Advent in Opatija 2026: 27 November to 10 January

Opatija marks Advent 2026 for 45 days by the sea: on the Lungomare, in Angiolina park, in front of the Juraj Šporer Art Pavilion and on the Summer Stage with its ice rink. The Opatija Tourist Board lists the season as 27 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Last season ran from 28 November 2025 to 6 January 2026, so the new one is four days longer. The board had not yet published the 2026 programme with concerts and performers by 6 November. In the 2025 Gradonačelnik.hr poll for the most beautiful Advent in Croatia, the jury placed Opatija second among large cities, behind Varaždin.

Opatija Advent 2026 at a glance

The fixed points for 2026 are the dates and the New Year's Eve plan. Everything else in the table follows the 2025/26 programme from the City of Opatija, which set the pattern: lights on at the market on the opening Friday at 18:00, the first Advent candle on Slatina on the Sunday at 17:00, then a candle every Advent Sunday. In 2026 those Sundays fall on 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December. We update this page when the 2026 programme is out.

Getting there: Matulji junction closed until 12 December

Drivers coming through Slovenia meet roadworks in the first two weeks of Advent. Ramps 3 and 4 of the Matulji junction on the A8 have been closed since 23 October and stay closed until 12 December under the current plan, Glas Istre reported citing Hrvatske autoceste. The Advent weekends of 28 and 29 November and 5 and 6 December, plus Saturday 12 December, fall inside the closure. From Ljubljana and Trieste the detour leaves the A7 at the Trinajstići exit and continues on the D8 state road and the local road L58108 into Opatija. Every direction is listed in our story on the closure. Road signs on site take priority over navigation apps, which may not know the closure yet.

From Zagreb it is about 175 km on the A6, around two and a half hours by car. Without a car, take Autotrolej bus 32 from Rijeka, 15 km away, which runs along the coast into Opatija. From 15 November Croatia's winter equipment rules apply, which matters on the A6 over Gorski kotar.

Parking in Opatija during Advent

In the 2025/26 season the open public car parks were free on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 16 December to 15 January, according to the City of Opatija. Whether the rule returns for 2026/27 will be in the new programme. Until 16 December, and on weekdays, the usual parking charges applied last season. The first two Advent weekends of 2026 coincide with the Matulji closure, so the roads into the centre carry more traffic on those days.

Ice rink on the Summer Stage

The rink sits on the Summer Stage (Ljetna pozornica), a few steps from the sea. The Tourist Board promises ice shows and children's theatre on it. For last season the city enlarged the rink and added a skating school, an Advent forest and an Advent village with food and wine around it. The stalls serve goulash, fish stew, sausages, prosciutto, anchovies, cheese and mulled wine, according to the board. Rink hours and prices for 2026 are not out yet.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

New Year's Eve starts at noon with a children's party at the Small Summer Stage, and midnight is celebrated at several venues, says the Tourist Board. For 2025/26 the main party at the city market started at 21:00 with Danijela Martinović, Maura Staraja & La Banda and DJ Vedrana. On New Year's Day the mayor's toast at noon on Slatina opened the new bathing season. The 2026/27 names come with the programme. All cities at a glance: New Year in Croatia.

Around Opatija in Advent

Last season's Advent reached beyond the town. Učka Nature Park ran a Christmas fairy tale with Santa's house, an Advent fair and carriage rides. The hill village of Veprinac hosted Feel & Taste with local food, klapa singers and accordion players. Advent boat trips sailed from Opatija to Lovran. On foot, the Lungomare leads 2 km to the fishing village of Volosko. Until Sunday 8 November the chocolate festival runs in the Gervais centre. Rijeka, 15 km away, has its own Advent on the Korzo; the dates are in our Advent overview.