Špancirfest reaches halfway point: Varaždin on August 25 brings Seine, Zoster, street spectacles and a secret concert
The fifth of ten festival days brings a new wave of concerts, street performances, theatre and programs on the squares of Varaždin's historic center. Špancirfest 2026, its 28th edition, is being held from August 21 to 30, and the organizer announced around 600 programs spread across 23 festival zones for this year's edition. August 25 marks the festival's halfway point, but the schedule shows no signs of slowing down: Seine and Zoster take over the main concert stage, street performers continue the program on Korzo and Franjevački trg, while the theatre play "How It All Began" with Aleks and Bara is scheduled at Vila Bedeković. Alongside the major programs announced in advance, the new festival concept Secret Music Experiences also continues, with locations revealed shortly before each performance.
Stelzen Art once again rises above the festival bustle
One of the most striking parts of the street program on August 25 is once again Stelzen Art, a group recognizable for walking on stilts, lavish costumes and choreographed movement through the city space. The official schedule includes two performances, from 18:00 to 18:45 and from 20:00 to 20:45, at Franjevački trg near Grgur Ninski. The previous day, the group attracted attention with butterfly-inspired costumes, and their return to the program highlights one of Špancirfest's fundamental ideas: the street is not merely a path between two stages, but itself becomes a performance venue. The organizer describes Stelzen Art as festival favorites who, through their visual concept and art of movement, have been creating recognizable moments on the streets of Varaždin for years.
The street program on August 25 is considerably broader than those two performances. According to the daily schedule, Duo Kaos performs at Trg kralja Tomislava at 17:30 and again at 19:00, Crazy Mozarts have slots there at 18:30 and 20:30, while Sidral Brass Band performs its "Red Wine Cabaret" program at Franjevački trg at 17:00 and 19:30. Teatroska's living statues appear from 18:30 at several locations in the historic center, while the Heroes of the Streets program is scheduled in Gundulićeva, Kranjčevićeva and at Trg slobode. In the evening, the façades on Korzo become part of the program through La Luz Visuals, which according to the official schedule runs from 21:00 to 23:45. Such a schedule shows why Špancirfest is difficult to reduce to just a few major concerts: much of its identity emerges from parallel, shorter and often mobile performances between the city's squares and streets.
Las Calaveras marked the previous evening with fire and acrobatics
The August 24 program also ended with the striking performance "Las Calaveras", produced by Loop Cirkus and Cirkultura. According to the official description of the show, it combines manipulation and juggling with fire props, partner acrobatics and contemporary dance, connected by a choreographed story about a magician obsessed with fire and bringing his puppets to life. The performance took place at Trg kralja Tomislava from 21:00 to 21:45, and it was precisely the interplay of fire, movement and proximity to the audience that created one of the most visually powerful moments of the fourth festival day. The organizer announced a second performance of the same program for August 30, the final day of the festival, so visitors who missed it will have another opportunity to see this combination of circus, dance and fire effects.
Secret Music Experience moves from film classics to love songs
One of the novelties of the 28th Špancirfest is the Secret Music Experiences, conceived as small concerts at locations that are not published in the conventional festival schedule. Even before the festival began, the organizer announced that there are no reservations or tickets for these programs and that the venue is revealed shortly before the start, with a limited number of visitors admitted. The first such gathering this year took place on August 24 in the atrium of the City Hall, where, according to a Špancirfest announcement, around fifty of the fastest visitors listened to melodies from classic films while enjoying a welcome drink. A day later, on August 25 at 21:00, the same atrium receives a new theme - "Love Songs". In this way, the concept remains faithful to the idea of an intimate concert, while the musical content changes from evening to evening.
Before the event began, Špancirfest announced several themed versions of this program, including evenings inspired by French chansons, love songs, the film "One Song a Day Takes Mischief Away" and film music. While the main stage beside Stari grad can accommodate a large audience, the secret concerts are deliberately limited to a small space and leave only a short time to react after the location is announced.
