September 3, 2020 - Three of Croatia's most internationally famous venues in the events industry were lit in spectacular red on Monday. Pula amphitheatre, Zagreb Arena and Fort Punta Christo were bathed in light from sunset until after dark

Three of Croatia's most internationally famous venues used by the events industry were lit in spectacular red on Monday. Pula amphitheatre, Zagreb Arena and Fort Punta Christo, also in Pula were bathed in light from sunset until after dark.

Though the change in appearance was enjoyable and visually impressive, the action was undertaken to send a strong message. It was part of a worldwide campaign to highlight the effects of Coronavirus on the events industry and those who work within it.

Some of the most famous historical buildings, concert venues and event halls in the world joined the Red Alert campaign and were similarly lit on the same night.

Large public events have been put on hold over most of the world under epidemiological guidelines. Seating arrangements in theatres, conference halls, sports and music halls are simply not compatible with social distancing regulations – many such venues could not make a profit by holding events at 50% capacity.

This has affected millions around the world who work in the events industry, from musicians and performers to technicians, bookers, agents, the media, PR representatives, venue management and general staff. Freelancers operating within the events industry are some of the hardest hit and have had all of their income sources removed completely. Many who operate in the events industry are highly trained and skilled, so diversifying into other industries can be problematic.

Pula amphitheatre (also known as Pula Arena) is a massively popular open-air venue in warmer months. It holds spectacular opera, ballet and classical music events as well as hosting a film festival. Like Zagreb Arena, it attracts some of the biggest names in pop and rock music. Fort Punta Christo has become famous all over Europe and further over the last decade, thanks to the internationally renowned Outlook and Dimensions festivals. Those events were supposed to take place in Tisno, at The Garden festival site. But, along with seven further festivals due to be held there this year, they chose to cancel in order to safeguard the health of their attendees and locals.


Fort Punta Christo in Pula is widely known as a host site for international music festivals

The Croatian events industry alone is comprised of 2000 business entities, has more than 12,000 employees, and annually generates HRK 4.5 billion. Autumn/winter 2021 is the soonest estimated point at which large scale events could return to normal. The Red Alert campaign has been undertaken to highlight the plight of the events industry as many sections within it face total collapse if deprived of work until then. 



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ZAGREB, March 10, 2020 - The 16th edition of the ZagrebDox documentary film festival, set to take place from March 15-22, has been postponed following recommendations by the national civil protection authority to postpone indoor public gatherings with more than 1,000 participants due to the new coronavirus outbreak.

A new date for ZagrebDox and additional information on the event will be published in due time, the organisers said.

Numerous business events scheduled for March or early April, including the international Place2Go tourism fair, which was to have taken place at Zagreb's Arena sports hall, have been postponed as well.

The Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, too, has postponed two concerts, set for March 12 and 21.

Earlier in the day the national civil protection authority decided that all foreign citizens entering Croatia from the countries worst hit by the coronavirus will be under mandatory quarantine for 14 days, and that all gatherings of more than 1,000 people should be postponed.

The new measures will be in force until further notice.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, March 6, 2020 - The "Zagreb 2020" Light Show which was to have been held at several locations around town from March 18 to 22 has been postponed until October due to the possibility of spreading coronavirus and following instructions and recommendations by the relevant institutions, the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ) stated on Friday.

*Follow this page for updates from Total Croatia News on the coronavirus in Croatia. Contact numbers for epidemiologists, travel advisories and measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus can be found here.

"TZGZ is actively following the situation and advice regarding the safety and protection of citizens and as such it is adapting its activities," the tourist board said.

According to TZGZ the light festival attracts about 25,000 visitors a day and regarding the size of crowds and its international characteristic, TZGZ requested the opinion of the relevant bodies regarding further activities.

In line with recommendations the tourist board has decided to postpone the festival in order to prevent any possible spreading of COVID-19, adding that the precise date of the festival will be decided later once it is certain that there is no longer any health risk.

