Street Musicians Festival in Petrovaradin | Tourist Calendar of Serbia

Festival uličnih svirača (Street Musicians Festival) is an event that, since 2000, usually takes place during the last weekend of August on the streets of Petrovaradin, gathering free musicians from around the world. In addition to professional and amateur musicians, this festival also involves other artists such as theater troupes, dancers, and acrobats.

During the three-day festival, approximately 100 artists perform on the streets of Petrovaradin. In this way, Petrovaradin returns the street to its eternal rulers – the diverse artists. Initially, the festival was held in the center of Novi Sad, but since 2016, the organizers decided to move all the events to the Lower Town of Petrovaradin, revitalizing this part of the city that previously served only as a path to the fortress.

Since 2017, in collaboration with several festivals under the common name "Gradić fest," the Street Musicians Festival represents a unique event of its kind in Serbia, with the idea of breathing life into neglected parts of the city in line with contemporary urban trends.

The Lower Town of Petrovaradin Fortress was established in the early 18th century as a residential area, unlike the military fortification that looms above its narrow streets and colorful houses. The festival days bring back the life and charm that, according to the locals, it once had.

Among the cultural and historical landmarks of the Lower Town, the Baroque Church of St. George stands out, built in 1701. There is also the birth house of Ban Josip Jelačić. The Belgrade Gate, built in a classical style, is one of the symbols of this part of the city, adorned with the coat of arms of Novi Sad. It marks the beginning of the road leading to Belgrade, now known as the old road across Fruška Gora.

Out of the approximately 80 taverns that once existed in the Lower Town, only a few old taverns and inns remain today. They also complement the tourist offer of Petrovaradin and are undoubtedly the essence of the social life of this small town.

The festival program includes musical performances, street performances, ambient shows, film screenings, art installations, as well as conferences, workshops, and organized sightseeing tours. During the three-day festival, around 70,000 visitors stroll through the streets of the Lower Town.

This festival is an ideal opportunity to showcase local artists and street performers. The majority of the program features artists selected through a competition by a jury, but there are also those who participate by invitation.

In 2020, when the festival celebrated its 20th anniversary, due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation in the country, it was held in a completely different way. Instead of Novi Sad residents coming to the festival, the festival came to them by performing at 10 locations in the city, chosen by the citizens themselves. The anniversary was marked with 20 performances, concerts, and performances under the windows of Novi Sad residents.

This year's edition of the festival, therefore, carries the symbolic slogan "Let's start love from the beginning" and will take place from August 26th to 28th.

The festival is organized by the "Inboks" Association from Novi Sad, under the patronage of the City of Novi Sad and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. For more details about the Street Musicians Festival, you can visit the official festival website.