Špancirfest in full swing: Varaždin enters the final stretch with fire, theatre, secret music and street spectacles
Špancirfest entered the seventh of its ten festival days on 27 August 2026, while the historic centre of Varaždin continues to serve as a stage where street performances, music, theatre, creative workshops and children's programmes alternate throughout the day. According to the festival's official programme, Thursday brings activities from the morning hours until late in the evening, with several performances repeated at different locations around the city. In today's festival announcement, the organisers highlight the return of the visual spectacle Aurora in Motion, the French Fantaisie Baroque, the evening fire show Trik Mekanik, the Varaždin premiere of the play Uspješna.hr and a new episode of the Secret Musical Experience. Alongside them, the programme also includes a concert by Bosak & The Second Hand Band, children's workshops, Heroes of the Streets, Kreativnica, InterACT Green and a range of other activities. The seventh day therefore confirms the format of this year's edition, in which the main events are not concentrated on a single stage but take place simultaneously in squares, streets, courtyards and parks.
Ten days, 23 festival zones and around 600 programmes
This year's Špancirfest is being held from 21 to 30 August, and the Varaždin Tourist Board states that this is the 28th edition of the festival. According to the organisers, the programme is spread across 23 festival zones in Varaždin's historic centre and includes around 600 individual events. The music segment alone brings around 200 programmes, ranging from major concerts and performances in smaller zones to music moving through the city streets. The festival concept therefore does not rely solely on a few large evening events, but on the continuous use of public space, with Korzo, Stari grad, Franjevački trg, Trg slobode, Habdelićeva and Uska ulica, as well as the courtyards of historic buildings, becoming separate but interconnected stages. According to the official announcement, concert and theatre programmes at Vila Bedeković are singled out as events requiring a ticket, while a large proportion of the street and accompanying programmes are available free of charge.
The pace of the seventh day clearly demonstrates the scale of such a concept. The official schedule for 27 August began as early as 10:00, when the morning programmes of Park kreative, Vindiland, Glazbena klinika and other festival zones opened. In the afternoon, events also move into the streets and squares, while from 17:00 children's programmes, creative workshops, InterACT Green, Preloved Market and the Retro Zone become active simultaneously. During the evening slot, street spectacles, theatre, concerts and music programmes overlap, meaning that the official schedule effectively offers visitors several different routes through the city. This dispersion is precisely one of Špancirfest's key characteristics: the city is not merely the backdrop to the festival, but its principal performance space.
Aurora in Motion returns to Franjevački trg
One of the most striking street programmes on 26 August was Aurora in Motion, and the official schedule for 27 August confirms two further performances - at 17:30 and 19:30 at Franjevački trg near the monument to Grgur Ninski. The performance by the group Parola Bianca is based on a combination of movement, light and costumes, without relying on a conventional theatre stage. The organisers describe it as an encounter with tall, unusually shaped characters, impressive costumes and lighting effects that draw passers-by into a surreal atmosphere. According to the programme, each of today's performances lasts 45 minutes and is free of charge. Aurora in Motion thus remains one example of a programme that can be viewed both as a planned performance and as an intervention in the everyday space of the city.
Fantaisie Baroque turns Korzo into an eccentric Baroque stage
The French artistic collective Moz Drums arrived at Špancirfest with two street concepts, and on 27 August Fantaisie Baroque occupies the centre of the programme. According to the official schedule, performances at Trg kralja Tomislava - Korzo begin at 18:00 and 20:00, with each lasting 45 minutes. The organisers describe the project as a combination of drums, street theatre, rhythm and extravagant Baroque-Rococo visuals. The performers appear in striking costumes and hats, but instead of ceremonial seriousness, the programme is built around humour, improvisation, dance and direct interaction with the audience. Admission to both of today's performances is free.
Trik Mekanik brings fire, acrobatics and controlled chaos at 21:00
As the daytime programme begins to wind down, Trg kralja Tomislava is taken over by Flame Rain Theatre with the performance Trik Mekanik. The official programme confirms a start at 21:00 and a duration until 21:45, and it is a free non-verbal fire show. According to the organisers' description, the story is built around a brilliant inventor and her unusual constructions, among which a large machine emitting steam and lighting effects stands out, while the action gradually turns into ever greater chaos. Fire, acrobatics and physical comedy are not merely decoration but the fundamental elements of the performance. Since the show is non-verbal, following it does not depend on knowledge of any particular language, making it especially suitable for an international festival audience.
