A rich musical, entertainment, gastronomic, and children's program awaits all visitors to Dubrovnik at this year's 11th Dubrovnik Winter Festival! From November 30th to January 6th, 2025, the entire city will shine in festive attire, officially kicking off this Saturday, November 30th, 2024, at 7 PM with the lighting of decorative holiday displays and thousands of lights. The grand opening will feature a concert by the popular Jelena Rozga.

Throughout the festival, a diverse entertainment program will take place weekly, offering an abundance of magical events. The youngest visitors will delight in Santa Claus's Christmas Fairy Tale from Lapland, organized by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board. Santa's cheerful helpers will assist him in arriving by snowy sleigh from Finland directly to the Rector’s Palace for gatherings starting at 3 PM during the first three days of this year’s festival.

On Saturday morning, thematic guided tours of the city in Croatian and English, also organized by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, will begin. Free tours will depart from the TIC at Pile Gate at 9:30 AM (English) and 12:30 PM (Croatian). To make the Saturday morning unforgettable, folk performances by various groups will take place from 11:30 AM in front of St. Blaise's Church.

As part of the “Colorful Winter in Lapad Bay,” children will have the opportunity to become "Little Designers" starting at 10 AM by participating in a Christmas card-making workshop led by the Dubrovnik Audiovisual Center (Café Esperanza). At 11 AM, a puppet show, The Little Red Riding Hood’s Journey to Grandma, performed by Aster Dubrovnik, will take the stage near the fountain. At noon, the "North Pole" painting workshop by the Kantunić Art Studio will follow, and at 1 PM, the program concludes with the "Kite Festival for Children and Youth" by the Nimbus Aero Club on the Lapad Bay beach.

The City of Dubrovnik’s Department for Education, Sports, Social Welfare, and Civil Society, in collaboration with the “Colorful Winter” program, has also organized various activities for children and youth in the Parish of the Holy Saviour in Mokošica. Starting at 1:30 PM, children can make Christmas decorations from plaster, led by the parish’s Caritas organization. At 3:30 PM, a children's workshop titled "Glowing Christmas Cards" will be hosted by the Futura Association and the Dubrovnik Technical Culture Community. The puppet show The Little Red Riding Hood’s Journey to Grandma will perform again at 5 PM, followed by the opening program's highlight: a performance by the Holy Saviour Parish Choir at 6 PM in the square in front of the parish.

On Sunday, December 1st, the Christmas Fairy Tale with Santa Claus continues from 3 PM at the Rector’s Palace. At 4 PM, enjoy a free thematic guided tour, The Golden Age of Dubrovnik, led by staff and collaborators from the Marin Držić House, open to residents and visitors. The program wraps up with the play The Devil with Golden Hair, performed by Aster Dubrovnik at 5 PM in the Marin Držić Theater.

The festive spirit continues on Monday, December 2nd, with the Christmas Fairy Tale at 3 PM in the Rector’s Palace. At 6 PM, the Lapad branch of the Dubrovnik Libraries will host a storytelling and Christmas decoration workshop titled The Joy of Christmas, which includes letter writing.

On Tuesday, December 3rd, the "Little House" Kindergarten in Mokošica will host a parent-child workshop titled Christmas Bells and Decorations at 5 PM. Meanwhile, the Dubrovnik Libraries' City Library branch will present the children’s book The Nativity of St. Francis by Jelica Gjenero at 6 PM. At 8 PM, the band Dictators will perform on the stage near the Dubrovnik Student Center as part of the Advent on Vojnović program.

On Wednesday, December 4th, the Parish Hall of the Holy Saviour will host a workshop for first communicants at 5 PM, featuring Montessori-based catechesis, The Birth of Jesus and the Shepherds’ Offering.

On Thursday, December 5th, the “Our Children” Association will welcome St. Nicholas at noon in front of St. Blaise's Church. The Dubrovnik Chess Club will organize the Dubrovnik Advent Open Chess Tournament at the Valamar Lacroma Hotel, with matches at 4 PM and 8 PM. At 5 PM, the Dubrovnik Libraries will hold a storytelling session featuring Željka Horvat-Vukelja’s The Impatient Boot and a related craft workshop. That evening, the city will host a Humanitarian Fashion Ball at the Rixos Libertas Hotel to benefit the Maslina Home, starting at 7 PM. At 8 PM, the Kolarin Theater Troupe will perform the play Matrimonijo at the Marin Držić Theater.

On Friday, December 6th, children will enjoy the play Paws at the Marin Držić Theater at 11 AM. The third round of the Dubrovnik Advent Open Chess Tournament begins at 1 PM at the Valamar Lacroma Hotel, with the fourth round at 5 PM.

The ice rinks in Lapad and Mokošica open on Sunday, operating daily from 10 AM to 10 PM, with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Adjustments may be made depending on weather conditions to ensure optimal safety. Due to technical issues, the Lapad Advent train will not run this weekend; updates will follow next week.

To facilitate access to festival events, the city administration has arranged free bus transportation on Libertas city lines in the afternoon and evening. Additionally, the price of the DU Pass, which grants entry to Dubrovnik's major attractions, has been reduced from €35 to just €15, including city wall access.

The City of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and Dubrovnik Summer Festival, in collaboration with cultural institutions and public enterprises, have prepared a wide array of events for citizens and visitors of all ages. This year’s 11th Dubrovnik Winter Festival awaits you in all its splendor!

More information about events is available on the Dubrovnik Winter Festival’s website, social media channels, and the Dubrovnik Event Calendar.

The project is supported by Dubrovnik Airport, the Lokrum Reserve, Adriatic Luxury Hotels, and Coca-Cola.