WorldFestivalAssociation

I N V I T A T I O N

   “SVETI STEFAN ” choir festival and competition  is very famous festival in region…...  Organizers of the festival are: World Festival Association, T.O Budva and Tree Cane .

With pleasure we INVITE you ( Children's, Youth & Adults Choral Groups) to participate on XI International  Choir festival and competition  “ST STEFAN” which will be held from 21 – 25 August  2024.

 Budva It is situated on the central part of Montenegrin coast, called "Budvanska Rivijera". It has developed around a small peninsula, on which the old town is situated. It is by far most visited destination in Montenegro, attracting many tourists like Russian, Serbian, Hungarian, France, Italy  and other European tourists with an old town, bars and nightclubs, and beaches mostly consisting of small rocks. It is base for mass tourism, while in its near vicinity there are luxury resorts such as Sveti Stefan and Miločer.

There are as many as 35 beaches in the Budva area, sands beaches (8 beaches are marked with blue flags).During the summer in particular, the day and night-life offers opportunities to enjoy theatre plays and performances, music events and entertainment programs.The old town is adjacent to the marina, where the wealthy come to moor their luxury yachts. The old town is beautiful, with restaurants and boutiques selling luxury goods at high prices..

Sveti Stefan', one of the most exclusive summer resorts on the Mediterranean, is a result of a modern refurbishment of the stone houses on the island, built more than five centuries ago for the population of the nearby villages to find a place of shelter from the attacks of pirates and the Turks. According to oral tradition, the Pastrovici tribe used the spoils taken from Turkish galleons to fortify the island in 1442, building 12 houses, one each for every family in the Pastovici. For nearly 300 years, it was a trade and transport centre for the Pastrovici and the seat of the Bankada – the tribal court of the Pastrovici. The village was named after the church located on the highest point of the island, dedicated to the Saint Archdeacon Stefan. The island is also home to the churches of the Resurrection and St Alexander Nevsky.Sveti Stefan had remained a fishing village for several centuries, until its depopulation began in 1950 in order to build a series of luxury suites and rooms in the old stone houses. The new hotel-town was opened on 13 July 1960 and it has since been a holiday destination for celebrities from all over the world – including Sofia Loren and Carlo Ponti, Alberto Moravia, André Malraux, Richard Widmark, Kirk Douglas, Klaus Kinski, Monica Vitti, Sylvester Stallone, Yuri Gagarin, Boris Spassky, Bobby Fisher... and members of royalty, numerous politicians and wealthy Arab Sheiks.

More information on: http://www.budva.travel/

  REGULATIONS

-    Every choir and singing formation and orchestra has the right to participate. Children's choirs  (2/3 of the participants must be 16 or younger), Youth choirs (2/3 of the participants must be 27 or younger), adult choirs (1/3 of the participants must be older than 27),

-  In order to apply,  application form must be sent, including a photograph of the choir and the conductor as well as a recent audio recording. (link of the event) The requested materials can be sent by email, recording audio can be put on your web site or send by post.  

- Festival  has two parts – competitive and not competitive .

- Choirs can choose competition or only festival PARTICIPATION ( no contest program). Concert programs of choirs chosen to participate in the competition will be judged by a jury and will determine the grand prize winner of the festival: statue "ST STEFAN". If there are more than three Choir in each category / uniform, mixed, children / jury will select the winner in each category. It must be more than 5 choral groups for competition part.

- The choirs participate in self- competition program .

FESTIVAL has 3 sections:

-         Section one – performances - Open air, ( is required to perform a 15-20 minute program of their choice at several outdoor public locations)

-         Section two – Pop music (program must contain choral arrangements of pop songs. The program should last 8-12 minutes. .

-         Section three – Folk music (the program must contain choral arrangements of folk songs or motives. The program should last 8-12 minutes.

           All choirs are required to perform in at least two sections.

    By applying to the Festival the choir agrees to respect and to regulate the legal rights of the authors of the works it performs and agrees to give right to the Festival to use any material recorded during the Festival.

