IDM co-creates network of festivals in the Danube Region

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The IDM and regional partners have launched the Danube Festival Caravan, which brings together festivals from across the region to create a cohesive tourism narrative celebrating the Danube Region’s rich diversity. The initiative enables cultural and tourism professionals to exchange resources, knowledge and best practices, helping existing events become more eco-friendly, more inclusive and more attractive to international audiences.

Special emphasis is placed on ensuring that cultural experiences are accessible to all visitors, while sustainable tourism practices help safeguard the Danube Region’s environmental and cultural heritage. Furthermore, by encouraging travellers to spend more time in less-visited destinations, the Danube Festival Caravan promotes slow tourism that supports local economies and strengthens regional identities.

Ultimately, the initiative aims to position the Danube Region as a leading destination for festival tourism, driving a significant increase in international visitors and showcasing the region as a model for inclusive and sustainable cultural development.

This year there are 13 festivals in 9 different countries reaching more than 60,000 people. Each event will have a different emphasis, allowing visitors to experience the rich diversity of the region. The first festival ‘Tradition of Our Ancestors’, which took place last month in Croatia, was already a huge success, attracting crowds that included the President of the Republic of Croatia.

 

Featured festivals in 2026

Tradition of Our Ancestors – Koprivnica, Croatia | 11 April

Open Day at Bánffy Castle – Bonțida, Romania | 17 May

World Bee Day – Višnja Gora, Slovenia | 20 May

Walk Through the Naïve – Hlebine, Croatia | 22–24 May

DescOpera Festival – Butuceni, Moldova | 19–21 June

Night of Museums – Szombathely, Hungary | 20 June

Fabrika Fest – Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenia | 21–23 June

Living Neighbourhoods: Lyulin – Sofia, Bulgaria | 26–28 June

Floating Mill Festival – Kolárovo, Slovakia | 9–11 July

Kult Fest – Sremski Karlovci, Serbia | Every weekend in August

Kolárovo Fair – Kolárovo, Slovakia | 14–16 August

Petrovac Jazz Festival – Petrovac, Montenegro | 3–7 September

Fruška Walk&Wine – Sremski Karlovci, Serbia | 27 September

 

The Danube Festival Caravan is a flagship initiative of the CAST Project, which is supported by Interreg Danube Region and co-funded by the European Union.

 

For more information please visit https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/cast/danube-festival-caravan