The 5th Dubrovnik Winter Festival starts on 1 December 2018 with lighting of the first Advent candle and Christmas lights switch-on, which will introduce holiday atmosphere in the City, while the concert part of the festival opening will feature one of the most popular Croatian singers, Petar Grašo - it was announced at the press conference held at Luža, the festival's main information centre, where special novelty of the programme for children, North Pole Station, will be located. Hotel Libertas Rixos Dubrovnik once again hosted the reception after the presentation of the festival.
The City of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival have already announced the programme highlights of the fifth Dubrovnik Winter Festival and New Year's Eve programme at the beginning of summer, and the focus remains on big concerts in Stradun. Mayor Mato Franković pointed out at the press conference that numerous programmes for children and families will enable them to truly enjoy the holiday spirit of the City, and for this reason some of the programmes will last until the end of winter school holidays.
Once again, Stradun will be the centre of all events. One of the longest-lasting and most popular pop/rock bands, Prljavo kazalište, will perform there on the occasion of Dubrovnik Defenders' Day on 6 December. The most beautiful stage will also host the following bands: Soul Fingers on 8 December, Detour on 15 December, Hladno pivo on 21 December and Željko Bebek on 26 December, as well as Dubrovnik bands Teatar Band, Art Band and Valetudo on 27 December.
After these energetic electroacoustic and rock sounds, at the end of 2018, the programme of New Year's Eve in Stradun, organised in collaboration with Star produkcija, brings the famous and unique band The Gypsy Kings on 29 December. In the late 1980s, The Gypsy Kings had many hit productions which became globally successful, like Djobi, Djoba and Bamboleo, and they are still famous and play all over the world. With his band of family members, who are all talented singers and guitar players, Paco Baliardo brings passion and energy of their hit songs to the stage, and enjoying their music in open-air concert in the heart of the Old City will definitely be a special experience. The evening before New Year's Eve, on 30 December, Opća opasnost will perform their popular rock ballads in Stradun.
Before the spectacular New Year's Eve Party in Stradun, the children of Dubrovnik will enjoy New Year's Eve Party for Children featuring popular young singer Mia Negovetić and Super cover band. Croatian stars Nina Badrić and Toni Cetinski will entertain the citizens of Dubrovnik and their guests on 31 December. Top musicians on the world's most beautiful stage and impressive fireworks at midnight will ensure an unforgettable beginning of New Year in Stradun. After a memorable New Year's Eve, on the first day of 2019, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra will perform under the baton of American conductor Marc Tardue with soprano Marija Kuhar Šoša in traditional New Year's Concert entitled Orlando’s Ball at noon in Stradun, which will announce 2019 as Orlando’s Year, and visitors will enjoy music with oysters and sparkling wine, courtesy of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board. On the evening of 1 January, one of the most popular Croatian klapa ensembles, klapa Rišpet, will perform in Stradun.
For the second year in a row, the big Dubrovnik Christmas Concert of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra will be held at Hotel Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik on 22 December, featuring numerous Dubrovnik musicians, and this year they will be joined by tenor Domagoj Dorotić and leading Croatian soprano of the younger generation Martina Zadro. The concert will also include performances of Stijepo Gleđ Markos, Sara Žuvela, Maja Grgić, Doris Kosović, Vedran Ljubenko, klapa Kaše and female klapa FA Linđo.
The traditional Christmas Tale for children organised by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, where over a thousand Christmas presents will be given out, will take place on 16 December, while those with a sweet tooth will enjoy charity Cake Party in Stradun on 8 December. Dubrovnik cultural institutions have also prepared numerous programmes for visitors of all ages, and city administrative departments also participate in organisation of rich holiday programme.
Aside the main music programme on the main stage in Stradun, this year too, Christmas carols and traditional Dalmatian songs will be sung on weekends from Brsalje to Gundulić Square, where live music programmes will take place and Christmas kiosks will be offering a large variety of Christmas delicacies. Saturday holiday afternoons in Mokošica start on 8 December and they will take place at the sports ground near Kiss café. Stradun shop windows will be specially decorated to represent Advent Calendar by schoolchildren of Dubrovnik, mentored by artists Rajna Inić and Lucija Perojević.
This year's novelty, the North Pole Station in Luža will be open for the youngest visitors from 2 December until the end of winter holidays every day from 16:00 to 19:00, and family programmes will also take place at the cinema hall, where visitors will enjoy St Nicholas show, Dance Collage, Kindergarten Christmas Magic, Magic Winter Dance and Cinderella and travel back in time with some of the most beautiful Christmas films of all times. On the way home, Pile Park is the place to stop by on weekends because we have heard from reliable sources that it will snow at noon.
The programme Colourful Winter in Lapad Bay, last year's winner of the Award for Best Action for Children in Croatia, will offer even more programmes for children this year, including the ice skating rink and a special attraction - the Advent Train which will be free for all passengers. Ice skating rink will be open daily from 9:00 to 22:00. The Dubrovnik Winter Festival mobile application provides citizens and visitors with detailed information about the Dubrovnik Winter Festival programme and it is available for iOS and Android devices.
From 1 December, every day from 17:00 to the last departure in the evening, Libertas buses will operate free of charge on all city lines (including lines 28 and 35). During Winter Festival, free XMAS BUS will operate on the following route: Main Bus Station - Grawe - Pile - Vojnović - Lapad Post Office and Lapad Post Office - Vojnović - Pile - Main Bus Station.
Additional information on all events is available at the Dubrovnik Winter Festival website and social networks, as well as the City of Dubrovnik Event Calendar which offers detailed information not only on cultural, but also on social, educational, sport and entertainment events and brings an overview of all events organised or supported by city departments, institutions and companies, and all other events in Dubrovnik.