TZGZ underscores that the light festival is one of the most successful projects that is visited by numerous Croatian citizens but also foreign visitors, mostly from South Korea, USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Germany.

More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

*Follow this page for updates from Total Croatia News on the coronavirus in Croatia. Contact numbers for epidemiologists, travel advisories and measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus can be found here.

ZAGREB, February 29, 2020 - This year's Francophone Film Month and a special programme marking the 50th anniversary of Francophony will open with film screenings in Zagreb's Tuškanac cinema on March 3.

Half a century ago, more than 20 countries and governments signed an agreement on the establishment of the International Organisation of la Francophonie, which promotes the French language and francophone cultures and today brings together 88 member countries and governments.

The French language and culture will be celebrated with events to be organised by the embassies of Belgium, Canada, France, Morocco and Switzerland, the French Alliance network in Croatia and numerous associations and Croatian institutions.

The event's programme, to be staged in 11 Croatian cities in the form of 100 events to be organised by 30 partners, features francophone films, music, fashion, theatre and flash mobbing.

On International Francophony Day, March 20, the central event of the Month of Francophony will take place at noon in Zagreb's Zrinjevac park as well as in 22 other central and eastern European countries - a major flash mob for all lovers of French culture wishing to demonstrate their love of the French language and francophone values.

The French Embassy and the French Institute will organise two meetings with world-renowned linguist Bernard Cerquiglini - at the French Institute in Zagreb on March 25 and at the City Library in Zadar on March 26.

More news about relations between Croatia and France can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 25, 2020 - The new edition of the audio-visual arts festival called Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin is being held in Paris from February 25 to March 1, and artists from Croatia are participating as part of the cultural programme of the Croatian presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Croatian Ministry of Culture says in a press release that the festival includes the screenings of feature and short films, performances and concerts, and the venues are the Louvre, the Grand Palais auditorium, the Goethe-institute, the Swedish Institute and the Cite international des Arts premises.

Among the 107 programme works from 33 countries, Croatia will be represented by artists Mate Ugrin and Ana Husman.

"The Rencontres Internationales traces the specificities and convergences of contemporary practices of the moving image, examines new artistic forms and their critical approaches, and provides the necessary time for points of view to meet and be exchanged," according to information on the festival's website.

More festival news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, February 10, 2020 - The London Book Fair has published the shortlisted entries for the International Excellence Awards in 2020, and one of them is the World Literature Festival that is organised by the Fraktura publishing company in Zagreb every autumn.

According to the information available on the website of the London Book Fair, "the hugely-popular International Excellence Awards are now in their sixth year. Celebrating global markets and showcasing the wealth of success and innovation in the world’s publishing activity outside the UK, over 50 nations have received recognition at LBF since the awards started."

"Held in partnership with The Publishers Association, The International Excellence Awards are a grand celebration of publishing and related activities outside the UK," the London Book Fair says.

Winners will be announced in a special ceremony at the London Book Fair that takes place 10-12 March 2020.

The Zagreb-based festival, whose first edition was launched by Fraktura in 2013, has been shortlisted for the category "Literary Festival Award".

In 2015, the Fraktura publishing company won The Bookseller International Adult Trade Publisher Award at the London Book Fair.

More culture news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, January 28, 2020 - The 12th annual educational and historical re-enactment of "1573 Peasant Revolt" will be held on 8 February at Golubovec Castle in Donja Stubica and the event will be followed by the "Buna party", where Croatian rock groups will perform, the organiser said on Tuesday.

"The battle of all battles, a realistic re-enactment of the biggest battle of the Croatian peasants for justice, will be recreated for the 12th time on the hills of Zagorje. It is a memory of the peasant uprising in the 16th century against the nobility who had been oppressing them, and the event was attended by 20,000 people last year," Ivan Štefek told reporters.

In this year's most magnificent edition, adds Štefek, the highest number of battle participants, more than 250, will gather. The programme will take place in two locations with special effects, and in addition to exhibitions and presentations there will also be a medieval fair.

