August 25, 2021 - Aurea Fest Požega returns from August 27 to 29, 2021! 

The traditional Požega festival is unthinkable without top-quality wine, so it's a good thing that long-term cooperation between Aurea Fest Požega and winery Kutjevo d.d. continued this year as well, with the bottling of festival wine in the Kutjevo podrum.

Slobodan Kadic

"This festival is by far the biggest promoter of the whole region. For this year's festival wine, we have prepared a top-quality Graševina from the 2020 vintage, the champion of the Graševina Festival, and the best-selling top-quality bottle of Croatian winemaking. The second wine is Maximo nero vintage 2016, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. These are wines that have won great prizes from numerous competitions. Congratulations to my colleagues from Aurea Fest Požega for managing to organize the festival at a high level, and I hope that from next year we will return in true glory without restrictions," said Dino Galić, member of the Kutjevo d.d. management board. 

Slobodan Kadic

"I am honored to be in this place again and to start the festival as we have been doing for years. We are glad that this year, in a slightly better environment than last year, the festival will be held and that the tradition will continue. See you from Friday to Sunday in Požega," said the Aurea Fest Požega director Ivan Bunjevac.

Slobodan Kadic

"The Požega Music Festival of Tamburitza Music is truly a Požega brand, paired with the brand of this whole region, viticulture and cellaring, in which the oldest institution in the area Kutjevo d.d. is in the lead. Congratulations to the Požega Tourist Board and the Aurea Fest Association for managing to organize the festival in these unusual circumstances so that the tradition is not interrupted," said the Mayor of Požega, Ph.D. Zeljko Glavic.

Slobodan Kadic

"I am really looking forward to the beginning of a beautiful event that has lasted for fifty-two years in the city of Požega, a city rich in historical and cultural heritage, but also a city known for songs, tambourines, and the festival that spreads the name of Požega throughout our country and beyond. We invite all people of goodwill to come to Požega after these difficult circumstances to find content for themselves and make beautiful memories. It is an opportunity for the whole county because only in synergy and togetherness can we create new values," said Požega-Slavonia County Prefect Antonija Jozić.

The organizers also presented to the media the program of Aurea Fest Požega 2021, which can be found on the festival's official website www.aurea-fest.com.

On Sunday, HRT will broadcast live the "Golden Strings of Slavonia," while the Big Band and Berda Band concert will be recorded and broadcast later. It should also be noted that the festival will take place following all epidemiological measures. This specifically means that visitors will be able to enter the Holy Trinity Square parking lot next to the stage on Friday and Saturday but will have to present a Covid passport or a negative test or proof of Covid-19 recovery. The number of visitors is limited to 300 people. On Sunday, only invited guests will be able to sit in this space. In the square outside the parking lot, visitors will be able to move freely.

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Požega, September 3, 2020 – The lights of the Aurea Fest are off. The central square of Požega said goodbye to the guests of this three-day traditional music event, which is held every year at the end of August. The last evening was intended for jazz fans who were entertained by the best Croatian amateur jazz orchestra – Big Band Požega with guests.

Dino Jelusić, Bruna Oberan and the Big Band at the Aurea Fest in Požega / Copyright Slobodan Kadić

The Aurea Jazz Fest was opened by Damir Kukuruzović Django Group, and for the end, good vibes were spread by the Dino Dvornik Tribute Band. At the „Zlatne žice Slavonije“ festival (Golden Strings of Slavonia), the longest-running tamburica festival held the day before, 21 new tamburica compositions were presented.

Damir Kukuruzović Django Group at the Aurea Fest in Požega / Copyright Slobodan Kadić

Along with the doyens of this traditional Slavonian musical expression, we also met some new names, and everything went according to the conditions adapted to epidemiological measures.

Ana Baketarić, Slavonske lole, Ćiro Gašparac, Viktorija Kulišić Đenka, and others performed, and the festival was broadcast live by the Croatian Television and Croatian Radio, followed by fireworks and the special program by Šima Jovanovac – Šimunovo, which marked 55 years of his career.

Šima Jovanovac at the Aurea Fest in Požega / Copyright Slobodan Kadić

Numerous folklore societies from all five Slavonian counties presented the cultural heritage of Slavonia, and the festival was opened by the mayor of Požega and Member of the Croatian Parliament Darko Puljašić.

"Thank you for preserving this beautiful Slavonian tradition, nurturing the customs for the youth ahead of us. I hope that we will enjoy these three days in the most beautiful square in the most beautiful city, among the best people," said Puljašić.

Ivana Bošnjak from the "Seljačka sloga" folklore society from Gradište took the title for the most glamorous Slavonian woman („Šokica“) this year. The first runner-up was Nikolina Jugović from "Cernik" folklore society, while the second runner-up was Dijana Klarić from the "Šijaci" Biškupci folklore society.

The competition for the most glamurous Slavonian woman at the Aurea Fest in Požega / Copyright Slobodan Kadić

The citizens of Požega can be satisfied with the offer. The program was followed by the terraces of the surrounding restaurants, and many even danced. See you next year!

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August 25, 2020 - Aurea Fest, which will be held in Pozega from August 28 to 30, 2020 with strict epidemiological measures, is a traditional event held in the Kutjevo cellar.

Eight hundred bottles of premium Graševina Kutjevo and 200 bottles of red wine Maximo Nero from last year's harvest will be filled for the occasion. Dino Galić, a member of the Management Board of Kutjevo d.d., reminded of 2019 when the Požega festival successfully celebrated its fiftieth birthday, and Kutjevo achieved a record year with over five million liters sold in the domestic and foreign markets.

"The spirit of the winery and the festival will not stop, we remain partners and with this wine filling, we will start Aurea Fest Požega," Galić pointed out.

The City of Požega is the sponsor of the festival and Darko Puljašić, Mayor of Požega and Member of Parliament, thanked Kutjevo for their partnership.

"We perform and fight together. We in Slavonia have always been brave and struggled with adversity. At the festival, we will show the Slavonian soul, and with it comes a good refreshment - Kutjevo wines, which the whole world knows. Let's stay positive in spirit, and negative in coronavirus," said Puljašić.

The organizer of the festival is the Association Aurea Fest Požega, whose director Ivan Bunjevac said that the association as the organizer will do everything to make the festival successful and thanked Mayor Puljašić for his support.

"Good vibes from Požega go further and we are expecting you this coming weekend," said Bunjevac. This was followed by symbolic labeling of the festival wine, in which the speakers were joined by Anamarija Blažević, Mayor of Pakac and Member of Parliament, Deputy Mayors of Požega Mario Pilon and Ferdinand Troha, Director of the Požega Tourist Board Silvija Podoljak, Mayor of Kaptol Mile Pavičić, Deputy Mayor Ivica Potočanac, representatives of the Croatian Radio and Television, local media and members of the Trenkovi Panduri Historical Unit.

In the second part of the conference, this year's program was presented by Damjan Pirović, artistic director of Aurea Festa Požega, while Podoljak, marketing director of Aurea Festa Požega, invited participants and guests to adhere to epidemiological measures and invited citizens to follow the festival through the official website.

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TCN's Slobodan Kadic enjoys Spicy Cabbage Rolls And the Drunken Slavonian Enchants Guests Once Again...