Paradise Beach in Lopar becomes a large sand gallery: anniversary festival brings six monumental sculptures
Paradise Beach in Lopar, a settlement on the northern part of the island of Rab in Kvarner Bay, will once again become an open-air studio from 30 June to 3 July 2026, where natural material is transformed into ephemeral art. According to the announcement by the organizers and the local portal Rab Danas, the 15th Festival of Sand Sculptures will be held at this location, an anniversary edition of an event that over previous years has grown into one of the recognizable summer cultural events on the northern Adriatic. This year’s theme, “Stories Told with Sand”, directs the program toward the narrative side of sculpture: each work is conceived as a separate story shaped by sand, water, patience, and handwork.
The festival begins on Tuesday, 30 June, when the ceremonial opening and the start of sculpture-making in front of visitors are planned. During the four festival days, ten artists, divided into teams, will shape six large works from Lopar sand. The organizers emphasize that basic tools, water, and several dozen cubic meters of sand will be used, which is in line with the festival’s long-standing concept: the audience does not come only to see finished works, but also to follow the process of their creation. It is precisely this combination of public work, beach space, and the short lifespan of the sculptures that makes the event different from a classic exhibition in a gallery.
Ten artists and six new works
Six sculptures have been announced for the anniversary edition of the festival, and they will be created on Paradise Beach. The list of works shows a wide range of motifs, from marine and animal themes to figures that point to mythology, symbolism, and contemporary play with forms. According to the published program, the audience will be able to follow the creation of the following sculptures:
- “Sea, Sun and Children” – Joanna Rusinowska and Martina Rzounek
- “Sphinx” – August Popijač and Tomislav Novak
- “Squid” – Dario Zvornik and Domagoj Barić
- “Turtle” – Maksimilijan Vučinović
- “Hola e da” – Jelena Azinović and Jaša Zelmanović
- “Totems” – Petar Popijač
Such an arrangement of works emphasizes the team character of the festival, but also leaves room for individual authorial approaches. Sand sculptures require precise planning, because artists must adapt to a material that simultaneously enables monumentality and sets clear limits. Sand does not behave like stone, metal, or clay; its stability depends on the structure of the grains, the amount of water, compaction, weather conditions, and the skill of the author. For this reason, the process of creation is often just as interesting as the final form, especially for visitors who return over several days and observe how the initial piles of sand gradually turn into elaborate scenes.
Transience as part of the artistic experience
The special nature of the festival lies in the fact that the works are condemned in advance to a short duration. Sand sculptures are created in the beach space, outdoors, exposed to the sun, moisture, wind, and the everyday rhythm of a coastal place. For this reason, the festival does not build the impression of a permanent monument, but rather an experience that happens at a particular moment and remains primarily in photographs, memories, and the shared experience of the audience. This was also emphasized by Katarina Paparić, director of the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Lopar, who said in the announcement of the event that the fifteenth anniversary is a special moment and an opportunity to look back at everything that has been created so far within the festival.
“The Festival of Sand Sculptures has long outgrown the framework of an ordinary event and has become a recognizable story about Lopar, its nature, and beauty. The special quality of the festival is hidden in its transience, because the sculptures exist only briefly, but memories are what remain with us. I invite all visitors to join us this summer and be part of our anniversary, fifteenth story written in sand,” Paparić stated, according to the Rab Danas announcement.
Such a statement summarizes well the logic of the event: the festival relies not only on the attractiveness of large sand figures, but also on the identity of Lopar as a place strongly connected with sand. The official tourist website of Lopar describes the place as a well-known holiday destination because of the series of sandy beaches that surround it, highlighting Paradise Beach as the best known. Precisely for this reason, the sculptures are not randomly placed in the space; they are created at a location whose landscape has long been shaped by sand, shallow sea, and a wide beach belt.
Paradise Beach as a natural stage
Paradise Beach, also known by its international name Paradise Beach, is the largest and best-known sandy beach in Lopar. The Tourist Board of the island of Rab states that it is almost two kilometers long and brings together a large part of the tourist facilities intended for visitors. The official tourist websites also emphasize that the beach has received the Blue Flag, a recognition associated with sea quality, environmental preservation, and safety. Such a profile of the location explains why the festival, although primarily a cultural event, naturally attracts travelers who visit Lopar for holidays, family tourism, and activities by the sea.
For visitors planning to arrive during the festival days, the practical value of the location lies in the fact that the program takes place outdoors and in the immediate vicinity of the usual beach facilities. This makes it possible to combine a visit to the sculptures with time on the beach, a walk by the sea, or an evening program, without the need for a classic enclosed festival space. Since this is a touristically active period, those who want to stay for several days can check accommodation offers in Lopar in advance, especially if they want to follow the sculptures from the first outlines to the final judging.
Paradise Beach, meanwhile, functions both as a natural backdrop and as the material source of the festival. The northern part of the island of Rab is known for its sandy beaches, and the official events calendar of the island of Rab connects the festival precisely with the abundance of sand that inspires artists and photographers. In that sense, the event can be read as an example of a cultural program that arises from the local landscape, instead of merely using it as a decorative background. Sand is not scenography, but the basic language of the event.
