Novljanski Mesopust 2026: more than masquerades – living heritage that shapes the identity of Novi Vinodolski
Novljanski Mesopust, protected as an
intangible cultural good of the Republic of Croatia, returns Novi Vinodolski in 2026 to the rhythm of customs that have been remembered and transmitted for generations in this region. It is a carnival tradition that transcends the framework of a classic carnival: Mesopust is a social event, a public ritual, and a “chronicle” of local life in which everyday life, community relations, and the identity of the place are refracted through humor, symbolism, and joint participation. According to available data from city pages, the continuity of customs can be traced back to the mid-19th century, and an important part of that story is formed by “žitci” – parodic chronicles of local events written in verse, with the earliest preserved žitak dating back to 1862.
In Novi Vinodolski, the Mesopust season traditionally extends from the first Thursday to Ash Wednesday, and the program for 2026 brings a series of events: masquerade parties, announcements, the marriage of the “young female Mesopust”, the children's redoute, the baptism and “mass” of Mesopust, and the final days with the round dance (kolo) on the Placa, the gathering, the reading of the žitak, and the funeral of Mesopust. For visitors coming from other regions, Novi Vinodolski offers a particularly vivid picture of the city during this period – from the House of Culture to the central Placa – so it is useful to plan the arrival and
accommodation for visitors in Novi Vinodolski in time, especially on weekends when a larger turnout is expected.
Why Novljanski Mesopust is special
Although carnival customs are held in many Croatian regions, Novljanski Mesopust has its recognizable “handwriting” – language, rules, roles, and dynamics that are renewed every year. Media reports on this year's Mesopust cycle emphasize that Mesopust is not just entertainment, but a way of preserving identity and local customs, with the participation of all generations – from children to veterans of Mesopust groups. Particularly prominent are the three consecutive Thursdays of “announcements”, when the Mesopust participants, still without full masking, tour crossroads and, through the traditional format of “pairing” the unmarried men and women (in the spirit of the custom), shape social commentary, humor, and public togetherness.
Such a structure of Mesopust is simultaneously cultural and social: on one hand, the form is preserved (terms, roles, gathering places, kolo, žitak), and on the other, the year and the current life of the community are woven through local jokes, witticisms, and comments. This is precisely why Mesopust in Novi Vinodolski is regularly experienced as an event that “keeps the city together” – in a time when it is increasingly difficult in many environments to preserve the continuity of customs without the active participation of inhabitants.
Program of Mesopust 2026: dates and key events
The program published on the pages of the Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski brings the schedule from the end of January to Ash Wednesday in February, with an emphasis on traditional points and evening gatherings in the House of Culture.
Masquerade parties and the opening of the Mesopust mood
Already the first weekend brings a masquerade party and an atmosphere that is more than costumes in Novi Vinodolski: it is an introduction to a month of “Mesopust language” and rules that the city accepts as part of its own image.
- January 24 (Saturday) at 20:00 – Masquerade party, group Trend (House of Culture)
- January 31 (Saturday) at 20:00 – Masquerade party, group Insula (House of Culture)
For guests planning to come to these Saturday programs, it is practical to check the logistics of arrival and
accommodation offers in Novi Vinodolski in advance, because on weekends, according to the experience of previous years, an increased rhythm of visitors is felt in the city.
Three Mesopust Thursdays: announcements and the “public chronicle” of the city
The central part of the tradition consists of Mesopust Thursdays, with names that are recognizable to the local audience and carry the symbolism of the custom. Each of them includes the announcement to “widowers and widows”, which in the Mesopust context represents a special form of public “pairing” and commenting on social relations, performed in accordance with tradition.
- January 29 – First Mesopust Thursday: “Tusti” (Fat) – first announcement to widowers and widows
- February 5 – Second Mesopust Thursday: “Kusi” (Short) – second announcement to widowers and widows
- February 12 – Third Mesopust Thursday: “Poberuhi” and Zeča (Collectors) – third announcement to widowers and widows
These evenings, as a rule, have an “internal logic” that you best understand only when you experience them on the spot: Mesopust is not a performance with an audience on the side, but an event in which the boundary between participants and observers is often blurred, especially at key gathering points in the city.
Marriage of the young female Mesopust and children's redoute: a custom that includes all generations
One of the recognizable events is the marriage of the “young female Mesopust”, which has clearly set schedules in the program and takes place around the House of Culture. It is an example of how the custom is preserved in Novi Vinodolski, but also how the community gathers around it as around an important social moment.
- February 1 (Sunday) – Marriage of the young female Mesopust: 13:00 gathering in front of the House of Culture; 15:00 The Law of the young female Mesopust
Programs for the youngest also have special weight for the transmission of tradition, because the Mesopust identity, as often emphasized by local organizers and participants, is built through experience and participation, and not just through the story “about once upon a time”.
