Cres becomes the Island of Wonders again: fantasy festival Isle of Wonders returns from 26 to 28 June
The historic core of the town of Cres, on the island of the same name in the northern Adriatic, will once again become a stage for fantasy, illustration, music, role-playing games and costumed worlds from 26 to 28 June 2026. Isle of Wonders – Cres enters its third edition after the first two festivals, according to the description by the organisers and the sales platform CoreEvent, transformed the town into a space of music, art, adventure and immersive encounters. The official tourism announcement for Cres states that this is the first island fantasy convention in Croatia, an event that brings together writers, actors, visual artists, musicians and craftspeople. The festival is organised by the association Realms Long Forgotten, and the programme takes place in the old town centre, with Moise Palace, the Cres tower, squares and narrow streets serving as a natural scenography. According to the official festival announcement, this year's edition brings international guests from fantasy art, literature, tabletop games and popular culture, alongside concerts, workshops and a charity programme.
Unlike classic conventions, which are mostly held in enclosed exhibition spaces, Isle of Wonders builds its identity around the town as an open stage. On the official website, the organisers emphasise that over three days the historic centre of Cres, Moise Palace and the Cres tower will be transformed into a meeting place for authors, actors, illustrators, costumed characters, craftspeople and the public. This spatial distinctiveness is an important part of the festival experience because it introduces visitors not only to the programme, but also to the layers of Cres history. The University of Rijeka states that Moise Palace is a Renaissance palace around 500 years old, located in the old core of the town of Cres and entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia. The Tourist Board of the Town of Cres states that the Cres tower is the last of the five towers of the former fortification system, which further explains why the festival relies precisely on the ambience of historic streets and stone vistas.
The third edition after the rapid growth of the festival community
Isle of Wonders was held for the first time in 2024, and the official descriptions for the 2026 edition emphasise that the festival arrives after two previous years in which a community of visitors, authors and volunteers was created. In the announcement of this year's edition, CoreEvent states that the festival returns in a larger and bolder format, with a programme that continues to build a blend of music, art and experiential content. The Tourist Board of the Town of Cres, in its announcement for 2026, confirms the dates of the event, from 26 to 28 June, and names the association Realms Long Forgotten as the organiser. The event is positioned at the beginning of the summer season, a period when island destinations naturally attract travellers, but its content is not conceived merely as a tourist backdrop. According to the organisers' announcements, the programme aims to bring together lovers of fantasy, artists, families, tabletop game players, cosplayers and readers who seek creative togetherness in the fantasy genre.
The official Isle of Wonders website for 2026 lists among the guests of honour names from illustration, literature, acting and game design: Milivoj Ćeran, Anna Podedworna, Spenser Starke, Luis Carazo, L J Koh, Raluca Marinescu, Michael R. Miller and Eren Angiolini. Belfast Food and Daridel have been officially announced for the musical part of the programme. Festival announcements confirm that special attention is devoted to encounters with the audience, talks, workshops and programmes in which visitors are not only observers but active participants. For audiences planning to stay for all three days, it is useful to check accommodation in Cres during the festival in good time, especially because of island logistics.
Illustrators, authors and worlds of tabletop games
Among the announced guests, Milivoj Ćeran stands out in particular, a fantasy illustrator whose work is known to international audiences interested in book covers, card games and genre art. Alongside him, the official festival announcement also lists Anna Podedworna, L J Koh, Raluca Marinescu and Eren Angiolini, thereby directing the visual arts part of the programme towards an audience that follows contemporary fantasy illustration, concept art and game-related art. Their participation is also important because of Art Forge, a special programme in which artists create works in front of the audience, and the finished pieces then enter a charity auction. Such a format gives visitors insight into the process of creating an image, not only into the final result. According to the official Art Forge page, this year's auction proceeds are intended for a local home for older people, which gives the festival a clearly highlighted humanitarian dimension.
