Dani piva Karlovac: beer and concerts fill the star each August

At the end of every August, Karlovac fills its star-shaped old town with beer, food stands and two concert stages. The festival is called Dani piva, Beer Days, and it runs for five days. The City of Karlovac organises it, and Karlovačko beer is the main sponsor. Entry to all programmes was free in 2026, Karlovački tjednik reported. The programme, set times and transport details appear on danipiva.net.

The festival began in 1984, the organisers say. The first edition marked the 130th anniversary of the brewery, according to the City of Karlovac. Baron Nikola Vranyczany built the brewery building on Dubovac in 1854. At the first Dani piva, beer ran from the town fountain. For the 40th anniversary in 2024, Karlovačko rebuilt that fountain. Free beer has flowed from it at every edition since. The 2026 festival was the 39th edition.

Dani piva 2027

As of 20 October 2026, the City of Karlovac and danipiva.net have announced no date for Dani piva 2027. The festival website still shows the 2026 edition. The City calls the last weekend of August the traditional Dani piva weekend. The last four editions all ran from Friday to Tuesday:

• 2023: 25 to 29 August, the 36th edition. Parni valjak opened it, and 17 concerts played on two stages.
• 2024: 30 August to 3 September, the 37th edition, for 40 years of the festival and 170 years of Karlovačko. The City estimated about 80,000 visitors.
• 2025: 29 August to 2 September, the 38th edition, with 17 concert performances on two stages.
• 2026: 28 August to 1 September, the 39th edition, with more than 20,000 visitors on the opening night.

The year's first steps follow a fixed pattern. The Karlovac Tourist Board published the tender for food and drink stalls in June 2024, June 2025 and June 2026. In 2026 the City announced the dates and the headliner on 29 July. The full programme followed at a press conference on 21 August 2025 and on 25 August 2026. The 2027 date will appear on danipiva.net and karlovac.hr.

Where the festival happens

Everything happens inside the Zvijezda, the star, the historic centre of Karlovac. Streets, parks and gardens become stages, bars and restaurants for five days. The main stage stands on the edge of the Šanac, the green ring on the old ramparts. The Promenade in front of it becomes a pedestrian zone and an open-air amphitheatre, the Karlovac Tourist Board writes. Food stands line the Promenade, Šetalište dr. Franje Tuđmana.

The second stage is the Gastro stage in the Gastro kutak, the gastro corner next to the Sokolski dom. In 2025 a tent there had 300 seats, in 2024 it had 400. The Svijet piva lounge, the World of Beer, stands in the same area. Children get an amusement park in the Šanac next to the main stage.

What is on the programme

• Concerts on two stages every evening. Croatian pop, rock, rap and klapa acts share the bill, and DJ sets fill the gaps. The 2024 edition announced 20 concerts.
• Svijet piva, the World of Beer: brands that are sold in Croatia only at the festival. In 2026 the list included Mort Subite, Red Stripe, Tiger, Gösser Helles, Zipfer Märzen, Krušovice Černé and Lagunitas IPA. Craft beer was on offer too, from Medvedgrad and Saperlot in 2025.
• Brewery open day on the first festival day. In 2026 the Karlovačko brewery opened from 10:00 to 17:00, with free guided tours every full hour and no registration. Closed shoes with flat soles are required. About 300 people took the tour in 2025.
• The beer fountain. In 2026 free Karlovačko ran from it on the Kino Edison terrace on Friday from 18:00 to 20:00. In 2024 and 2025 it ran on the first and the last day.
• Daytime games and workshops. The Pivska akademija, a beer academy, meets on Saturday in the music pavilion. The Pivska potraga is a beer hunt through the Zvijezda for teams of five to eight adults. Radićeva ulica hosts a table football cup. In 2025 the Kino Edison terrace held a film and music quiz.

Beer, pretzels and prices

Half a litre of draught Karlovačko cost 2.50 euro throughout the festival in 2025 and in 2026. The beer comes in cups made from recycled material. Ten collected cups buy a coupon for a free beer. The big beer pretzel belongs to the festival as much as the beer. It weighs half a kilo, measures one metre and is shaped by hand. The company Žitoproizvod first made it for Dani piva. Adults get Ekipa 18+ wristbands, so bar staff can spot them in the crowd.

Getting there and back

A festival train links Zagreb and Karlovac on the busiest days. In 2026 it ran from Friday to Sunday. It left Zagreb at 17:43 and returned from Karlovac at 00:31. It stopped at Remetinec, Hrvatski Leskovac and Jastrebarsko, and a return ticket cost 1.50 euro. The 2025 train used the same stops and the same fare.

Drivers park for free at the ŠRC Korana sports centre. In 2026 a free bus ran from there to the Korzo every hour from 18:00 to 23:00, with returns every hour from 18:30 until midnight. Free bus lines also came in from villages around the town, from Vukoder, Šišljavić, Zadobarje, Selišće and Kablar, with the return at midnight. The Tourist Board suggests a walk from the car park along the Korana to the festival zone.

Dani piva 2026 in review

The 39th Dani piva ran from Friday 28 August to Tuesday 1 September 2026. The opening ceremony began at 20:30 on Friday. A festival keg was tapped, and the crowd raised a toast with Karlovačko. Severina then played the main stage, and Minea opened the Gastro stage. More than 20,000 people came on the first evening, the organisers said. Mayor Damir Mandić called the festival part of the town's identity.

The programme put Luzeri, Baks and Hiljson Mandela on Saturday. Urban & 4 with a string quartet played on Sunday, and Indira, Bronz and Prava TV Strana followed on Monday. Klapa Šufit and Petar Grašo closed the last night. The Gastro stage hosted The Trio, Experiment Trio, Nipplesi, The Gigsons, Strings Band and DJ I'M. EKIPuzzle was new in 2026: teams raced to assemble large puzzles of the Karlovačko crest. The Aquatika freshwater aquarium stayed open until 22:00 on every festival day.

The year before, Peki, Psihomodo Pop and Vanna opened the 38th edition on 29 August 2025. Vatra and Baby Lasagna played on the second night. Baks and Plavi orkestar closed the festival in front of about 20,000 people, the organisers reported. In 2024 Baby Lasagna and Prljavo kazalište drew the biggest crowds.

Practical notes

• The concerts run in the evening. The festival train left Zagreb at 17:43 in 2026, in time for the opening acts.
• The brewery tours fill quickly. The City advised arriving a little early in 2026.
• Families find the amusement park in the Šanac and a children's programme by KARLA Žitoproizvod with workshops, games and quizzes.
• The town has more to see between the concerts: Dubovac Castle, the Aquatika aquarium, the Homeland War Museum at Turanj and the Nikola Tesla Experience Center. The full list is in /stories/karlovac-what-to-see.