Seine at 21:00, Zoster at 22:00: a double concert beside Stari grad
The main musical focus on August 25 moves in the evening to the PAN stage beside Stari grad. Seine performs first, from 21:00 to 21:45. The organizer presents it as a project by Varaždin musician Ivan Ščapec that combines indie rock, electronic music and trip-hop, and the band entered 2026 with its fourth studio album "Vreva". The performance in Varaždin has an additional local dimension because Ščapec comes from the host city, but at the same time the concert is part of the broader program through which Špancirfest combines established names and performers from the contemporary alternative scene on its main stage. According to official festival information, this is Seine's debut performance at Špancirfest.
At 22:00, Zoster, the Bosnia and Herzegovina band from Mostar, takes over the stage, with the performance scheduled to last until 23:30. The festival's official announcement highlights their decades-long blend of reggae, ska, rock and blues, as well as the distinctive songwriting signature of frontman Mario Knezović. Over the years, the band has built an audience throughout Southeast Europe, and Špancirfest 2026 marks their first appearance at this festival. The combination of Seine's alternative sound and Zoster's more rhythmic, genre-hybrid approach gives the evening a clear musical arc without requiring the audience to move to another location between concerts. According to the official program, both concerts on the PAN stage are free.
The main stage thus continues a sequence that, during the first days, included different generations and genres, while the remainder of the festival will bring Zabranjeno pušenje on August 28, Dubioza Kolektiv on August 29 and Silente on August 30. For this year's edition, the organizer announced around 200 music programs in various formats, from large concerts to performances at smaller city locations. Additional music content for August 25 includes DJ Puck from 20:00 in the Food & Party zone beside Stari grad, a music program at Dolce Vita Garden near Sermage Palace, and the evening Glazbene kamperice slot on Korzo from 21:30.
Aleks and Bara at Vila Bedeković
The theatre part of the August 25 program takes the audience toward Vila Bedeković, where the play "How It All Began" with Aleks and Bara starts at 20:30. It is the third play by this popular theatrical duo, and the official description announces a return to the beginning of their life together and a comedy built around relationships, misunderstandings and mutual provocations. The organizer states that the play lasts about 80 minutes, while the daily festival schedule reserves the slot until 22:00. The program at Vila Bedeković differs from most street content because theatre performances require a ticket. The previous day, Iva and Gloria performed on the same stage in a Kerekesh Teatar production, so the theatrical series continues from evening to evening as a separate strand of the festival.
Within the same festival cycle at Vila Bedeković, concerts and theatre performances alternate, expanding Špancirfest's offer beyond the model of a conventional street festival.
"Špancir in Wheelchairs" once again puts accessibility at the center of attention
An important part of the August 25 program is social rather than entertainment-focused. Members of the Association of Persons with Disabilities Varaždin set off from Hotel Turist at 19:00 on August 25 for a joint "Špancir in Wheelchairs", an initiative intended to draw attention to the everyday obstacles encountered by persons with disabilities and to promote inclusion and equality. The event has already been part of the festival period in previous years, and the Croatian Union of Associations of Persons with Disabilities reported that the 2025 edition was dedicated to the safe movement of wheelchair users and the accessibility of public spaces. Traffic police also participated in that program through an expert lecture on road safety, after which participants joined a symbolic walk through the city.
This year's inclusion of "Špancir in Wheelchairs" in the festival day is a reminder that the accessibility of major public events is not merely a logistical issue but also a question of participation in public life. When large numbers of people move through the same streets, temporary obstacles, curbs, crowds and the organization of space can become especially visible from the perspective of people who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. That is precisely why an initiative of this kind has a broader meaning than a one-time walk: it confronts the festival audience with an experience of the city that is not the same for all groups. According to publicly available data from Varaždin municipal company Varkom, the "Špancir in Wheelchairs" program is also among the projects awarded sponsorship in 2026, confirming the continuity of this initiative within the local community.
