The tenth edition of Rijeka’s beloved festival opened with the exhibition 10 Years of Porto Etno. In attendance at the opening were the Acting Head of the Administrative Department for Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of the City of Rijeka Marija Japundža Broznić, Director of the Croatian Cultural Centre on Sušak Edvin Liverić, the Centre’s programme coordinator and Porto Etno’s chief organiser Jelena Tondini, and Porto Etno Orchestra conductor Zoran Majstorović. The exhibition will remain displayed at the exhibition stands along the Korzo until 25 May.
Voices in Etno: Lidija Bajuk, Nina Ćorić, Bruno Krajcar and Domagoj Vuković – Vuk + the Porto Etno Orchestra
The signature Voices in Etno concert will open the Festival’s music programme. On 21 May at 8 pm renowned ethno and world music artists Lidija Bajuk, Nina Ćorić, Bruno Krajcar and Domagoj Vuković will take the stage at the Croatian Cultural Centre on Sušak accompanied the Porto Etno Orchestra, an essential part of every Porto Etno festival since 2017. The programme features a captivating blend of diverse tastes and styles. Joined by the Festival’s orchestra, the performers will offer an entirely new and unconventional approach to the audience.
Each vocal performing in the Voices in Etno programme brings a unique musical universe to the stage. Lidija Bajuk, one of the pioneers of Croatia’s contemporary ethno scene, is famous not only for her music but also for her numerous albums, books and publications. She also actively participates in environmental and humanitarian initiatives.
Nina Ćorić, one of Croatia’s leading ambassadors of flamenco and Spanish culture, is the creator of the Lorca, Flamenco & Tambura project, nominated for the Porin Award. She is also the founder of the Flamenco Festival Zagreb.
The audience will also enjoy the performance of Bruno Krajcar, a composer of approximately 400 compositions of different genres who collaborated with numerous Croatian and international musicians. As a singer-songwriter, he has released seven albums.
Multimedia artist Domagoj Vuković combines classical singing with Mongolian throat singing (khoomei), using a looper pedal to create layered melodies inspired by Slavic mythology.
Admission to the Voices in Etno concert is free.
Music from neighbouring Slovenia and the Mediterranean Portugal
On Friday, 22 May 2026, the Porto Etno Festival will take place from 9 pm onwards in the Palach Club for the very first time, introducing the audience with the Portuguese sensation Ana Lua Caiano and Slovenian band Grunt.
Foto: Tiago Nuno
Portuguese artist Ana Lua Caiano is one of the most prominent new artists of the European world music and alternative music scenes. She blends Portuguese musical heritage with electronic music, synthesizers, beat-machines, and field recordings elements.
Her debut album Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado, released by the German label Glitterbeat Records, was acclaimed by numerous national and international media outlets as one of the best albums of 2024. That same year, she performed on nearly 80 concerts across Portugal and Europe, appearing at major festivals including Primavera Sound, Roskilde Festival, Eurosonic Noorderslag and Babel Med. Her remarkable year also included a nomination for the Music Moves Europe Awards, a performance for COLORSxSTUDIOS and winning the Portuguese Golden Globe Award for Best Song titled Deixem o Morto Morrer. In 2025, she continued her impressive rise by receiving the Critics’ Award at the Portuguese Music Awards PLAY – Portuguese and the Audience Award for Best Solo Artist at the FUTURAWARDS gala, while simultaneously touring internationally and preparing her next studio album.
Joining her on stage is Grunt, a Slovenian band whose unique and untamed musical universe defies easy categorisation. They describe themselves as a nomadic musical horde wandering through space and time connecting echoes of the past and future with the present. Their sound moves fluidly between ethno music, rock, improvisation and contemporary expression, while also embracing elements of classical music. They use their sound to explore universal emotions, rituals and collective experiences.
In their compositions the audience can recognise traces of Bosnian sevdah, Macedonian motifs, Turkish nostalgia, Sephardic influences, and the spirit of Kurdish wedding celebrations. The result is a rich and immersive musical tapestry that feels both ancient and strikingly modern. British music magazine The Quietus described the band as an infectious and subtle Slovenian folk-rock collective whose sound evokes “Fleetwood Mac at a Kurdish wedding,” while Kino Šiška emphasizes Grunt as part of a new wave of European bands bridging the musical heritage of East and West.
