THE GRAND OPEN-AIR STAGE OF ĐAKOVO The Đakovački Vezovi Festival gathers visitors from five different continents!
Your soul will be filled with tradition and popular culture, Slavonian flavours, and the finest wines
Đakovo is gearing up for the Đakovački Vezovi! This event is an outstanding traditional, cultural, gastronomic, and musical experience, as confirmed by 140,000 visitors. In 2026, the programme kicks off on 19 June, with central events taking place from 3 to 5 July. These three peak days include the grand opening on Friday evening in front of the cathedral, beneath the visionary gaze of Bishop Strossmayer, as well as the ceremonial procession on Sunday. This year, marking the 60th edition, 60 folklore groups from Croatia and around the world will parade through the city centre, accompanied by the Đakovo Lipizzaners – faithful companions of the festival, both in everyday work and in ceremonial display.
Đakovo’s best days
During the festival, Đakovo becomes the best kind of open-air stage where entry to all events, including big concerts, is free of charge. The city streets, especially the promenade, squares, and parks resonate with tamburica music, while the ground vibrates under the feet of Slavonian and guest dancers, all dressed in a colourful sea of traditional costumes. Everything is immersed in Slavonian hospitality, as during these days the city hosts up to seven times more visitors than its population, who might want to check out the rooms of the newly opened luxury Hotel Diaco. And though they might not share accommodation, all visitors find themselves torn between photographing, filming, and planning their days so as not to miss any folklore performance, exhibition, book presentation, or concert. Our pro tip: relax and enjoy every moment.
Your soul will be filled with tradition and popular culture, Slavonian flavours, and the finest wines, as well as many exhibitions in venues such as the Museum of Đakovo, the Strossmayer Memorial Museum, and other cultural spaces. In recent years, the city has expanded its stages to accommodate the diversity of the programme – from Strossmayer Park and Square to the courtyard of Reichsmann. And behind the locally famous Small Church, a large festival tent hosts lively gatherings perfect for a night out with family and friends, accompanied by tamburica music and the perfect atmosphere. All generations join in dancing the traditional šokačko kolo. Restaurants extend their working hours, the promenade is buzzing with crowded summer terraces, and shop windows frame the scenes of old Slavonia.
Visiting Đakovo during these days is an excellent choice – whether you attend one of the main or accompanying events, the Children’s Festival (Mali vezovi), concerts ranging from tamburica to pop, rock, traditional and classical music, the folk costume fashion show, St. John’s bonfires, children’s programmes, or the Gastro Fest. You can enjoy traditional dishes at affordable prices – spicy čobanac, fish stew, or sausages – or simply stroll along the promenade with an ice cream, roasted corn, popcorn, or cotton candy in hand. For moments of peace and reflection, the cathedral offers spiritual calm, especially on 29 June, when the Feast of St. Peter is celebrated with ordinations. The monastery church is there for contemplation, and the Small Church remains open day and night.
Free entry to the State Stud Farm
No trip to Đakovo is complete without a visit to the State Stud Farm and the stables at Ivandvor. During the festival, the stud farm hosts equestrian competitions, while the mares and foals roam the plains of Ivandvor. One of the symbols of Đakovo is surely its cathedral, and the other the Lipizzaner horses, who participate in the grand opening and lead the ceremonial procession. Without them, the festival would not be complete.
The founders of the festival knew this back in 1967, when it was created as Đakovo’s contribution to the International Year of Tourism. Ever since, for 60 years, the city has been telling the story of Slavonia and how preserving tradition is a way of loving one’s heritage and passing it on to future generations. To mark the 60th anniversary, a photo exhibition in front of the cathedral will present a retrospective of each decade since 1967. The jubilee will also introduce the Vezovi Games, where one day of the
Children’s Festival will be dedicated to traditional children’s games such as sack racing, egg-andspoon races, hoop games, and corn shelling – nostalgia instead of digital distractions.
Over the years, folklore and dance groups from five continents have performed at the Đakovački Vezovi, with Africa yet to join. Europe, Mexico, the USA, India, and New Zealand have all paraded through Đakovo. This year, alongside groups from across Croatia, participants will arrive from Australia, Canada, Austria, Germany, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Vojvodina (Serbia). In recent years, the festival has also featured a partner region, with one day dedicated to Split-Dalmatia County, bringing the aromas and flavours of Dalmatia into the heart of Slavonia.
What is left to say but – come and feel it! Accept Đakovo’s invitation and allow all your senses to experience what it’s like to have a host that is warm, musical, joyful, and generous – one that will makeyou never want to leave.
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