Bartoja 2026 in Čavle changes its schedule: Flash Back moves to Sunday, while the weekend brings concerts, sports and an automotive programme
The grand finale of the Leto na Čavji 2026 event is entering its final stage with a schedule change caused by the forecast unstable weather. According to the latest notice from the Čavle Municipality Tourist Board, the programme scheduled for Friday, 21 August, will not take place on that day, but will instead be moved in its entirety to Sunday, 23 August. This means that Bartoja 2026 will be concentrated for visitors on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, while the content originally planned for Friday has not been cancelled. The most important change concerns the major Flash Back concert programme, featuring Colonia, Karma and ET, along with Antonio Krištofić and his band. According to the revised schedule, the concert will take place on Sunday from 8 p.m. at Trg hrvatskih branitelja, and admission remains free.
Bartoja is the central concluding part of the summer programme in Čavle, a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in the hinterland of Rijeka. The official website of the Čavle Municipality Tourist Board describes it as a traditional gathering associated with the feast of Saint Bartholomew, celebrated on 24 August and holding an important place in the local religious and social tradition. Alongside religious content, the event has for years combined concerts, sports, recreation, children's programmes, fair activities and gastronomy. This year's edition was conceived as the final highlight of Leto na Čavji, a programme lasting several months that included a series of different events throughout the summer. For visitors coming to Čavle from other places, it may also be useful to check accommodation in Čavle and the surrounding area in good time, especially because the programme is spread across three consecutive days.
Friday drops out of the programme, but Flash Back has not been cancelled
The biggest organisational change concerns Friday, 21 August. It was precisely on that day that Flash Back was originally announced, a concert conceived as an evening of recognisable dance and pop hits by performers who have marked the domestic music scene over the past decades. Due to the forecast rain and unstable weather conditions, the organisers decided to move the programme to Sunday rather than cancel it. This means that audiences will be able to hear Colonia, Karma and ET, as well as Antonio Krištofić with his band, on 23 August at Trg hrvatskih branitelja. According to the programme notice provided, the start of Sunday's concert has been moved to 8 p.m.
The change is also important because the official calendar published earlier still contains the original Friday evening slot for Flash Back. Visitors should therefore follow the organisers' latest announcements rather than relying exclusively on earlier versions of the programme. According to the current notice, Friday is being removed from the entertainment section of the schedule, while all performers planned for that slot are moving to Sunday. This means that the main part of Bartoja will take place from Saturday through Monday, without losing any key concert content. The organisers also stressed that the change is being introduced specifically because of the weather conditions, so any further adjustments will depend on how the forecast develops.
Saturday begins with sports at Platak and bocce tournaments
Saturday, 22 August, opens the busiest part of the programme. The tenth-anniversary edition of Sportsko lice Platka, part of the Sva lica Platka project, has been announced at Platak, bringing together athletes, recreational participants, families and visitors interested in outdoor activities. According to the project's official information and the programme of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County European Region of Sport 2026, Saturday's sporting activities include five-a-side football, beach volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, bocce and disc golf. Sportsko lice Platka is announced for 22 August, while Vertikalno lice Platka is scheduled for 30 August and Canihike lice Platka for 4 October.
The Sva lica Platka project is celebrating ten years of activity in 2026. According to data from the organisers, a total of 5,500 athletes have participated in the various editions of the project, while the events have attracted more than 19,000 visitors. The project focuses on sports recreation, spending time in nature, activities for different generations and the promotion of Platak as a year-round outdoor destination. The organisers also state that the project received the Simply the Best award in the sports and recreation category in 2022. This year's programme additionally ties in with the fact that Primorje-Gorski Kotar County holds the title of European Region of Sport during 2026.
However, an important weather-related note remains for Sportsko lice Platka. The latest notice concerning Bartoja states that the programme at Platak is still planned for Saturday, but that, because of the unstable weather forecast, any changes will be announced through the channels of the Sva lica Platka organisers. Since a significant part of the activities takes place outdoors, such a check is particularly important immediately before arrival. Traditional men's and women's Bartoja bocce tournaments are also being held in Čavle on the same day, organised by BK Krenovac and ŽBK Čavle, meaning that the sporting segment of the event covers both the mountain area of Platak and the local sports grounds.
