Špancirfest 2026 has revealed its program: Varaždin turns its historic core into a large open-air stage for ten days
From 21 to 30 August 2026, Varaždin will host Špancirfest for the 28th time, one of the most recognizable festivals in continental Croatia. According to the official announcement by the organizers, this year's edition brings around 600 programs arranged across 23 festival zones in the historic city core. The program connects concerts, street performances, theatre plays, workshops, content for children, art projects, design, gastronomy and evening entertainment, while the festival's official website announces that a large part of the events will take place in streets, squares, courtyards and parks. The organizers emphasize that Špancirfest remains above all a street festival, although the concert section is one of its most visible assets.
The program of the 28th edition was presented by the Varaždin Tourist Board, and according to the Hina report published by Jutarnji list, Tourist Board director Jelena Toth pointed out that the festival retains the combination of major music events and content created through the direct encounter between performers and the audience. Varaždin Mayor Neven Bosilj announced the continuation of free public transport during the festival days, including connections between large parking areas and the festival center. This is intended to reduce traffic pressure on the historic core and make it easier for visitors to arrive.
The main stage brings international and regional names
The central music program will take place on the PAN stage near the Old Town, one of the most recognizable festival locations. According to the official Špancirfest program, on 21 August a concert titled Tragom Olivera will be held there, dedicated to the musical legacy of Oliver Dragojević. The organizers announce performances by his collaborators and friends, including Tedi Spalato, Goran Karan, Petar Dragojević and the group Delfini. The concert opens a series of major evening events in a venue that over the years has become a symbol of the festival.
The following day, 22 August, Plavi Orkestar will perform on the same stage, a band whose songs have marked several generations of listeners across Southeastern Europe. The official music program for 23 August confirms the performance by the British electronic group Kosheen, whose arrival had earlier been announced as the first major music announcement of this year's edition. Kosheen achieved international recognition in the early 2000s with a blend of electronic music, breakbeat and vocally prominent pop sound, and the organizers point out that the band will perform at Špancirfest for the first time. The concert by the British group gives the program an international dimension and connects the festival's street identity with club and electronic music tradition.
As the festival continues, Seine and Zoster come to the PAN stage, announced in the official program for 25 August. Seine, the authorial project of Ivan Ščapec, connects Varaždin with the current regional independent scene, while Mostar-based Zoster brings a blend of reggae, ska, rock and blues. The closing weekend brings three major concerts: Zabranjeno pušenje on 28 August, Dubioza Kolektiv on 29 August and Silente on 30 August. The organizers emphasize that performers of different generations and styles will alternate on the main stage, from cult regional names to bands that in recent years have shaped the contemporary festival sound.
Vila Bedeković: concerts, theatre and the only ticketed program
Vila Bedeković has a special place in this year's program because the festival's music series begins there with a ceremonial Gala Opening on 21 August. According to the official announcement, this program will combine classical music, jazz, swing, tango and well-known musical themes performed by the Zagreb Soloists, soprano Evelin Novak, the Varaždin Trio, Nikola Hrupek, Gelato Sisters, Zdenka Kovačiček and Swingers of Robert Mareković. The organizers also announce a refreshed concept of the venue, with a more intimate atmosphere, but also with the possibility of standing and dancing during part of the program. This further profiles the stage at Vila Bedeković as a place for audiences seeking a different experience from the large concerts near the Old Town.
At the same location, Amira Medunjanin performs on 22 August, and Doris Dragović on 29 August. The closing evening, 30 August, is titled From Sanremo to Varaždin and is dedicated to Italian songs in tamburica arrangements by the Varaždin Tamburica Orchestra and soloists Gabrijela Hrženjak, Filip Hozjak and Neven Stipčić. In this way, the official program introduces into the space of Vila Bedeković a musical range from sevdah and popular music to Italian canzoni.
The theatre program at Vila Bedeković brings six plays. According to the official schedule, Penzići luduju is on the program on 23 August, Iva i Gloria on 24 August, Kako je sve počelo on 25 August, Ljubaf on 26 August, Uspješna.hr on 27 August, and Muškarci.hr on 28 August. The official ticket page states that concerts and theatre plays at Vila Bedeković are the only festival contents for which tickets must be purchased, while numerous other programs are available in open city spaces. Prices published on the ticket page range, depending on the program, from 16 euros for theatre plays to 25 or 30 euros for individual concerts, with an additional ticket issuing fee.
