Medieval Fair in Šibenik: knights, crafts and a naval battle

On a Saturday evening in September, wooden ships re-enact the attack of 1378 on the Šibenik waterfront. The battle is the high point of the Medieval Fair in Šibenik (Sajam u srednjovjekovnom Šibeniku). For three days, Friday to Sunday, craftspeople sell their goods in front of the Bishop's Palace. Knights, drummers and flag bearers march from Poljana through the old town of Šibenik. Four partners run the fair: the Šibenik Craft Association (Udruženje obrtnika Šibenik), the City of Šibenik, the city tourist board and the Šibenik Town Guard (Šibenska gradska straža). The craft association lists the goals on uosibenik.hr: traditional crafts, local heritage and a longer tourist season.

The fair belongs to September. The craft association writes that September has been fair month in Šibenik since the Middle Ages. It is also the month in which the town celebrates its patron, St Michael. HRT reports that archival records show trade fairs in Šibenik five centuries ago, twice a year.

The fair began about twenty years ago

The first modern fair took place about twenty years ago, according to HRT and ŠibenikIN. The City of Šibenik announced the eighth edition for 7 to 9 September 2012, with a naval battle at the opening and cannon fire from St Michael's Fortress. The craft association lists the eleventh edition in 2015. Before the pandemic the fair drew more than 100 exhibitors, craft association president Joso Smolić told ŠibenikIN. The last full edition took place in 2019, the portal reports.

The pandemic stopped the fair for five years. Deputy mayor Danijel Mileta said the city then tried a new site at St John's Fortress, which proved too remote. In 2025 the 16th edition returned to the waterfront and the old town. Exhibitors paid for their public space for the first time that year, ŠibenikIN reported.

Medieval Fair in Šibenik 2027

As of 20 October 2026, the organisers have announced no date for the 2027 fair. The date appears first on uosibenik.hr and at the city tourist board. The recent editions ran on these dates:

• 2012: the 8th edition, Friday 7 to Sunday 9 September, according to the City of Šibenik.
• 2025: the 16th edition, Friday 5 to Sunday 7 September, according to the City of Šibenik and the craft association.
• 2026: the 17th edition, Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September, according to the craft association.

The last two editions both ran from Friday to Sunday on the first weekend of September. That pattern is no announcement. The 2027 programme, the exhibitor list and the battle time follow with the official notice.

Stalls fill the green in front of the Bishop's Palace

The market stands on the green strip by the waterfront, below St James's Cathedral and next to the Bishop's Palace. In 2026 about 40 exhibitors sold cured meats, honey, herbal products, wooden souvenirs and other handicrafts. Tourist board director Dino Karađole called the offer local and authentic. In 2025 about thirty exhibitors came, mostly from Šibenik-Knin County.

The Sunday market is a short one. In 2025 and 2026 the stalls in front of the Bishop's Palace opened from 9:00 to 14:00 on the last day.

Knights and drummers march from Poljana

Historical units from across Croatia bring the costumes. In 2025 the Town Guard paraded with 16 units, the craft association reported. For 2026 Karađole announced about 20. Each evening procession gathers on Poljana and crosses the old town to one of its squares. Playwright and director Sergej Mioč directs the programme. He told HRT the fair has grown together with the town, its residents and its guests.

The naval battle of 1378 returns to the waterfront

The battle re-enacts the attack of the Venetian fleet on Šibenik in 1378 and the defence of the town. In 2025 and 2026 it started at 21:00 on Saturday on the waterfront in front of the Šibenik City Museum. For 2026 the tourist board announced three wooden ships, two large and one small. Mioč told HRT that about a third of the town's population died in that battle. The staging remembers the women and children who defended the streets alongside the town's defenders, he said.

Three days, three rhythms

• Friday. The market of local products opens in front of the Bishop's Palace around midday: at 12:00 in 2025 and at 11:00 in 2026. In 2026 the evening procession ended with the official opening on Trg Republike Hrvatske.
• Saturday. The busiest day. Processions, performances on the squares and, at 21:00, the naval battle. In 2025 the official opening also fell on Saturday, at 19:00 on Trg Pavla Šubića II.
• Sunday. A quiet morning at the stalls, from 9:00 to 14:00, and the fair is over.

Getting around the fair

The fair uses the waterfront, Poljana and the squares of the old town. All of them lie within a short walk of each other. The stone lanes climb steeply from the sea, so flat shoes help. Drivers park outside the old town and walk in. For the battle, a place by the water in front of the City Museum is worth taking well before 21:00.

St James's Cathedral rises directly above the stalls. Builders laid its foundation stone in 1431, and Juraj Dalmatinac led the works from 1441. The walls and vaults are built entirely of stone. UNESCO added the cathedral to the World Heritage List in 2000. Our guide to what to see in Šibenik covers the cathedral and the four fortresses. For a quiet day before the fair, a boat trip to the island of Zlarin fits well.

Medieval Fair in Šibenik 2026 in review

The 17th Medieval Fair in Šibenik ran from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September 2026. Turističke priče called the programme free and open to all ages. Before the opening, Karađole announced about 40 exhibitors and about 20 historical units. On Friday evening the units marched from Poljana to Trg Republike Hrvatske for the official opening. The billed groups included the Town Guard, Vitezovi Zelingradski, Red vitezova Ružice grada, Red vitezova sv. Nikole and Red srebrnog zmaja.

On Saturday from 10:00 to 13:30, children built paper parachutes and figures of Faust Vrančić in front of the City Museum. The workshop, Projekt: Homo Volans, belonged to a national campaign of the Croatian technical culture community. The flag wavers Sbandieratori Cavalcata dell'Assunta from Fermo in Italy were billed for all three days. The naval battle followed at 21:00 on Saturday, with three wooden ships announced. On Sunday the stalls closed at 14:00.

September in Šibenik brings more events. Our list of Croatia's festival dates for 2027 collects the dates already fixed.