KOOGLACH, Wine City and other zones for a break between programs
Špancirfest does not take place only on stages. One of the new zones in 2026 is KOOGLACH at Trg slobode, conceived as a space where ice cream is the central gastronomic theme, but also with music and the possibility of taking a short break between programs. The official daily schedule states that the zone is open on August 25 from 10:00 to 22:00. In its announcement of the gastronomic offer, the organizer stated that KOOGLACH brings multiple ice cream flavors and introduces a new sweet spot on the festival map, alongside other zones distributed throughout the historic center. In practice, this turns Trg slobode into a place where street programming, Heroes of the Streets and gastronomic offerings meet throughout the day, meaning the zone is not separated from the festival but integrated into its main pedestrian flow.
For those who want a longer break, Wine City is open from 18:00 to 1:00, and the official description mentions around forty winemakers from various Croatian wine regions. Flavors of the World at Kapucinski trg is open on August 25 from 16:00 until midnight, while Dolce Vita Garden near Sermage Palace is open practically all day and continues until 1:00. The family program also runs in two larger blocks: Park kreative, Vindiland and Techpark Gaming Zona offer workshops and activities during morning and afternoon sessions. These include STEM content, LEGO academy, 3D pen drawing workshops and music activities for children. Such distribution enables the festival to operate from morning until late at night without relying exclusively on the day's concert climax.
How to reach the festival center and where to stay
For visitors arriving in Varaždin by car, the organizer has provided four free parking areas outside the narrow city center during Špancirfest: at Biškupečka ulica 3, Zagrebačka 85A and 89, Optujska 157, and Ulica Miroslava Pavleka Miškine near house numbers 64B and 64C. According to official Špancirfest information, two free festival bus routes operate from these locations to the center at intervals of approximately 20 minutes. From Monday to Thursday, which also includes August 25, the special routes operate from 17:00 to 23:55. The organizer also states that transport on all city bus routes is free during the festival, which should reduce car pressure on the historic center.
Varaždin is located in northern Croatia, and most of Špancirfest is concentrated in the walkable historic center, making it possible to connect a large number of programs on foot after arrival. Visitors planning several festival days can check accommodation offers in Varaždin, especially if they want to stay for the late evening concerts and continue with the program the following morning. Because events take place simultaneously at several locations, it is useful to choose a few priorities in advance while leaving enough time for street performances taking place between the main points. It is precisely this combination of planned concerts and unplanned encounters that remains one of the festival's key characteristics.
Špancirfest therefore reaches its halfway point on August 25 without any reduction in intensity. Within just a few hours and across a relatively small area, stilt walkers, circus and music performers, theatre, façade projections, an inclusive initiative and two major concerts beside Stari grad take turns. The official program shows that the festival rhythm continues beyond the halfway point, with new performers and activities all the way until August 30. For audiences arriving in the city precisely during the second half of the week, the fifth day is not a transition toward the finale but one of the most densely packed points in this year's schedule.
Sources:
- Špancirfest - current post "Špancirfest at halfway, experiences at maximum", with information about the programs on August 24 and 25, 2026. (link)
- Špancirfest - official program for the fifth day, with schedules for street, music, children's and theatre content on August 25, 2026. (link)
- Špancirfest - announcement of the 28th edition of the festival, dates, number of programs and festival zones, and the main music program (link)
- Špancirfest - information about the Secret Music Experiences concept and participation rules (link)
- Špancirfest - service announcement about free parking areas and festival bus routes for 2026. (link)
- Croatian Union of Associations of Persons with Disabilities - report on the "Špancir in Wheelchairs" 2025 program and its focus on accessibility and safe movement (link)
- Varkom - publicly available data on sponsorships and donations for 2026, including the "Špancir in Wheelchairs" program of the Association of Persons with Disabilities Varaždin (link)