Secret concerts and music beyond the large stages
One of the novelties of the 28th edition is the concept of secret music events at hidden locations in the historic core. The organizers announce that the audience will learn the exact location immediately before the performance, while so far only the thematic guidelines of the program have been published. The official announcement mentions A Night in Paris, love songs, music from the film Tko pjeva, zlo ne misli and film music. This moves part of the concert program from standard festival logistics into a format that emphasizes anticipation, a limited number of visitors and the discovery of less visible spaces of the city.
According to the official announcement, Špancirfest will offer around 200 music programs over ten days. Some of them will take place in the Carlsberg Food & Party zone, where the organizers announce an emphasis on retro sound and world music. Among the announced performers in that zone are ET, Cargodusjeti, Bosak & The Second Hand Band, Cat Paws and The Bestbeat - Tribute Beatles. The performance by the tribute group The Bestbeat is scheduled for 29 August, on the 60th anniversary of the Beatles' final public performance, which the organizers highlight as a symbolic detail of the program.
The music section will not be limited to classic stages. The official announcement mentions Heroes of the Street, the Music Camper, workshops and mini concerts connected with the Music Clinic, and performances that will fit into the everyday rhythm of the festival streets. Such a concept corresponds to the long-standing logic of Špancirfest, in which the visitor does not come only to one concert or play, but enters an urban whole that for ten days behaves as a dispersed festival scene.
Street artists remain the heart of the festival
The street program is again presented this year as the most recognizable part of Špancirfest. According to the official announcement, performers from about ten European countries bring musical, light, fire, acrobatic and costumed performances, including performances on stilts and trapeze. The organizers emphasize that the audience at Špancirfest is not only an observer, but often becomes part of the performance, whether through interaction, sudden choreographies or the spontaneous inclusion of passers-by. This approach distinguishes the festival from closed-type concerts and makes Varaždin's historic core an open stage.
The program announces the French collectives Moz Production and Compagnie Remue Ménage, Spanish Brincadeira, Italian Parola Bianca, Bulgarian Nov Cirk, Austrian Flame Rain Theatre, German Stelzen Art and Dulce Compania, Spanish Sidral Brass Band, Macedonian Teatrosk and Hungarian LaLuz Visuals. The official street program schedule lists performances at King Tomislav Square, Franciscan Square, in Gajeva and Uršulinska streets, and in the Creative Park in Habdelićeva Street. This distributes the festival energy across several points, and visitors are encouraged to move through the city, which is also the original meaning of strolling, or španciranje.
A special visual dimension is brought by light and night programs, among which the organizers highlight projections and performances that change the perception of city façades. According to the official announcement, LaLuz Visuals will again use the historic core as a canvas for light and colors, while fire and acrobatic performances create the evening rhythm of the festival after sunset. The street program is therefore not conceived as accompanying content to the main concerts, but as an independent backbone of the festival. The original festival text rightly emphasizes that the most unrepeatable moments arise precisely in the street, because each performance changes every time depending on the space, the audience and the moment.
New zones: Kooglach, Dolce Vita Garden and the return of favorite contents
This year's edition also brings new festival zones. Kooglach, located on Freedom Square, will, according to the official announcement, be dedicated to ice cream, summer flavors, creative scenography, a music program and content for different generations. Dolce Vita Garden in the courtyard of Sermage Palace is conceived as a small Italian square, with an ambience inspired by the scents of lemons, Italian delicacies, canzoni, a cabaret show and a fashion show. This zone emphasizes the Mediterranean motif of relaxed enjoyment, but places it in the Baroque space of Varaždin's historic core, creating a contrast between local architecture and Italian atmosphere.
Also returning are Vinski grad, Okusi svijeta, Kreativnica, Umjetnička ulica, Retro zona and Preloved Market. According to the official announcement, Vinski grad beneath the walls of the Old Town brings together around forty winemakers from Croatian wine regions and a selected gastronomic offer. Okusi svijeta continues the street food concept inspired by cuisines from different parts of the world, while Kreativnica brings together small brands, designers and authors of unique products. The organizers state that 49 exhibitors will present themselves in Kreativnica, 16 of whom are new, and the offer includes jewelry, decorative objects, scented candles and useful wooden items.
