Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Dubrovačkii ljetni festival)
Photos courtesy of Dubrovnik Summer Festival
Click on any image to zoom in
 |
 |  |  |  |
| Country and Region | Croatia — Dubrovačko-Neretvanska |
|---|---|
| Type of Festival | Dance, Drama, Music |
| Location of Festival | Dubrovnik, Dubrovačko-Neretvanska, Croatia |
| Festival Contact Information | Dubrovačkii ljetni festival |
| Festival Description | The oldest cultural festival in Croatia, Dubrovnik Summer Festival takes place on the same dates — from July 10th to August 25th of in Dubrovnik presenting rich and vibrant theatre program in the fields of theatre, ballet, classic music and opera. It is the longevity of the Festival and its traditionally guaranteed and continuously high artistic standard. It is also the Festival conception, which makes it different from numerous other European summer festivals. Namely, unlike the majority of other summer festivals, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival is not just one of those which uses open air venues as mere visual attractions, and face walls of the palaces and beautiful gardens only as sets. In Dubrovnik the space is decisive in creating a theatrical event. This is the reason why our catalogue, during the almost six decades of existence, comprises more than 70 various venues! That actually means almost the entire City and the sea surrounding it, which results in a unique bond between the City and the Festival. |
| Festival Dates | July 10 - August 25, 2012 |
| Festival Links | http://www.dubrovnik-festival.hr |
Festival Story:
The founding of the Festival, planned for 1933 within the World PEN Congress in Dubrovnik, was postponed because of the events connected with World War II. When the Festival was finally founded in 1950, it was in Europe traumatized with war, which searched for a completely new way of life and national coexistence. Yet, that was Europe divided with the Iron Curtain. By a combination of circumstances the Dubrovnik Festival found itself on the boundary of this bipolar world. That is why it had for decades been the only place where the finest artists from the Eastern Europe and the West could meet and create together. This fact was crucial in determining not only the quality of the Festival, but also its importance in the European culture. The fall of the communist Europe brought along the end of the bipolar world, but also the aggression on Croatia. The most important thing for both the Festival and Dubrovnik was to survive.
Dubrovnik wishes to keep its important position within the European cultural offer, yet in a way that it will be even more recognized as a place where art is created, and not merely as a beautiful city visited briefly by prestigious artists and rich tourists. We therefore wish to enhance the influence of our venues in creating the recognizable cultural products of Dubrovnik, believing that the City (including the residents) is a major co-creator of our artistic product.
We think that no other European festival is this much connected with the destiny of its city. The Festival is a major feature of the modern Dubrovnik, because it amalgamates in a perfect way the great historic and cultural tradition with modern everyday life. The residents of Dubrovnik carefully watch over both major and minor events at the Festival. They never hesitate to express their opinions – which, of course, are not always affirmative. On the other hand, this critical «intimacy» is one of the Festival’s treasures. We believe that Dubrovnik is one of the few places in Europe where artistic production is not just a part of the cultural industry and/or showbiz, but also a matter of the deepest public interest. This is an essentially different creative position in comparison with that of many festivals in Europe, which achieve high artistic results, yet are actually marginalized within their own social space.
Other Sources:
Want more? Click on a color — travel and explore. 
Videos:
- Generalna proba 61. Dubrovačkih ljetnih igara 09.10.2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqxHbhh69OI
Practical Info:
How to get there:
- By airplane:
Dubrovnik airport, located in Ćilipi, is 17 km (11 miles) from the town. It has excellent connections with regular commercial flights to all European centers and USA, both direct from Dubrovnik and connection flights via Zagreb.
http://www.croatiaairlines.hr/ - By bus:
You can reach Dubrovnik by excellent motor coaches from Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Slovenija. Most international buses go to either Zagreb or Split. Dubrovnik can be reached using local bus transportation. For intercity buses, the main bus terminal (Put Republike 38, tel: +385/20 357-088) is a 25-minute walk to Pile Gate.
http://www.akz.hr/
http://www.ak-split.hr
http://www.dubrovnikportal.com - By car:
The road network in Croatia consists of sixteen state roads, 30 county roads, and 59 local roads. Entering Croatia Dubrovnik can be reached by Adriatic road or any other mentioned roads. One should keep in mind that parking is limited, especially in the summer.
http://www.hak.hr/ - By ferry:
Ferries operated by Jadrolinija Steamship company link Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik and many other places in between, and offer an excellent opportunity to enjoy beautiful coastline and thousand islands. Dubrovnik is also linked with various points in Italy with Car Ferry Service.
http://www.jadrolinija.hr/
Start or join a conversation about this festival in the Forum.