The director of the tourism board of Donja and Gornja Stubica, Kornelia Vnučec, underscored that the "1573 Peasant Revolt" re-enactment was the winner of the "Simply the best" tourism award for the best historical display and tourist event.

"The Museum of Peasants' Uprisings in Gornja Stubica will be open on 31 January for Museum Night. There will be a video mapping 'Gubec Theatre' at the monument to the Peasant Revolt and Matija Gubec, the exhibition Jan Vitovac - Czech knight, Zagorje Count will be opened, and there will be a promotion of the comic book by Nik Titanik called '1573'", she said.

More festival news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, November 18, 2019 - The 14th edition of the wine and food festival "VINOcom" will be held in Zagreb's Hotel Esplanade on November 22 and 23 with more than 300 exhibitors taking part in the event.

The exhibitors are mostly wine makers and producers of delicatessen products from Croatia and Europe and Slovakia is this year's country-partner, the festival's organisers told a press conference on Monday.

"Zagreb VINOcom in one of the oldest festivals in Croatia that promotes wine, food and general table etiquette. I believe that this year again it will attract a large number of visitors and experts and I hope that we will meet their expectations similarly to previous years," the festival's director, Ivan Dropuljić said.

Apart from presenting and providing tasting of more than 200 types of wine, and lots of different cheeses, prosciutto, kulen salami and sweets, about a dozen workshops will be organised during the festival.

Speaking on behalf of Slovakia as the country-partner of this year's festival, public relations consultant in the Slovak Embassy in Zagreb, Jan Stark, said that he was pleased with the cooperation which he believes can continue considering the similarities between the two countries.

"Three wine-makers from Slovakia will be exhibiting and talks are already underway about continuing cooperation so that Croatian wines can be presented in Bratislava and Slovak wines in Zagreb. Slovakia has a long tradition of wine-making and over the past few years it has won medals at international wine competitions," Stark underscored, adding that Slovakia's per capita wine consumption is 12.5 litres annually and that about 600,000 hectolitres of wine is produced each year.

This year as in previous years the festival will have a humanitarian component and part of proceeds will be donated to the RokOtok association which promotes strengthening ties between children and parents through various activities.

More festival news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, November 12, 2019 - This year's Theatre Night will be held on November 16 in more than 50 towns across Croatia, and the event will feature a rich programme with an additional five theatres participating.

"More and more small communities are joining in every year, and the Croatian diaspora has started showing interest as well, both in staging performances and in hosting our theatre troupes," said Željko Šturlić, director of the Cultural Centre Dubrava from Zagreb.

The project coordinator, Sandra Banić Naumovski of the Children's Theatre Dubrava, said that this year's event would feature performances by both national theatres and small amateur troupes.

The central day of the Theatre Night is November 16, Banić Naumovski said, adding that the first events would take place already on November 15 and the last on November 18.

In some towns, such as Beli Manastir, Šibenik, Bjelovar and Zaprešić, Theatre Night will last more than just one day.

The Theatre Night is held on the third Saturday in November, a week before the winner of the national award for best theatre actor is announced.

More theatre news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, November 1, 2019 - The second edition of the Festival of Polish Films in Croatia, which takes place under the name "Visla (Vistula)" is set for 5-9 November in Zagreb's Kaptol Boutique Cinema.

The programme includes ten films, and the event will be ushered in by the screening of "The Messenger" by filmmaker Wladyslaw Pasikowski.

Also a few thrillers are offered to the audience, including "Werewolf" by Adrian Panek about eight children liberated from a Nazi concentration camp who have to overcome hunger, thirst and vicious dogs in an abandoned mansion surrounded by the forest, and the film titled "Tower. A Bright Day" by Jagoda Szelc.

"A Coach's Daughter" by Lukasz Grzegorzek is also in the programme.

The film titled " The Butler (Kamerdyner)" by Filip Bajon is the last one in this programme which is organised under the auspices of the Polish Embassy in Croatia.

More film news can be found in the Lifestyle section.