Montenegro is a wonderful destination not only for vacation, but also for getting to know the local culture of this small country in the Balkans. For all culture lovers, the best way to get to know and experience Montenegrin culture is to participate in one of the many festival celebrations that are celebrated every year at a certain time. Celebrations begin with the beginning of the New Year, however, summer is the best time for various festivals and manifestations, so the largest number of festivals in Montenegro are organized during the summer months, from June to September. Also, summer is the most active period for visitors and tourists, so plan your vacation days according to those events. Montenegro is a small country that has a lot to offer its guests. Throughout the country there are many events that take place every year at the same time and are worth visiting. From free mužić festivals to extravagant expositions with wine tastings, film festivals and other events with spectacular fireworks, there is something for everyone.

In this guide, you can see some of the biggest and most popular events and festivals in Montenegro. As we mentioned, these events are held annually. Find out more about the events or go through the calendar of sorted festivals in relation to the month you are interested in in 2021. Our list includes details of all current events. Just in case, it would be a good idea to check with your local tourist organization (of the city where you are staying) for the latest information. Cancellations and date changes are always possible, and don't forget to check the schedule of Covid-19 instructions in advance. However, it can be a big dilemma to choose which of the overabundant types of events to actually attend. World-famous events, such as the Sea Dance Festival in Budva and the International Fashion Show in Kotor, which attracts a large number of world-famous performers, are just some of the popular ones.

Events listed here are mainly summer events. The festival season is in full swing, so the events have already started. With the kids out of school and summer in full swing, it's time to fill your summer bucket list with family fun. Take the family to one of the many festivals that Montenegro is famous for. We're sure you'll find something that suits you perfectly, whether you have culinary, art, music, film, fashion or unusual sports fans in your family. Here you will find a complete overview of the best summer festivals in Montenegro, with updated information for the 2021 season. Zućenica fest - (May - June) Have you ever tasted a yolk? Does it represent a delicious dish for you or maybe you are not a fan? You can try this extremely healthy plant, which belongs to the family of autochthonous, coastal wild but edible grass, as well as imaginative dishes made from it at the Zucchini festival held at the end of May and beginning of June in Tivat. The festival is held at different locations in the city of Tivat, with more than 20 participants/exhibitors and hundreds of visitors.

This interesting manifestation is rich in local zucchini dishes and recipes, and includes live music, as well as an entertaining program of Tivat majorettes and Tivat city music. The festival has been held since 2004, and is very important for promoting Bokele cuisine. If you happen to be in Montenegro during this period, this is your chance to try a variety of egg yolk delicacies. We are all definitely interested in a 'tasty' and healthy start to summer! Carp Days - (June) If you are interested in very tasty dishes and want to try the specialties specific to the capital city of Podgorica and NP Skadarsko jezero, the event "Carp Day" allows you to do just that with a large offer of excellent food in the fairytale locality of Plavnica. This event has been held for five years in a row, and visitors can enjoy tasting a variety of carp dishes as well as many other local specialties. The tasting of the dishes is accompanied by entertainment such as riding a chun, an indigenous means of transport. Part of the program is also the cultural and entertainment part of the event, which was arranged for that occasion.

And in the second part of the "Day of Carp", cooks compete and prepare carp dishes and soups according to the traditional recipe, and the tastiest dishes will be awarded. This festival wants to show the cultural, environmental and traditional values ​​and tourist potential of Lake Skadar, and it is a wonderful way to annually mark the beginning of the summer tourist season. Fasinada Perast - (July) Surely one of the most attractive and at the same time the oldest events in Montenegro is the Fašinada - an ancient custom from Bokelje in honor of Our Lady of Škrpjela, the protector of this island, in whose honor the grateful sailors of Bokelje built a temple. Legend has it that Peraš fishermen found an icon of the Virgin and Christ on the rock on which today's island was built (which is now on the main altar) and in that name decided to build an island by sinking stones and shipwrecks, and on it a church. Since then, the unwritten vow of the sailors of Pera has been valid that before every "vijaj" new stones are sunk around the island as a contribution to the strength of the foundation of the temple of their patron saint. It is probably for this reason that Fashinada was born.

This traditional event got its name from the Italian word "fascia", which means band or binding, and it was named so because the convoy of boats, decorated with apple branches and filled with stones, is connected to each other. In the boats, there are only the pastor and men, heirs of famous sailors, and more prominent Peraštans, while the women greet them from the shore. Rowing boats, every year on July 22nd at dusk, when the sun sets, with the song of Bulgarian women, head towards the island to fulfill the bequest of their ancestors and throw stones around the island. Bocce Olympiad - (July - August) Bocce is the oldest sport that appeared in Tivat as early as 1903, and the first arena was located near the present-day Mimoza Hotel. Traditionally, the bocce olympiad is the oldest manifestation of the coast, which takes place in the month of July, and it is specific because of the old rules used in the game, and thus represents a tourist attraction. Good fun is guaranteed at the Tivat Bocce Olympiad, and in addition to competitors from Tivat, competitors from a large number of other cities in Montenegro, as well as from abroad, participate. All those interested can form their own team and enjoy the game, and then, with the sounds of Bokele music and national cuisine, spend unforgettable moments in this beautiful coastal environment.

