Tamburica Fest in Novi Sad | Tourist Calendar of Serbia

Tamburica fest is an international music event held every summer at multiple locations in Novi Sad and Petrovaradin, with the aim of promoting traditional tamburica music and the tamburica instrument. It consists of a competition and a showcase section, bringing together the best tamburica players from the country and the region.

The festival was established in 2008 in the village of Deronje in Bačka, and four years later, it moved within the walls of Petrovaradin Fortress. Since its founding and the first edition, over 5,000 participants, including legendary names from the domestic music scene such as Zvonko Bogdan, Rade Šerbedžija, Haris Džinović, and dozens of others, have performed at the festival.

Every year, tamburica orchestras compete for the title of the best in the world, while vocal soloists compete for the best original song of Tamburica Fest. In the showcase section, famous artists present their hits accompanied by tamburica orchestras.

The opening day of the festival takes place at Freedom Square in Novi Sad when cultural and artistic societies, cultural ensembles, tamburica orchestras, and even horse-drawn carriages parade through the city center. Orchestras passing through the whole city with carriages, from the Railway Station to Štrand, leave no one indifferent. The main part of the festival is held at Petrovaradin Fortress and lasts for two days.

During three days in August, Novi Sad and Petrovaradin resonate with the sound of tamburica, an instrument without which the traditional music of these regions cannot be imagined.

This event represents one of the best ethno music festivals in Europe. In addition to Serbian orchestras, orchestras from Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and even the United States participate. Tamburica Fest is an opportunity for young tamburica players to showcase their skills and demonstrate that the tamburica is still in vogue.

The tambura, as an instrument, originated in the Mesopotamian, Persian, and Egyptian regions. The name itself derives from the Persian word "tn," which means string. It belongs to the chordophone family, which includes stringed instruments with a resonator. Tamburas can be classified as Oriental or Vojvodinian and can have two to sixteen strings.

The tambura arrived in the Balkans in the 14th and 15th centuries with the Ottoman Empire, and the first written record of it dates back to 1551 in the travelogues of a French consul. It arrived in Vojvodina a bit later during migrations in the 17th and 18th centuries but became deeply embedded in the tradition of the flatland areas, making its connection with Pannonia inseparable. Even today, tamburica music is predominantly played in these regions. However, in recent times, tamburica orchestras are common in taverns and restaurants throughout Serbia.

The World Tamburitza Association, as an association of all tamburica players worldwide, was established precisely at Tamburica Fest, with its headquarters in Novi Sad.

This year, the 14th edition of Tamburica Fest will take place from August 19th to 21st. For more information about the festival, you can visit the official Tamburica Fest website and follow local media.