Preloved Market returns after last year's success, this time at a new location in Ankica Opolski Street. According to the organizers, the zone is focused on sustainable fashion, content creators, small entrepreneurs and extending the life cycle of clothing and objects. Alongside the market section, an exhibition of posters titled Slow Down! has also been announced, created by students of the Media Design Department of the University North, with messages about consumption habits and their impact on the environment. Retro zona, on the other hand, brings back the atmosphere of past decades through vinyl music, cult objects, old-timers and a disco mood, thereby expanding the festival offer beyond the framework of classic gastronomic and musical entertainment.
Children, families and technology have their own festival spaces
Špancirfest 2026 devotes a significant part of the program to children and families. According to the official children's program, the Creative Park in Habdelićeva Street brings LEGO academies, creative workshops, plays, mini disco, sensory content and activities that combine play, imagination and learning. The schedule includes, among others, LEGO academies with the themes Dinotopia, Little Engineers, Power of the Wind, Home RoboMaster, Gravity and Builders of the Future. The program takes place over several festival days, with morning and afternoon slots, which allows families to plan visits outside the evening crowds.
The organizers also announce the return of Vindiland, the Creative Park, Baltazargrad and the Gaming Zone. Baltazargrad is based on the world of Professor Balthazar and a scientific-research approach to play, and this year, according to the official announcement, brings the Baltazar Machine, a descent submarine, a flying washing machine, research workshops and the first presentation of the Baltazar Academy and educational boxes. The Gaming Zone again targets fans of video games, tournaments, new games and retro classics. Such a range shows that the festival is not aimed only at the evening concert audience, but also at families seeking a daytime cultural and entertainment program.
Varaždin as a backdrop: a city with a long cultural history
Varaždin is a city in northwestern Croatia, located by the Drava and known for its preserved historic core, palaces, churches, squares and Old Town. The Varaždin Tourist Board states that the city was first mentioned in 1181, and in 1209 it received the charter of a free royal city. This context is important for understanding Špancirfest because the festival does not use an anonymous space, but a historic backdrop that is itself part of the experience.
The official Špancirfest website describes Varaždin as a city that during the festival opens its streets and squares to the world. According to the organizers, concerts, street performances, workshops, exhibitions, plays, gastronomic programs and children's content turn the city every year into an open-air stage that attracts more than 300 thousand visitors. That is precisely why this year's slogan, Reason to Come. Reason to Return., rests not only on the names of performers, but also on the idea of a renewed encounter with the city. For visitors coming for the first time, the program is an entry into Varaždin; for those returning, the festival is a continuation of a personal ritual at the end of summer.
Arrival, parking and organizational information
According to the official Špancirfest announcement, free parking areas will be available during the festival at four locations: near Roto Dinamic at Optujska 157, near Gumiimpex GRP in Mihovila P. Miškine Street near house numbers 64B and 64C, near Varaždin City Pools at Zagrebačka 85A and 89, and near Auto klub Varteks at Biškupečka 3. Free city public transport to the city center will be organized from these locations. Hina, in a report published by Jutarnji list, also conveyed the announcement by Mayor Neven Bosilj that public city transport on regular lines will also be free during Špancirfest.
Such organization is important because the festival takes place in the historic core, a space that functions best as a pedestrian zone. The densest festival points are located within a compact urban whole, so most programs can be visited on foot. In this way, the organizers preserve the basic idea of the festival: walking as a way of discovering the program. Špancirfest therefore cannot be reduced only to a list of performances, because its format rests on movement through the city and the constant intertwining of music, food, art and street performance.
Sources:
- Špancirfest - official announcement of the program of the 28th edition, festival zones, music, street, family and organizational contents (link)
- Špancirfest - official music program by performers, dates and locations (link)
- Špancirfest - official street program and schedule of performances in the historic core (link)
- Špancirfest - official information on tickets, prices and sales for programs at Vila Bedeković (link)
- Varaždin Tourist Board - information on the history, location and cultural context of Varaždin (link)
- Jutarnji list / Hina - report from the presentation of the program, statements by the organizers and information on free transport (link)