Advent in Zadar 2026: opens 24 November, full concert line-up

Zadar opens its Advent on Tuesday 24 November, the feast of St Krševan, the city's patron, earlier than any other town in our overview of Croatian Advents. The City of Zadar published the tourist board's programme on 10 October: named acts on 15 days across three stages, a family programme on the Forum and life-size nativity figures in the atrium of the Cedulin Palace (City of Zadar). For anyone planning a weekend on the coast, the evenings with the big names, the ice rink and the way into the old town are below.

Advent in Zadar 2026: programme by date and stage

The announcement gives no start times, but the pattern is clear: the well-known names play on Fridays and Saturdays. On three Saturdays all three stages run on the same evening: 12, 19 and 26 December. With only one weekend to spare, 4 and 5 December brings Adi Šoše, Kojoti, TBF and the opening of the Forum stage with Mija Dimšić. The weekend after Christmas ends with Miroslav Škoro on the Forum on 26 December. Advent closes on Saturday 2 January with Letu Štuke on Trg Petra Zoranića and Detour at the market.

Three stages and a nativity scene

Trg Petra Zoranića, beside Five Wells Square at the Land Gate end of the peninsula, is the main stage, where the city opens Advent on 24 November. The second stage, the Božićni gramofon, stands at the city market; it starts on 28 November with Gustafi and holds DJ nights on 18 and 25 December. New in 2026 is the Forum: next to the ice rink on the Roman square there is a family and children's programme and concerts from 5 December. Life-size nativity figures fill the atrium of the Cedulin Palace (City of Zadar). The Forum and the market are a few minutes' walk apart along the Kalelarga, so one evening can take in two stages.

New Year's Eve 2026 in Zadar

Thursday 31 December starts at 11:00 with a children's countdown on Trg Petra Zoranića, and at noon a DJ plays the market stage. In the evening Nina Badrić sings on the square, together with the BIG CroDance Party with Grupa ET, Simplicia, Ilan Kabiljo, Alka Vuica and Senna M. At the market Zaratino and Psihomodo Pop see in the new year (City of Zadar). Advent carries on for two more evenings, with Kanella on 1 January and Letu Štuke on 2 January. Every city's New Year stage is compared in New Year in Croatia.

Ice rink on the Forum

The rink moves to the Forum in 2026, in the middle of the old town. The announcement of 10 October gives no hours or prices yet. Last season is the best guide: the covered Ice Park Zadar stood in Višnjik, 25 to 30 minutes on foot from Five Wells Square, and ran from 24 November to 11 January, daily from 9:00 to 23:00. A session lasted 45 minutes and cost 7 euros, 5 euros at off-peak times; skate hire was 2 euros and pre-school children skated free (Antena Zadar). Elsewhere it costs less: Poreč's rink is free and Varaždin's costs 3 euros, as our Advent overview shows.

Getting there and parking

From Zagreb it is about 285 kilometres on the A1, three to three and a half hours by car. Zadar Airport is at Zemunik, about 8 kilometres east of the city; a shuttle bus meets flights and runs to the bus station and the old town, and a taxi takes about 20 minutes. From the bus station it is a 20-minute walk to the Land Gate. The peninsula is closed to most traffic, so drivers leave the car on the mainland side of the harbour by the footbridge, or at Foša beside the Land Gate, and walk in. From the Land Gate it is a few steps to Five Wells Square and the main stage. More on the old town is in What to see in Zadar.

Sunset at the Sea Organ, then the stalls

In December the sun sets in Zadar between about 16:20 and 16:30, by our calculation with the NOAA solar calculator. That gives the evening a simple order: be on the steps of the Sea Organ at the tip of the peninsula by 16:00, watch the Greeting to the Sun light up after sunset, then walk back along the Kalelarga to the stalls in about 15 minutes. The route is in our Zadar sunset guide. The squares and the concerts are free to enter; you pay at the stalls and on the ice rink.