The literary part of the programme is strengthened by the arrival of Michael R. Miller, a fantasy author whose official biography lists the series Songs of Chaos and The Dragon’s Blade Trilogy, as well as the novel Battle Spire. His guest appearance fits the festival's intention to present the fantasy genre through several media: books, illustrations, games, performance and conversations with authors. For audiences who follow tabletop role-playing games, the arrival of Spenser Starke is also important. On the official Daggerheart page, Darrington Press lists Starke as the lead game designer, while Daggerheart itself is described as a new epic TTRPG that combines tactical depth, narrative freedom, card design and the Duality Dice system. For that reason, his presence on Cres connects the festival with one of the most closely followed new systems in the global tabletop gaming community.
The programme additionally brings the festival closer to the Critical Role audience. Critical Role's official pages for the fourth campaign list Luis Carazo as the player of the character Azune Nayar in the world of Aramán, and the festival presents him among the guests of honour of the 2026 edition. Carazo is also known to a broader television audience from acting engagements; IMDb lists him alongside the titles NCIS: Los Angeles, S.W.A.T. and Butterfly. His arrival is important for audiences who follow the actual play format, meaning the public performance of role-playing games, because in recent years this form of storytelling has strongly connected theatrical performance, improvisation, fandom and game design. In this way, Isle of Wonders expands its reach beyond a classic fantasy festival and enters the space of contemporary geek culture.
Cosplay, miniatures and workshops for different generations
One of the central moments of the festival will be the cosplay competition, which is announced on the official website for 27 June 2026. The organisers state that both experienced cosplayers and beginners may apply, while the rules give priority to costumes in which a significant part of the creation is the result of the participants' own work. According to the competition rules, participants may choose a catwalk appearance or a stage performance, and group applications are also planned, as well as special recognitions for original characters. Such an approach opens space not only for the reproduction of well-known characters from films, video games, anime and literature, but also for original costumes and personal stories. During the festival, the streets of Cres therefore become an informal gallery of costumes, handmade props, make-up, stage movement and photography.
The miniature painting competition is another important segment of the programme aimed at the community of tabletop games, model making and wargaming. The official competition page for 2026 states that participants may exhibit their works in the festival space, that online registration is planned until 26 June at noon Central European Time, and that categories such as small model, large model, diorama, bust, sculpture and open category are planned. The organisers list two levels, Standard and Master, in order to enable fairer participation for beginners and experienced painters. The Youngbloods category for those under the age of 17 is particularly highlighted, which shows that the programme is not intended only for adult collectors and competitors. In the context of a festival that wants to encourage creativity, miniatures connect patient craft, visual storytelling and the world of tabletop games.
Workshops in traditional skills, meetings with guests, talks, quizzes, demonstrations and programmes related to role-playing games make up the rest of the festival fabric. In the description of the festival, the organisers highlight interactive workshops, performances and creative content that bring fantasy culture closer even to those who do not have many years of experience with it. Such a model can be attractive to families, because the programme does not rely exclusively on night concerts or specialised lectures, but combines daytime activities, children's content, exhibitions, workshops and evening performances. According to the sales platform CoreEvent, entry is free for children up to 14 years old, which further explains the family character of part of the programme. In practice, this means that the festival addresses a wide range of visitors: from professional illustrators and gamemasters to children encountering costumes, miniatures or the world of shared storytelling for the first time.
Music, returning guests and the evening rhythm of the old town core
According to the official festival website, the musical part of this year's edition is led by Belfast Food and Daridel. Concerts are an important part of the atmosphere because, after daytime workshops, talks and competitions, the festival shifts into the evening rhythm of the open town. It is precisely this transition from an educational and creative programme into a musical experience that makes Isle of Wonders an event that is not exhausted within a single type of audience. Visitors can spend the day in Moise Palace, at workshops or in meetings with authors, and end the evening at concerts and informal gatherings. In the ambience of a Mediterranean night, the boundary between the festival programme and the urban space becomes especially thin, which is one of the recognisable features of the Cres event.
Official festival announcements and earlier announcements also confirm the continuity of guest appearances connected with film fantasy. In the announcement "Ori & Nori are coming to the Isle of Wonders", the organisers announced the arrival of Jed Brophy and Adam Brown, actors known for the roles of Nori and Ori in The Hobbit film trilogy. In the original festival announcement, Brown's return is particularly emphasised, which points to the creation of a festival community in which the audience, volunteers and guests meet from year to year. In the world of conventions, it is precisely the feeling of accessibility and reunion that often determines whether an event will outgrow local curiosity and become internationally recognisable.
