Zagreb

9 Cultural Events You Won't Want to Miss in Zagreb this Winter

12 Jan 2025

Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant fusion of music and art in Zagreb, where the city's cultural scene is set to come alive with 10 exciting events that blend rhythm, creativity, and visual storytelling in the coming months.



1. Ideal and Reality: The First Golden Age of Hungarian fine art and the Beginnings of Croatian Modern Art is the name of an exhibition inspired by Hungary's presidency of the European Union Council. The display consists of about 80 representative Hungarian masterpieces produced by some of its most prominent artists of the 19th century. In addition to the works of the chosen Hungarian artists, the event will showcase highly celebrated paintings by well known Croatian artists of the second half of the 19th century, who are further recognised as the founders of the Croatian artistic modernism movement. The idea behind the founding of this event is also to honour the 180th birth anniversary of the greatest Hungarian painter, Mihály Munkácsy, whose works will be displayed amongst many others at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery from October 23 - March 2

2. Dhafer Youssef is a Tunisian composer, singer and oud player, famous for his innovative musical performances in which he skilfully combines the east with the west, traditional Arabic music with jazz and jazz with electronic music. On the occasion of the promotion of his latest album "Streets of Minarets", Youssef will perform a concert in the Lisinski Concert Hall on February 11. The new album offers a unique musical journey, inspired by various musical styles and enriched with the touch of the legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock.

3.The Golden Age of Dutch Painting is the first exhibition in the new exhibition cycle of the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery program entitled "Golden periods of European art - examples from Croatian collections". The display will consist of about a hundred pieces of various types of art forms from the 17th century Netherlands. Its goal is to clarify and expand the cultural context of the same period and the artistic crafts of its time. The duration of the exhibition is scheduled from December 12 - March 9.

4. 29th IHF World Handball Championship Over two weeks in late January and early February, many of the world’s best handball players will do battle in Croatia for the prestigious title of world champion. Croatia is hosting the tournament alongside Norway and Denmark, with matches taking place in Zagreb, Varaždin, and Poreč. Who has Croatia drawn? The national team will face Argentina, Bahrain, and Egypt in the group stages, so get your tickets and come support the team on its quest for glory.

5. Forget the winter chill and enter a world of nostalgia, history and tradition! Enter a world of cultural establishment as all museums have a free entry on Museum Night, January 31. The Croatian Museum's Society has once again organised a fantastic exhibition programme as well as educational and entertainment programmes.

6.The Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Picelj, one of the most distinguished Croatian artists of the 20th century. An exhibition, called Picelj and Friends curated by Zvonko Maković, will be held from September 19 until February 2, 2025. The exhibition will honour Picelj’s contributions to the world of art and will also showcase a number of works done by his friends, who also were prominent artists.
Picelj, Naranga, 1965.


7. Tindersticks Formed in 1991 out of the ashes of Asphalt Ribbons, English indie icons Tindersticks have carved themselves a handy niche over the last four decades. New album “Soft Tissue” is the Nottingham band at its best, showing no signs of slowing down deep into a career of 14 studio albums, countless side projects, and a lifetime’s collection of dark pop hooks. The band heads to Croatia in March 3 and the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall is a very apt venue for music of this class.

8. Let Zagreb light up your life a little with this spring festival (Festival of Lights, March 19 - 23) of illumination and beauty. See how artists use the city as a painting canvas as its buildings, monuments, promenades and squares shine at night with high tech lights, lasers and graphic effects that create a true spectacle of splashing colours, images and figures. Spring will shimmer in 2025! The entire program and locations can be found on the festival's website.
Festival svjetla Archive

9. The 33rd edition of the Music Biennale Zagreb (MBZ), held from April 5 to 12, 2025, will explore the theme “Broken Connections,” inspired by the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb. While the museum’s collection of objects tells emotional stories, it is the lasting power of these narratives that captivates. MBZ will reflect on how even in moments of disconnection, we uncover connections, passions, and human fragility. Staying true to its tradition of breaking from tradition, MBZ will explore the contradictions that define our present and shape our future. The festival will offer a variety of preevents, workshops, composer masterclasses, and an interactive web platform, creating a dialogue between contemporary music, its history, and the wider world. Rooted in the local scene yet always with an international outlook, MBZ will promote Croatian artists while engaging with global trends
 

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