Admission to the Porto Etno’s concerts in Palach is free of charge.
The Porto Etno Parade – bigger, louder, and more colourful than ever before
Filled with the colours of traditional costumes, the sounds of music, and the energy of dance, this year’s parade promises one of the festival’s most joyful and visually striking events in the city’s centre.
Taking part in this year’s parade are the Community of the Albanians of the Primorje – Gorski Kotar County, Association of Slovaks Rijeka, Community of Serbs, Palade from Rijeka, Češka beseda Rijeka Association, EuroPhil Dance Troupe representing FilCom Rijeka, RoMorčić Association, Serbian Cultural Society Prosvjeta – Rijeka Branch, National Community of the Bosnians, “St. Vitus“ Development and Integration Centre, Macedonian Cultural Society “Ilinden“ and Cultural and Art Society Sevdah.
The parade begins from Jadranski trg on Saturday, 23 May at 11 am, making its way along the Korzo. It will be led by the brass ensemble Glazbeno društvo Spinčići performing a specially curated musical programme. Along the route, participants will showcase elements of their cultural heritage through music, dance, and traditional elements.
The final stop is Kont, where Parade is expected by 11:30 am. The Festival continues with the signature Melting Pot gastro event and presentations of folklore programmes.
Melting Pot at Kont – a taste of global cuisine
This year, Porto Etno’s much-loved gastronomic programme moves to Kont (Titov trg), where numerous minority communities will present themselves. Melting Pot will traditionally fill the air with the aromas of world cuisine, transforming Kont into a lively meeting point of phenomenal food and intercultural exchange.
The visitors will have the opportunity to try authentic specialties from Albania, Slovakia, Serbia, the Philippines, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trinidad and Tobago, North Macedonia, Ukraine, as well as dishes from Roma culinary traditions. Adding even more diversity to the Festival’s culinary map, the Centre for Dialogue Culture will participate with their New Neighbours 2.0 project, bringing flavours from Afghanistan, Iran and Chechnya
The gastronomic experience will be accompanied by a vibrant folklore programme featuring performances by numerous cultural associations and minority communities, including the Community of the Albanians of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Association of Slovaks Rijeka, Community of Serbs, Palade from Rijeka, Češka beseda Rijeka Association, FilCom Rijeka, RoMorčić Association, Serbian Cultural Society Prosvjeta – Rijeka Branch, National Community of the Bosnians, „St. Vitus“ Development and Integration Centre, Macedonian Cultural Society „Ilinden“, Cultural and Art Society Sevdah, National Community of Montenegrins Rijeka, Community of the Italians of Rijeka and Opatija, Democratic Community of Hungarians of Croatia, and The Russian Home, represented by the Coordination of Russian Compatriots in the Republic of Croatia – Slavjanka Ensemble.
Admission to the event is free, while food vouchers priced at €4.50 per portion will be available for purchase at Kont.
Lubenice After Party at Manualu in solidarity with Palestine
The Festival will close on Saturday, 23 May, at Manual Club. Starting from 10 p.m., the lineup includes four legends of the regional electronic music scene: DJ Turnmaster Tim, Asimin Asanof, Tondini i Lorens. Music has always been a language of solidarity and resistance, and the dance a form of solidarity, so during official Lubenice after party funds will be raised for humanitarian aid to Palestine.
DJ Turnmaster Tim brings his vast experience and a carefully curated approach to DJ culture that effortlessly transcends genre boundaries. Asimin Asanof creates immersive dancefloor journeys by blending diverse musical styles, reminiscent of the acclaimed Slastičarna events he founded. Jelena Tondini presents her distinctive ethno-disco universe, where traditional sounds merge seamlessly with contemporary grooves. Meanwhile, Lorens delves into the darker edges of electronic music through deep selections spanning electro, techno, and global rhythms.
By purchasing cakes and food at the event, visitors will directly contribute to humanitarian aid for those most in need. All funds raised will be donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a humanitarian medical organisation providing emergency healthcare assistance and medical training programmes in the Gaza Strip.
Such export-import is made possible thanks to the support of the City of Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Europe Direct Rijeka operating within the Porin Development Agency, Erste Bank, Plodine, the Rijeka Tourist Board, Club Palach, Ri Rock Association, Club Manual, and Lineatrad as media sponsor.