Photography contest and audience participation
In addition to the creation of sculptures, the festival program also includes the traditional photography contest “Catch the Sand of Lopar”, which will be held on 2 and 3 July. The contest invites visitors to record, with a camera or mobile phone, the moments of creation and presentation of the sand works. In this way, an additional level of audience participation is introduced into the program: observers do not remain merely passive spectators, but participate through their photographs in recording an event that by its nature cannot remain the same for long.
The photographic part is important also because sand sculptures change their appearance over time. Depending on the light, the position of the sun, the movement of visitors, and atmospheric conditions, the same work can appear different during the day. Morning shadows can emphasize relief details, while evening light can change the impression of volume and surface. For this reason, the contest is not only an accompanying activity, but a logical extension of the basic festival idea: if the sculptures last only briefly, photography becomes one of the ways to turn their transience into a more lasting record.
Final evening with the announcement of the winners
The central closing program has been announced for Friday, 3 July, beginning at 8:00 p.m. At that time, the ceremonial announcement of the winners, the award ceremony, and an entertainment program concluding the four-day event will take place. According to the announcement, the youngest visitors will be treated to a performance by Clown Marko, while the evening will end with a concert by The Beatles Revival Band. The catering offer during the finale will be prepared by La Mar Bar&Kitchen and the local Rab Brewery.
This kind of closing concept expands the festival beyond the exhibition of sculptures itself and turns it into an evening gathering for different generations of visitors. The daytime part of the program is focused on the artistic process, observing work, and staying on the beach, while the final evening introduces awards, music, and the social character of the event. For families, travelers, and lovers of cultural events, this means that the visit can be planned as a full-day or multi-day stay in Lopar. In this context, accommodation near Paradise Beach can be a practical choice for those who want to follow both the daytime and evening parts of the program.
Organizers, partners, and artistic direction
The festival is organized by the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Lopar and the Lopar Cultural Center. According to the announcement of the event, the project is carried out in cooperation with academic painter and professor Zlatko Kauzlarić Atač and the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Zagreb. The artistic director of the festival is academic sculptor Paula Banić, and the holding of the event is supported by the Municipality of Lopar, the Kvarner Tourist Board, and Imperial Riviera d.d., a member of the Valamar group.
Such a network of organizers and partners shows that the festival connects local tourist institutions, the cultural sector, and the academic artistic community. For a destination such as Lopar, this is important because the event does not remain merely a seasonal attraction, but also gains an educational and artistic dimension. The involvement of academic artists and cooperation with institutions of fine arts education contribute to the professional standard of production, while local infrastructure makes it possible for the program to be accessible to a wider audience.
According to the official calendar of the Tourist Board of the island of Rab, admission to the Festival of Sand Sculptures is free. This information further opens the event to visitors who happen to be in Lopar during their holiday or a one-day excursion. Free access is especially important for outdoor events because it reduces the barrier between the everyday life of the beach and the cultural program. A visitor can stop, observe the artists’ work, return later, and compare the progress, without a strictly defined gallery schedule.
Lopar between beach holidays and cultural programming
On tourist websites, Lopar is presented as a place marked by sandy beaches, natural landscape, and recreational opportunities throughout the year. The official website of the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Lopar states that it is a popular holiday destination, while the national tourist website Visit Lopar highlights Paradise Beach as the largest and best known among the sandy beaches of that area. The Festival of Sand Sculptures fits into such an identity because it uses the destination’s recognizable natural element and turns it into public cultural content.
For an international audience, the event may also be interesting because it shows a different form of summer tourism on the Adriatic. Instead of viewing the season only through swimming, nautical activities, and hospitality offers, the festival emphasizes the creative use of public space. Visitors can see how the beach turns into a meeting place for artists, families, photographers, and chance passers-by. This type of program is particularly suitable for destinations that want to offer content beyond the standard sun-and-sea model, while at the same time not separating visitors from the landscape because of which they came there in the first place.
The anniversary, fifteenth edition additionally confirms the continuity of the event. Events that are held for more than a decade gradually become part of the local calendar and a recognizable element of destination identity. In the case of Lopar, the festival relies on what the place already has: sand, open space, a summer audience, and a strong connection with the sea. For this reason, the announced edition brings not only a new series of sculptures, but also a reminder that a cultural program can arise from very simple elements – sand, water, an idea, and work.
The Festival of Sand Sculptures also announces the broader summer rhythm of events in Lopar. After the final evening on 3 July, the sculptures will remain on the beach for some time, but their form will gradually change under the influence of weather and space. It is precisely in this that part of the attraction of the event lies: it does not try to stop transience, but turns it into a reason for coming, observing, and recording the moment. For visitors to Paradise Beach, this means that the beginning of July will bring an encounter of beach holidays, public art, and a local story written in sand.
Sources:
- Rab Danas – announcement of the 15th Festival of Sand Sculptures, program, list of artists, statement by the director of the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Lopar, and organizational data (link)
- Rab Visit / Tourist Board of the island of Rab – official event calendar for the Festival of Sand Sculptures 2026 in Lopar, date, location, and information on free admission (link)
- Rab Visit / Tourist Board of the island of Rab – description of Paradise Beach, length, facilities, and Blue Flag status (link)
- Tourist Board of the Municipality of Lopar – official information about Lopar, sandy beaches, Paradise Beach, and the tourist characteristics of the place (link)
- Visit Lopar / Croatia.hr – tourist description of Lopar and Paradise Beach in the national system of tourist promotion (link)