official channels – primarily on the pages of the Tourist Board and specialized city portals – especially when it comes to possible changes of dates or performers. Nevertheless, the basic structure of the program remains clear: Gat Advent offers an experience day by day in which quiz nights, concerts, DJ sets, family days, and special thematic events alternate.
Considering the experiences of previous years, increased attendance is expected in the period around Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the New Year holidays. In those days, many citizens, as well as guests of the city, seek a combination of holiday atmosphere, music, and socializing outdoors, with the possibility to reach the Pier on foot from the center or by a short ride on public transport. For those coming from outside Rijeka, planning a visit with an earlier reservation of accommodation in Rijeka is recommended to ensure a pleasant stay and access to all desired contents.
The Experience Quay as a new Rijeka tradition
In just a few seasons, Gat Advent has established itself as a recognizable Rijeka advent location by the sea. The combination of free entry, a carefully thought-out program for all generations, an open-air stage, and the strong visual identity of the Experience Quay creates a new winter tradition that transcends classic advent fairs. Especially in the period from Christmas Eve to the last days of December, when the program includes DJ Daddy D, Supercover Band, DJ Chokzy, and family contents like the Christmas Fairy Tale and Family Day, Gat Advent becomes a place where holiday wishes refract – from a quiet walk by the sea to loud communal singing of hits under holiday lights.
For Rijeka, a city whose identity is strongly tied to the sea, industrial heritage, and the music scene, this type of advent event is a logical continuation of the story of a city that does not settle only for traditional forms of holidays even in the winter months. The Experience Quay on Adamić Pier becomes a place where the local audience and guests, day and evening audiences, family and concert programs meet – creating a mosaic of experiences that many visitors wish to repeat the next year too.
For those who are still planning where to spend the end of December, Gat Advent offers a clear message: Rijeka imposes itself this winter too as a destination where holidays are not just decor, but a living experience filled with music and meetings, by the sea and in the heart of the city.
Sources:
- Tourist Board of the city of Rijeka – official announcement and program "Experience Quay: Gat Advent" (link)
- Rijeka CityCard – calendar of events, description and schedule for "Experience Quay: Gat Advent" (link)
- Novi list – reports on the opening of the advent location GAT and the presentation of the program on Adamić Pier (link)
- Riportal – article on the opening of Advent on GAT and the role of Adamić Pier in Rijeka's advent offer (link)
- Visit Kvarner – overview of advent events in the Rijeka area, including Gat Advent as part of the advent offer (link)
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