Children's Bartoja party from 6 p.m. at Trg hrvatskih branitelja
Saturday afternoon in the centre of Čavle is intended for families and the youngest visitors. The Children's Bartoja party starts at 6 p.m. at Trg hrvatskih branitelja and, according to the programme of the Čavle Municipality Tourist Board, lasts until 8 p.m. Announced activities include an inflatable town, face painting, a large STEM zone, jumbo games, mascots and a foam party. The organisers state that the children's programme is free, making it one of the activities especially aimed at the family section of the audience.
Alongside the children's programme, Bartoja also brings accompanying activities such as a fair of family farms and an exhibition by the Čavle Pensioners' Association. Such a schedule shows the broader character of the event: Bartoja is not conceived solely as a series of evening concerts, but as a multi-layered local event that throughout the day combines sports, family activities, local exhibitors, gastronomy and tradition. This combination is also repeated in the official description of the event, in which the Tourist Board presents Bartoja as a gathering with religious, cultural, entertainment, sporting and culinary content. Visitors coming for the evening concert can therefore follow other parts of the programme during the day as well.
Neno Belan and Učiteljice take over the stage on Saturday evening
After the children's programme, Saturday evening shifts into concert rhythm. From 9 p.m. at Trg hrvatskih branitelja, Neno Belan and Učiteljice will perform, and admission is free. Neno Belan has meanwhile been confirmed as a performer alongside Učiteljice, after earlier announcements of the summer programme referred to Učiteljice and a guest whose name would be announced later. The official calendar of the Čavle Municipality Tourist Board now lists both performers and the 9 p.m. start time.
Saturday's concert evening therefore remains unchanged despite the reorganisation of the rest of the weekend. This is important because the weather-related change currently concerns the content planned for Friday, while Saturday's programme continues according to the announced schedule, with a special note that announcements from the organisers should be followed regarding Sportsko lice Platka. Trg hrvatskih branitelja is also the central point for much of the entertainment programme: the children's party takes place there during the afternoon, followed by the concert in the evening. The organisers have also planned a food and beverage offer for this part of Bartoja, so Saturday is expected to be one of the busiest days of the finale.
Sunday combines Grobnik Car Show and the rescheduled Flash Back
Sunday, 23 August, becomes the most programme-intensive day following the schedule change. The 2nd Grobnik Car Show has been announced at the Historic Racing Car Croatia venue and, according to the official calendar of the Tourist Board, starts at 12 noon. The organisers describe it as an automotive gathering with a large number of cars, visitors, a gastronomic offer and entertainment. The event is part of Bartoja and is aimed at audiences interested in car culture and socialising in a festival setting.
Following the daytime automotive programme, attention once again shifts to Trg hrvatskih branitelja. According to the latest change, Flash Back will take place there from 8 p.m. with Colonia, Karma and the group ET, along with Antonio Krištofić and his band. This is a programme that was originally announced for Friday at 9 p.m., but was moved two days later due to the expected adverse weather conditions. Admission to the concert remains free. Sunday's schedule therefore combines an automotive event and one of Bartoja's two major concert evenings in a single day.
For the audience, it is therefore crucial to distinguish between the old and new versions of the schedule. Earlier announcements and some calendars may still show Flash Back on 21 August, but according to the latest programme notice that date is no longer valid. The current schedule places the concert on Sunday, 23 August, at 8 p.m. Since the change was introduced several days before the event, the organisers recommend following their current channels, especially if weather conditions require further adjustments.
Monday brings the 16th Bartojski kotlić
The final day of the programme falls on Monday, 24 August, the feast of Saint Bartholomew. At 5 p.m. at Buffet Pomorac, the 16th Bartojski kotlić begins, one of the longest-running and most recognisable gastronomic events within Bartoja. According to the official description by the Čavle Municipality Tourist Board, around twenty teams participate in the competition, preparing a dish in a cauldron, while an expert jury assesses four elements: the taste of the gravy, how well the meat is cooked, the taste of the meat and the appearance of the goulash. The scores are added together to determine the winner.
In the latest announcement, the organisers state that the teams will once again compete for the title of the best Bartojski kotlić, while the programme will be accompanied by music and socialising. Prizes are also planned for the best teams and, according to the information provided, they are supplied by the long-standing sponsor Limarija Sebastijan. Bartojski kotlić is an important part of the event's identity precisely because it combines a competitive element with local gastronomic tradition and informal gathering. The official tourism website also describes Bartoja as an event headed by the cauldron-cooking competition itself.
