North Macedonia · 5 days
5 Days in Ohrid
Fewer churches than the legend says, and better ones than you expect. Five days in Ohrid, built around real opening hours.
Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →
Music festival · Ohrid, North Macedonia
Ohrid Summer Festival
Ohridsko Leto · Охридско лето
When is it
Opens on 12 July and runs into August; the festival is always held between 12 July and 20 August
The 2027 date is not published yet.
At a glance
- Where
- Ohrid, North Macedonia
- Usually
- Opens on 12 July and runs into August; the festival is always held between 12 July and 20 August
- Kind
- Music, Arts and Film
The first evening is the one to catch. The audience climbs the old stone seats of the ancient theatre of Lychnidos, the theatre above the lake town, and the opening gala begins. In 2026 the 66th edition opened there on 12 July with a concert called "Love", built around the soprano Ermonela Jaho and the tenor Charles Castronovo with the orchestra of the Macedonian Opera and Ballet.
The festival was founded on 4 August 1961, and it has kept one fixed frame ever since: it is held between 12 July and 20 August. It began as a state project to show Macedonian culture at home and abroad, and its patron is the country's president. It has been a member of the European Festivals Association since 1994. Over the weeks you get classical concerts, opera, theatre and dance, with soloists and orchestras from Macedonia and abroad. The 2026 programme added a jazz strand, OH JAZZ, at Dolni Saraj, and events are also held at landmarks such as the Church of Saint Sophia.
How to go: the festival fills the town's long summer season, so you can build a stay around one or two concerts instead of the whole run. Check the programme once the organisers publish it (in 2026 it was announced in April), then book the evening and a room together, because July and August are the busiest weeks in Ohrid. Our guide to Ohrid covers the town, the lake and where to base yourself.
The dates of the 2027 edition are not out yet. Expect the opening on or around 12 July.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | – | Expected |
Ohrid Summer Festival: FAQ
When is the Ohrid Summer Festival 2027?
The 2027 dates are not announced. The festival is always held between 12 July and 20 August, and the 2025 and 2026 editions both opened on 12 July.
Where are the concerts held?
The opening gala is in the ancient theatre. Other events are held at landmarks such as the Church of Saint Sophia, and the 2026 jazz strand was at Dolni Saraj.
Plan the trip
More festivals in North Macedonia
Strumica CarnivalStrumicki KarnevalCarnival · Date not announced, In February or early March, before Orthodox Lent; the dates shift each year with Easter, Strumica, North Macedonia
A week of masked parades in Strumica before Lent; in 2026 more than 1,000 people in 39 groups from North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Bulgaria took part.
In February or early March, before Orthodox Lent; the dates shift each year with Easter
- Galicnik WeddingGalicka SvadbaFolk and Tradition · Date not announced, The weekend nearest 12 July, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Galičnik, North Macedonia
