The first week of the 12th Dubrovnik Winter Festival kicks off with an unforgettable celebration on Stradun and a performance by Doris Dragović!

Dubrovnik, November 28, 2025 – A rich program of music, entertainment, children’s activities, and gastronomy awaits all visitors at this year’s 12th edition of the Dubrovnik Winter Festival. From November 29 to January 3, 2026, the entire city will shine in festive lights. The official opening of the festival will take place on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 7:30 PM with the lighting of the first Advent candle in front of the Cathedral, followed by a concert by the legendary Doris Dragović on Stradun.

Throughout the festival, a diverse and engaging entertainment program will take place week after week. Young visitors will be especially delighted by the “Santa’s Christmas Tale,” organized by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board. Santa’s cheerful helpers will accompany him on his snowy sleigh all the way to the Rector’s Palace, where meet-and-greet sessions will be held from 3 PM to 6 PM during the first three days of the festival, November 29, 30, and December 1, 2025.

At the Bunić-Kaboga Summer Residence at 9 AM, an educational workshop for children called “Young Botanists” will be held, designed to spark curiosity and a love for the world of plants.

On Saturday morning, November 29, free guided thematic tours of the city in Croatian and English, also organized by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, will begin. The English-language tour starts at 9:30 AM, while the 12:30 PM slot is reserved for the Croatian-language tour. Both tours depart from the TIC at Pile.

To make Saturday morning in the city truly festive, from 11:30 AM in front of St. Blaise Church, Dubrovnik residents and visitors can enjoy performances by various folk groups.

As part of the “Colorful Winter” program in Lapad Bay, the area will be transformed into a lively creative workshop from the early morning. At 10 AM, a Mediterranean Advent wreath workshop begins at Café Esperanza, followed at 11 AM by Maritimo Recycling showing how recycled plastic can be turned into Christmas decorations. At 12 PM, the band “Maratones” will perform at the fountain stage, and at 1 PM, the “Dragon Festival for Children and Youth” will take place on the Lapad Bay beach under the guidance of the Nimbus Aero Club.

Staff and collaborators from the City of Dubrovnik’s Department for Education, Sports, Social Welfare, and Civil Society, alongside the Colorful Winter in the Bay, have also prepared a series of activities for children and youth at the Parish of the Most Holy Savior in Mokošica. A storytime session of “Snow White” begins at 2 PM, followed by a Christmas painting workshop at 3 PM. “Winter Cookie Tale” for the youngest participants starts at 4:30 PM. On Saturday, November 29, at 6 PM, the program will be officially opened on the square in front of the parish with choir performances and the lighting of the first Advent candle.

Sunday, November 30, is also reserved for children. At 11 AM, the guest performance “Paws” will take place at the Marina Držić Theatre. The same day, a creative Christmas workshop led by the Society for Our Children will be held at 2 PM in the Parish Hall of the Most Holy Savior, followed at 3 PM by the “Christmas Decorations from Recycled Plastic” workshop organized by Maritimo Recycling, where participants will learn to make festive decorations from discarded materials. At the Rector’s Palace, Santa Claus will host the Christmas Tale from 3 to 6 PM. From 4 to 5:30 PM, the Marina Držić House will host a free thematic tour “Držić’s Contemporaries,” gathering at the Arms Square.

On Monday, December 1, “Paws” will be performed twice at Marina Držić Theatre at 10 and 11 AM, while at 3 PM, Santa’s Christmas Tale will once again take place at the Rector’s Palace, marking the final session of this event.

On Tuesday, December 2, “Paws” will again be performed at 10 and 11 AM at Marina Držić Theatre. At 6 PM, the Children’s Choir will fill the second Lazareti building with magical sounds, and at 8 PM, Giuliano & Diktatori will perform on the stage in front of the Student Centre Dubrovnik as part of Advent at Vojnović.

On Wednesday, December 3, children can once more enjoy “Paws” at 10 and 11 AM at Marina Držić Theatre. At 7:30 PM, in the Dubrovnik Advent Park at the former Remiza parking lot, Josip Škiljo and Ivica Lazaneo will entertain the audience with a humorous stand-up show from the Split scene.

Thursday, December 4, brings a day full of creativity and technology as part of the TIP TOP TUP program, held at the CDMO premises above Love Bar. The program starts at 3 PM with the workshop “Robotics and Screen-Free Programming,” organized by the Dubrovnik Technical Culture Association and the Futura IT Club. At 4:30 PM, a painting workshop “Finger Vision – Drawing Cartoons in Miniature” led by Ivana Gille and the Histeria Association will take place, followed at 6 PM by a holiday card-making workshop led by Carmela Grgurević in cooperation with Aster Dubrovnik. Also at 3 PM, an Advent city walk is organized, meeting at the North Pole station at Pile or the TIC. Dubrovnik Libraries prepare an Advent program: at 5 PM, a “St. Nicholas” storytime will be held at the City Branch, and at 5:30 PM, a creative Christmas workshop for adults led by Ivona Perak will take place at the Cavtat Branch. The evening program includes a themed DJ Party in Dubrovnik Advent Park, while at 8 PM, the guest performance “Filomena Marturano” by the Tivat Cultural Centre will be staged at Marina Držić Theatre.

On Friday, December 5, the Cabrio bus will entertain citizens and children around the city from 9 to 11:30 AM, complemented by Backstage Boys with Medo, the Lazareti Dance Studio, and St. Nicholas with Krampus. From 10 AM at the Old Town Port, on the small pier, Galijun Tirena will open its festive gastronomic offer, remaining open until January 7. At 12 PM, St. Nicholas will delight children at the Rector’s Palace, organized by the Society for Our Children Dubrovnik. The TUP space will be dedicated to creativity all day, starting at 3 PM with the “Christmas Decorations from Recycled Plastic” workshop, followed at 4:30 PM by the “Gift for St. Nicholas” workshop, and at 6 PM by the painting workshop “Decorative Wreaths with Cotton.” At 4 PM, the Rector’s Palace will host the children’s workshop “Tram Ride.”

Dubrovnik Libraries, at the City Branch, will hold a Christmas art workshop for children and youth at 5 PM led by Lena Kramarić. At 7:30 PM, DJ Alex G will take over Dubrovnik Advent Park with a dynamic Trash Party, followed at 8 PM by a concert of Prljavo Kazalište at the Student Dorm as part of Advent at Vojnović.

The ice rinks in Lapad and Mokošica open on Saturday, November 29, and will operate Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 10 AM to 10 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 11 PM. Working hours may change due to weather conditions and optimal ice formation. The carousel at Pile also opens on Saturday, November 29, operating on weekdays from 12 PM to 8 PM, and weekends from 10 AM to 8 PM.

This year introduces a new catering concept. The Advent huts and program will be arranged at three key locations: Arms Square, Gundulić Field, and Pile (Brsalje), which will become a new family hub with a large carousel and festive activities for children and their parents.

To make attending Advent programs easier for citizens and visitors, free Libertas bus transport will be available on city and suburban routes operating in Dubrovnik every day from 5 PM until the last departure. Additionally, the price of the DU Pass, a joint ticket for the most important Dubrovnik attractions, has been reduced from €40 to €20 to make cultural offerings more accessible during the Advent period.

The City of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, in cooperation with cultural institutions and public companies, have prepared a truly wide range of events for all ages. More information about all events is available on the Dubrovnik Winter Festival website and social media channels.