The feast of Saint Bartholomew remains at the centre of Bartoja's traditional programme
Behind the entertainment and sporting programme lies the tradition associated with the feast of Saint Bartholomew. The Čavle Municipality Tourist Board states that 24 August marks the feast of Saint Bartholomew, martyr and patron saint of the church in Cernik, as well as Parish Day, while Čavle Municipality Day is celebrated in connection with that date every odd-numbered year. Bartoja is a local name that over time has moved beyond the framework of an exclusively religious observance and has become the name of a broader event bringing together different generations.
The official programme for 2026 also includes a schedule of Masses at the Church of Saint Bartholomew and at Cernik cemetery. For Friday, 21 August, the Stations of the Cross are listed at 5.30 p.m. and Mass at 6 p.m. On Saturday, a Mass for deceased parishioners is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Cernik cemetery. On Sunday, Masses are announced at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., while on the feast day itself, Monday, 24 August, Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m., a concelebrated Mass for 6 p.m. and Bartojenak for 8 p.m. This part of the programme takes place in parallel with the secular activities and confirms that Bartoja continues to retain the religious foundation from which today's multi-day event developed.
Leto na Čavji concludes with a programme for different generations
Bartoja is also the concluding highlight of this year's Leto na Čavji. In an earlier announcement of the summer programme, Rea Čargonja, director of the Čavle Municipality Tourist Board, pointed out that the programme includes around thirty events during the summer months, ranging from concerts and cultural activities to sporting, entertainment and gastronomic programmes. Bartoja was presented as the central part of that cycle and as a traditional celebration that brings together local residents and visitors at the end of August.
This year's finale particularly relies on diversity: Sportsko lice Platka and the bocce tournaments provide the recreational and competitive segment, the Children's Bartoja party the family programme, Saturday and Sunday concerts the musical content, Grobnik Car Show the automotive component, and Bartojski kotlić the gastronomic tradition. The schedule change caused by the weather does not alter this basic structure, but merely concentrates the main activities into three days. According to the current schedule, Saturday and Sunday carry the largest number of events, while Monday closes the event on the feast day of Saint Bartholomew itself.
For visitors, the most important practical information is therefore that the programme that had been planned for Friday, 21 August, is moving to Sunday, 23 August. Neno Belan and Učiteljice remain scheduled for Saturday at 9 p.m., Flash Back starts on Sunday at 8 p.m., and the 16th Bartojski kotlić on Monday at 5 p.m. Sportsko lice Platka is still planned for Saturday, with the possibility of further changes if required by weather conditions. Admission to the main concert programmes and the children's programme remains free.
Summary schedule of Bartoja 2026
- Saturday, 22 August: Sportsko lice Platka at Platak; men's Bartoja bocce tournament organised by BK Krenovac; women's Bartoja bocce tournament organised by ŽBK Čavle; Children's Bartoja party from 6 p.m. at Trg hrvatskih branitelja; concert by Neno Belan and Učiteljice from 9 p.m.
- Sunday, 23 August: 2nd Grobnik Car Show from 12 noon at Historic Racing Car Croatia; rescheduled Flash Back with Colonia, Karma and ET, as well as Antonio Krištofić and his band, from 8 p.m. at Trg hrvatskih branitelja.
- Monday, 24 August: feast of Saint Bartholomew and the final day of the event; 16th Bartojski kotlić from 5 p.m. at Buffet Pomorac, with an accompanying programme.
Sources:
- Čavle Municipality Tourist Board - official event calendar and Bartoja 2026 programme, including the times of concerts, the children's programme, Grobnik Car Show and Bartojski kotlić (link)
- Čavle Municipality Tourist Board - description of the Bartoja tradition and the judging rules for Bartojski kotlić (link)
- Sva lica Platka - official information about the project, its tenth anniversary, participants, visitors and the programme for 2026 (link)
- Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, European Region of Sport 2026 - disciplines and schedule of the tenth-anniversary Sva lica Platka event (link)
- RiPrsten - announcement of Leto na Čavji 2026 and a statement by the director of the Čavle Municipality Tourist Board about the scope and concept of the summer programme (link)