The 21:00 performance is one of Thursday's central moments on Korzo, but it will not be the only evening programme at that location. According to the official schedule, La Luz Visuals is also planned there from 21:00 to 23:45, while Glazbena kamperica returns from 22:00 to 23:15. Trik Mekanik has another performance on 28 August in the same evening slot, meaning the programme also extends into the festival's final weekend. On 27 August, however, its first Varaždin performance comes at a time when several major events overlap, requiring visitors to choose between Korzo, Vila Bedeković, the secret music location and the concert zone near Stari grad.
The Secret Musical Experience moves to Julijanovo dvorište
One of the new features of the 28th Špancirfest is the concept of Secret Musical Experiences, small concerts whose locations are revealed only shortly before they take place. Before the festival, the organiser announced several themed evenings inspired by film music, love songs, French chansons and music from the film "He Who Sings Means No Harm". The idea is based on limited capacity and the use of settings that are not normally standard festival stages. In this way, the music programme moves beyond the usual concert format and links the content to the architecture and atmosphere of a particular space. Earlier secret concerts this week were held, among other places, in the atrium of the City Hall and the atrium of the County Palace.
Today's official festival announcement reveals that the musical story on 27 August at 21:00 will move to Julijanovo dvorište, the area near Žnidaršić, with a programme inspired by music from the cult film "He Who Sings Means No Harm". The organisers highlight the vintage details, vinyl records and retro atmosphere of the courtyard as a natural setting for such a repertoire. The day before, the programme "From Varaždin to Paris with Love", dedicated to French chansons, was held in the atrium of the County Palace, featuring Blanka Tkalčić, Danijel Oto, Marko Prepelić, Nikola Novak, Gordan Perši and Abel Kovačević. Today's change of location and theme demonstrates how the entire concept is based on the element of discovery: the audience knows the general idea, but the venue becomes known only shortly before the performance. In a city with a preserved historic centre, this format further connects the festival programme with lesser-known courtyards and passageways.
Varaždin premiere of the play Uspješna.hr at Vila Bedeković
The theatre programme of the evening begins at 20:30 at Vila Bedeković, where Kazalište Moruzgva performs Uspješna.hr. Špancirfest announces it as the Varaždin premiere, and the official programme schedules the performance to end at 22:00. The play begins with a fictional awards ceremony organised by the Uspješna.hr portal and, through the public speeches of the female award winners, gradually opens a space for their private doubts, fears and compromises. According to the festival description, the play uses humour, emotional situations, dance and music to examine society's image of success and the expectations placed on women. A ticket is required for this programme, unlike most of the street events taking place simultaneously in the city centre.
The previous evening, 26 August, Vila Bedeković hosted a performance of Ljubaf by Kerekesh Teatar. The organisers announced the day before the performance that no tickets remained, and in their review on 27 August described the atmosphere by saying that an extra seat was being sought. The theatre programme has thus entered the second half of the festival with strong audience interest. Uspješna.hr continues a series of plays running at Vila Bedeković from 23 to 28 August, with Muškarci.hr following at the same location at 20:30 on 28 August. The theatre strand therefore functions over six consecutive evenings as a separate programme block within the much broader street and music festival.
InterACT Green connects the festival with the future of Dravska park-šuma
This year's Špancirfest also includes the InterACT Green project programme, which takes place on 27 August from 17:00 to 20:00 in the atrium of the City Hall. Through the character Dravoznalac, QR codes, research tasks and escape-room elements, visitors learn about Dravska park-šuma and plans for its regeneration. The festival programme states that the activity is free and is repeated on 26, 27 and 28 August. In this way, an environmental and urban theme is given a place within an event that attracts a large part of its audience through music and street art. The programme is designed to communicate information about the area along the Drava through games and interaction rather than through a conventional presentation.
According to official data from the City of Varaždin, the project's full title is "Green infrastructure InterACTive management and regeneration tested through River Drava Forest Park in Varaždin", and the City of Varaždin is its lead partner. The total value of the project is EUR 5,166,425.60, of which EUR 4,133,140.48 is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the European Urban Initiative. The City states that the project runs for 42 months from March 2024 and is being implemented with several local and professional partners. The project also includes the development of a digital platform for information, interactive maps, environmental monitoring and data management for Dravska park-šuma.