Art Forge connects fantasy art and a humanitarian purpose
A special place in the programme is occupied by The Art Forge, which the organisers describe as a live charity painting event. According to the official programme page, from 26 to 28 June artists will create original works during the festival in front of the audience, and the works will be offered at a public auction on 28 June. The organisers state that all auction proceeds will be directed to charitable purposes, this year to support a local home for older people. Art Forge thus connects several key features of the festival: top-level illustration, the public process of creation, the encounter between audience and authors, and local benefit. In the context of an event held in the historic core of a small island town, such a programme shows that the festival does not want to be a detached backdrop for visitors, but part of the community that hosts it.
Cres as a festival destination with a historical and natural framework
The island of Cres is often described through its diverse landscape, indented coast, forests, hidden coves and cultural heritage, and the festival builds precisely on this combination of nature and history. Official tourism pages for Cres emphasise that the town has numerous Renaissance palaces, churches, town gates, monasteries, a tower and a town loggia, which gives it a strong cultural and historical character. In the festival context, this means that visitors do not come only for the programme, but move through a space that already has its own dramaturgy. Stone, narrow streets, Moise Palace and the tower do not pretend to be scenery; they are the real historical background onto which a fantasy narrative is temporarily inscribed. That is precisely why Isle of Wonders differs from many events that have to build artificial sets for an immersive experience.
For travellers coming from outside the island, it is important to plan arrival and stay, especially because the festival takes place during the summer period. The programme lasts three days, and according to CoreEvent begins on 26 June at 5 p.m. and ends on 28 June before midnight, which gives visitors enough reasons for a multi-day stay. Since the event takes place on an island and at several points in the historic core, it is practical to consider ferries, local transport, festival tickets and accommodation offers in Cres in advance. The festival is not intended only for travellers looking for a summer holiday, but also for audiences who travel specifically because of meetings with authors, the cosplay competition, the TTRPG programme, miniatures and music.
Organisation and the broader significance of the event
According to official announcements, the organiser of the festival is the association Realms Long Forgotten, a community focused on fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons, geek culture and the promotion of creative expression. In its own description, the association states that the Isle of Wonders project arose from a love of the fantasy genre and a desire to connect imagination with reality. The original event announcement indicates that the festival is supported by local and tourism institutions, including the Town of Cres, the Tourist Board of the Town of Cres, the Croatian National Tourist Board, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the Kvarner Tourist Board, as well as companies, associations, sponsors and volunteers. This type of support is important for an event that takes place in public space and encompasses cultural heritage, tourism promotion, volunteer work and guest appearances by international authors. When a festival in a small town on an island succeeds in bringing together actors, writers, illustrators, game designers and musicians, it becomes more than a seasonal event.
Isle of Wonders 2026 positions itself as an event at the crossroads of culture, tourism, fan community and creative industries. Its strength is not only in the guest list, although for a third edition it is exceptionally ambitious, but in the way different formats complement one another. The cosplay competition brings characters to life in the town streets, miniatures show the patient precision of a hobby, Art Forge turns illustration into a charity action, and conversations with authors and game designers connect the audience with global trends in fantasy culture. From 26 to 28 June, according to the organisers' announcements, Cres will once again temporarily change its rhythm and become the Island of Wonders: a place where historic stone, a summer evening and contemporary imagination meet before an audience from different parts of the world.
Sources:
- Isle of Wonders – official festival website, guests, locations and programme (link)
- Isle of Wonders – Programme 2026 (link)
- Tourist Board of the Town of Cres – event dates and organiser (link)
- CoreEvent – tickets, event times and visitor information (link)
- Isle of Wonders – Cosplay competition 2026 (link)
- Isle of Wonders – Miniature Painting Competition 2026 (link)
- Isle of Wonders – The Art Forge 2026 (link)
- Critical Role – campaign 4, Luis Carazo and Azune Nayar (link)
- Darrington Press – Daggerheart and Spenser Starke (link)
- University of Rijeka, Moise Palace – cultural status of the palace (link)
- Visit Cres – description of the Cres tower (link)
- Michael R. Miller – official author website (link)
- IMDb – filmography of Luis Carazo (link)