- February 8 (Sunday) at 16:00 – Children's redoute and tea party in the House of Culture
For families planning a one-day or weekend visit, it is particularly practical in that term to organize
accommodation near the venue in advance, in order to avoid unnecessary crowds and stress, and for the experience of the city to remain relaxed and full.
Climax and finale: “mass”, baptism of Mesopust, kolo on the Placa and final days
As Mesopust approaches the finale, the program transitions from evening parties to more intense traditional points. On Saturday, February 14, an event is announced that unites the symbolic part (“mass and baptism of Mesopust”) and a masquerade party.
- February 14 (Saturday) at 20:00 – Mass and baptism of Mesopust and masquerade party, group Insula (House of Culture)
In the days that follow, the focus shifts to public spaces and traditional gathering: greeting the Mesopust participants, the Novljansko kolo (round dance) and events that are experienced as the “heart” of the Mesopust cycle.
- February 15 – Mesopust Sunday: at 10 am greeting the Mesopust participants; then Afternoon Novljansko kolo on the Placa
- February 16 – Mesopust Monday: Afternoon Novljansko kolo on the Placa; at 6 pm “Novljansko prelo (gathering) in the House of Culture”
- February 17 – Mesopust Tuesday: Afternoon Novljansko kolo on the Placa; Žitak of Mesopust – Čurunbela
- February 18 – Ash Wednesday: Funeral of Mesopust
For travelers who want to catch precisely the final days – when Novi Vinodolski is experienced most intensely – it is recommended to secure
accommodation offers in Novi Vinodolski during Mesopust earlier, because interest traditionally increases around Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, when the largest number of events takes place on the Placa and in the House of Culture.
Who is behind the organization and how Mesopust fits into the cultural life of the city
Listed as organizers on the program poster are the
Center for Culture of the City of Novi Vinodolski,
Chair of the Chakavian Assembly “Novljansko kolo” and
Mesopust Society and CAaS “Ilija Dorčić”, with the patronage of the
City of Novi Vinodolski and the
Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski. The role of the Center for Culture in the city is also described on the official city pages: it is an institution founded in 2006 which, among other things, nurtures and promotes traditional cultural expressions and organizes events connected with the identity and cultural offer of Novi Vinodolski.
In this context, Mesopust is not observed only as a seasonal event, but as one of the most important cultural “pillars” of Novi Vinodolski, with a clearly visible influence on social life, the local calendar, and the tourist dynamics of the city. The Tourist Board, on the other hand, highlights Mesopust in communication towards visitors as part of the cultural experience of the place, in which scents, music, the kolo, and the atmosphere of the city meet at the transition from winter to spring.
What visitors can expect: experience of the city, etiquette of customs and practical information
For those coming for the first time, it is important to understand that Mesopust in Novi Vinodolski does not come down to a photo of a costume. The events have their rhythm: Thursdays carry the traditional framework of announcements, weekends bring large masquerade parties, and the final days are more emotional and intense, with the kolo on the Placa and the final ritual part on Ash Wednesday. Visitors are welcome, but it is useful to follow the instructions of organizers on the ground and respect the rules of the space, especially during gatherings on the Placa and in the House of Culture.
For guests from outside Novi Vinodolski, this period is also an opportunity to get to know the city in a different light: a walk by the sea, the old part of the city, and events in the center create an experience that can hardly be conveyed only through the program announcement. If you plan a multi-day stay – for example, to cover both Thursdays and the final days – it is most logical to combine the program with the local rhythm of the city and secure
accommodation near the Placa and the House of Culture in advance, so that events can be followed without driving and searching for parking in the peak.
Mesopust as a mirror of the community: a tradition that is renewed every year
In times when many local traditions are weakening or becoming exclusively “scenic” folklore, Novljanski Mesopust is, according to available descriptions and local testimonies, maintained as a living custom. Its strength lies in the fact that it is not just retold as history, but is “renegotiated” every year through participation – through announcement, the kolo, the žitak, and joint gathering. This is precisely why Mesopust in Novi Vinodolski has the status of an event that preserves both language and humor and social ties, and simultaneously offers visitors a rare opportunity to peek into the “inner life” of the city.
If you plan to come to one or more parts of the program in 2026, Novi Vinodolski in the Mesopust period offers an experience that combines tradition and togetherness, with a clear message: custom is not a museum object, but something that lives as much as people live it. And for the experience to be complete, it is worth looking at
accommodation for Mesopust visitors in Novi Vinodolski in time and putting together a plan according to the events that interest you the most – from the first masquerade evenings to the final Ash Wednesday.
Sources:- Tourist Board of the City of Novi Vinodolski – officially published program of Mesopust 2026 ( link )- Novi Vinodolski (official city pages) – description of Mesopust and data on the proclamation as an intangible cultural good in 2011 and continuity and žitci ( link )- Kanal Ri – report on Mesopust and emphasis on tradition, participation of generations and the role of announcements ( link )- Novi Vinodolski (official city pages) – description of activities of the Center for Culture of the City of Novi Vinodolski ( link )
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