Work on the regeneration of Dravska park-šuma began in February 2026, according to an announcement by the City of Varaždin. The City stated at the time that interventions were being carried out on 15 smaller plots covering a total area of 6.04 hectares and that old, dry, damaged and decayed trees presenting a safety risk and obstructing natural regeneration were being removed. According to the same source, the felling covers around four per cent of the park forest's total timber stock, while the regeneration programme was prepared by the Croatian Forest Research Institute. This context gives additional weight to the festival presentation of InterACT Green: it is not merely promotional content, but a project whose implementation is already visible on the ground and which encompasses physical regeneration, digital solutions and long-term green infrastructure management.
Uska ulica remains the centre of Kreativnica, while Stari grad gets an evening concert
The original festival review also specifically highlights Kreativnica in Uska ulica, one of the narrowest and most recognisable streets in Varaždin's historic centre. The Varaždin Tourist Board announced a call in spring for creatives to participate in this exhibition and sales zone, which runs throughout all ten festival days. The organiser describes Kreativnica as a meeting place for established designers and authors who are still building their audience, with an emphasis on original items, clothing, jewellery, illustrations and decorations. Today's schedule also includes a DJ programme at Kreativnica from 18:00 to 22:00, with DJ VIKNESS announced for 27 August. Uska ulica therefore retains its own musical rhythm even after the daytime exhibition section closes.
The evening's music continues towards Stari grad as well. Bosak & The Second Hand Band performs in the Carlsberg Food & Party zone at 21:00, with the official programme scheduling the concert until 23:00 and offering free admission. The organisers present the group as a ten-member Zagreb band combining classic rock with blues and country and which, after initially performing a cover repertoire, placed greater emphasis on its own songs. Their performance forms part of a separate music strand near Stari grad, which alternates throughout the festival with DJ programmes and other bands. For visitors coming to Varaždin for several days of the festival's final stretch, accommodation offers in Varaždin are also practical, particularly because of evening programmes that finish late and continue until the festival's final day on 30 August.
Thursday without a major PAN stage concert, but with programmes almost everywhere
The main PAN stage near Stari grad has no major concert on 27 August, but the official schedule shows that this does not mean a quieter festival evening. From 17:00 onwards, InterACT Green, Preloved Market and the Retro Zone take place in parallel, while Fantaisie Baroque, Puzijada, Heroes of the Streets and the Kreativnica DJ programme begin at 18:00. At 19:00, Park kreative offers a children's detective quest, followed at 19:30 by the second Aurora in Motion performance and at 20:00 by the second Fantaisie Baroque performance. After 20:30, the programme divides between Vila Bedeković, Korzo, the secret music venue and Stari grad. Such a schedule makes the seventh day one of those occasions when choosing your own route is more important than trying to see everything.
After 27 August, Špancirfest will have three full festival days remaining. According to the official programme, the final weekend brings new street performances, theatre, workshops and major concerts, including Zabranjeno pušenje on 28 August, Dubioza Kolektiv on 29 August and Silente on 30 August on the PAN stage near Stari grad. Thursday, however, has a different character: instead of one dominant event, the evening is built from a series of small and medium-sized programmes distributed throughout the historic centre. That is precisely why today's schedule best illustrates the original meaning of the strolling festival - between events, the audience does not move from one enclosed hall to another, but passes through the city and a sequence of different performance spaces. On its seventh day, Špancirfest therefore enters the final stretch without slowing down, with a programme that simultaneously activates almost the entire centre of Varaždin from late afternoon into the night.
Sources:
- Špancirfest - official article "Špancirfest at its best rhythm", overview of events on 26 and 27 August 2026 (link)
- Špancirfest - official programme for day 7, times and locations of programmes on 27 August 2026 (link)
- Špancirfest - announcement of the 28th edition, information about 23 festival zones, 600 programmes and the music programme (link)
- Špancirfest - official descriptions of Aurora in Motion, Fantaisie Baroque, Trik Mekanik, Uspješna.hr and Bosak & The Second Hand Band (Aurora, Fantaisie Baroque, Trik Mekanik, Uspješna.hr, Bosak & The Second Hand Band)
- City of Varaždin - official information about the InterACT Green project, partners, budget and planned digital platform (link)
- City of Varaždin - announcement about the start of regeneration work in Dravska park-šuma in February 2026 (link)
- Špancirfest - call and official information about Kreativnica in Uska ulica at Špancirfest 2026 (link)