
5 Days in Zagreb
A capital with no single postcard sight and a lot of good habits: coffee, markets, parks and one very odd museum.
Advent Zagreb
28 Nov – 7 Jan 2027
in 15 days
Confirmed · adventzagreb.hr, checked 11 Nov 2026
The city switches on in an evening. On Saturday 29 November 2025, Advent Zagreb opened at 16:30 with the first Advent candle at the Manduševac fountain, moved on to the Ice Park at King Tomislav Square at 18:30 for the Nutcracker ballet on ice, and ended with the lights coming on at Zrinjevac at 19:45. Three places in one evening, all in the centre.
Advent Zagreb is not one market in one square. It is a season spread across the city centre, with food and drink stalls, concerts, art exhibitions and an ice rink, running from the end of November to 7 January. The 2026 season runs from 28 November to 7 January 2027. It was voted the best Christmas market in Europe in 2016, 2017 and 2018, a title the organisers still display.
The calendar changes every year, but the pattern holds. Besides the opening evening, December brings events in the programme such as an Advent open house, a ball in the Upper Town called ZagreBal, and exhibitions in museums and small spaces. For 2025 the programme listed all this on the official site with a time for every event.
How to go. Most of the programme is in the city centre. Come on a weekday evening if you want room to move and the weekend if you want the crowds and the music. The five-day Zagreb guide below covers the city's museums, cafes and the Upper Town.
| Year | Dates | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28 Nov – 7 Jan | Confirmed | adventzagreb.hr |
| 2025 | 29 Nov – 7 Jan | Confirmed | index.hr |
From 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027, according to the official site.
In several places in the centre. In 2025 the opening evening used the Manduševac fountain, King Tomislav Square with its ice park, and Zrinjevac park; the ball was in the Upper Town.
Dubrovnik's patron saint is celebrated every 3 February, as it has been since 972: a long procession through the Old Town, with people in folk costume. On UNESCO's heritage list since 2009.
2–3 Feb 2027
Zagreb's big open-air music festival at Lake Jarun, held since 2006 over three days in late June; the 18th edition ran Monday to Wednesday, 22-24 June 2026.
Usually three days in late June, Monday to Wednesday
Three nights of electronic music at Park Mladeži in Split in July; the 2026 edition, 10-12 July, was billed as the largest yet, with visitors expected from more than 140 countries.
9–11 Jul 2027 · source