The first Olympiad was held in 1952 on Đurđevo Brdo. The Bocce Olympiad was and remains a village competition that represents the oldest and most numerous sports gathering in Tivat. Tivat, as the capital of bocce, has representatives of all generations in the Montenegrin national team. This sport is a feature of this city, which both in the past and today has brought prestigious awards. Bocce clubs of Tivat are responsible for organizing the Traditional Bocce Olympics. An interesting fact is that in the territory of the municipality of Tivat, in practically all villages there are zogs where you can play pumpkins. City Theater Budva - (July - August) This is one of the most prestigious cultural events in this area, which has been held every year since 1987 during July and August. The always impressive and spectacular program of the international "Budva City Theatre" includes first of all theatrical, and then also visual, musical and literary creations. The authentic cultural heritage of Budva and Montenegro, for which this festival is known, and its implementation in contemporary models of artistic activity, where each of the city's squares and piazzas, as well as parts of the city outside the old town core, is transformed into an open-air scene where both visitors and passers-by become participants in the artistic act.

During this manifestation of great importance for the tourist offer of the city, Budva is visited by around 15,000 people, both local visitors and tourists. This year, the "Budva City Theater" festival takes place from July 10 to August 20 at locations in the Old Town and the amphitheater of the Stanjevići monastery. The programs start at 9 pm and during the forty-one days of the festival, over 45 programs of drama, literature, music and fine arts will be shown. Film Festival - (August) Three decades of tradition of the film festival in Herceg Novi is proof of the quality and authentic artistic sensibility with which this festival is organized every year at the beginning of August. The international program of competitive selection of regional feature films (official competitive selection), documentaries and student films is of particular interest to the public.

While the out-of-competition program, Kino Evropa, includes rare works by established European authors. Taking this extensive repertoire into account, the audience can enjoy the works of European authors and keep up to date with the regional and world cinematographic scene in the specific ambience of the Kanli tower, a fortress from the 16th century. century. International Fashion Show - Kotor (August) This is a manifestation of international character, which gathers well-known fashion designers, but also less well-known, although extremely talented designers who still want to show themselves, from all over the world, and mostly from Italy. This artistic and fashion event has been organized since 1998 every year in August, in the grandiose setting of the Cathedral of St. Trypun. The catwalk and stage are set in front of the cathedral with guests seated around it, while in the background the picturesque mountains and old stone walls that surround the city can be seen.

To date, fashion shows by Antonio Grimaldi, Dior, Renato Balestra, Gaultter, Vionnet, as well as the young American designer LaQuan Smith, a favorite of celebrities such as Rihanna and Beyonce, have been organized in Kotor. During that time, Kotor was a popular destination for numerous actors, designers, as well as big business figures from many countries around the world. Sea Dance Festival (August) If you love music and travel, why not combine this experience with the officially best medium-sized European festival Sea Dance, and join the crowd of good music lovers right on the beach? The hottest season has begun, and that means rest and good times. What better way to have a great time and visit a new destination at the same time than to go to a muzyc festival? And what festival is better than the officially best festival in Europe - Exit, and its summer variant Sea Dance? The fantastic time at Exit continues this year on one of the most beautiful beaches on the Adriatic - Buljarica.

If you like concerts and the beach, this festival combines both so you can listen to your favorite band or DJ right on the seashore. Since its inception, Sea Dance fest has welcomed world music stars such as Sean Paul, Mahmut Orhan, John Newman, Fatboy Slim, David Guetta, Robin Schulz, and many other popular performers at the event, which gives the audience five hours of non-stop live performances. In a short time, Sea Dance gained international media attention, especially after publicity in Forbes magazine, which ranked Sea Dance Festival, together with EXIT festival, in the top 10 European summer festivals in the world. So, five hours of fun thanks to live performance in a natural environment that gives a special experience to the festival. Bokeljka night - Kotor (August) Bokeška noć - the original name of this festival - is one of the most attractive tourist events on the coast of Montenegro, by which Kotor is recognized today, not only in the domestic area, but also abroad. It dates back to the early years of the 19th century. century as the Venetian Night, based on the festival that was held in Venice at that time. At the beginning of XX. century, it got the name Bokeljska noć, which was interrupted during the wars. Regardless of the interruptions, the tradition of portraying the coastal life and mentality of fishermen, sailors and Bokelje has managed to be preserved to this day.

Bokeljska night is a parade of humorously masked participants and lighted boats that cruise along the Kotor port and along the coast, from which the audience and the jury watch and cheer on this interesting parade. After the ceremony, masked processions from Kotor to Dobrota and back, tied to each other, await the announcement of the winner, which follows with a spectacular fireworks display at sea. The night ends with a concert and entertainment on the squares of the Old Town of Kotor, and the ramparts of the Old Town are traditionally illuminated. In history, the Bokel Night, which was attended by the English King Edward VIII, held in 1936, is especially remembered. At that time, part of the English fleet was anchored in the Tivat part of the bay, which illuminated the surrounding hills and sky from its ships. To this day, Bokeška noć is one of the most spectacular manifestations of the Adriatic and we invite you to be a part of this special festival.