                                             Program proposal

Day 1   

12.00 – 14.00  Arriving in Budva , hotel accommodation,

free activities (swimming in the sea),

18.30 – 20.00 Dinner in hotel,

21.00 Welcome reception with leaders and conducturs

Day 2    

 08.00 -10.00 Breakfast,

 10.30 -14.00 Budva  sightseeing and boat trip to St Stefan peninsula.(14 euro)

      19.30 – 20.00 Dinner in hotel

21.00  Official opening of the festival

          - welcome speech and firewall ,

          - singing together

          - open air singing  in old city (acapella)

    Day 3

 08.00 -10.00 Breakfast,

11.00 - 14.00 Competition part - Tree Cane (international jury)

 20.00 - 21.00  Dinner in hotel 

21.00 Festival evening inn Tree Cane square

  Day 4

09.00 -10.00 Breakfast,

09.00 – 18.00 Visiting Kotor,  Herceg Novi,  or Visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia (optional) or visiting Sv.Stefan by boat  (optional) or visit Aqua park or Beach time,or Boka kotorska baley

19.00 – 21.00 Diner in hotel

21.00 – 00.00 Closing the festival, certificate for attendance, awards for the winners, exchange presents, 

26.08. Day 5    

09.00 – 10.00 Breakfast

12.00 Departure of the participants

OPTIONAL – If you stay more days…

Day 5

09.00 -10.00 Breakfast,

 10.00 – 18.00  Visiting Kotor,  Herceg Novi,  or Visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia (optional) or visiting Sv.Stefan by boat  (optional) or visit Aqua park or Boka kotorska baley by boat 

   20.00 – 21.00 Dinner in hotel

    21.00 Nice evening in restourant

 Day 6   

09.00 -10.00 Breakfast,

10.30 – 14.00 Free activities (sunbathing and swimming in the sea, walking in the city square… ) 

  20.00 – 21.00 Dinner in hotel hotel and free activities,

 Day 7

08.00 – 09.00 Breakfast,

10.00  Departure 

Participating conditions are:

-         The number of participants are limited,

-         Each group should consist of most 50 members including singers, managers and musicians

-         On competition part must be more of 5 choral groups,

-         Age of the participants are not limited (see sections),

-   Choral and vocal groups  should have prepared at least 2 performance for two sections, 8-14 minutes each with or without instruments,

-         To send short CV and photos of the choirs by mail,

-         To bring a flag of the country,

-         Choir groups should have there own transport for arrival and departure,

Accommodation for the groups:

-   139 Euro per person, 4 HB ( 2 meals per day)

Hotel accommodation in 3*** hotel Hotel like Hotel Apartment Knezevic, Hotel Braic  or others hotels . Leaders and drivers in 2/2 rooms and other in multibad rooms.

On your request we can arrange 4* hotel and we will inform you how much it will cost.

Montenegro Tourist tax and insurance (1.50 euro per person per day) you should pay additional after accommodation in hotel.

Festival organizers provide:

      -   for 25 participants  – one gratis 

-         souvenir and gift for each group,

-         certificate for attendance

-         drinks during the performance,

-         advertising of the festival (press relesse, social media promotion, posters and flayers).

For competitors:

-         Certificate

-         statue "SVETI STEFAN"

Insurance:

Personal responsibility and health insurance are within the other obligations of the groups. First Aid and Medical Hospital will be available, medical services must be covered by the group.

On your request,  You can continue your stay in Budva. For additional days we will arrange special program.In hotel will be special discount price of 39 euro per day.

Organizers keep the right to change program of the festival. After Groups arrived in festival office, will be given detailed program of the festival .

Transportation: The festival will organize the transport for the groups coming by plane by picking them up from Tivat or Podgorica  airport, during the festival days and back to the same  airport. The cost of the transportation will be covered by the group and will be additionally agreed according to their number. 

. All detailed information will be supply after your confirmation the participation.

NUMBER OF SEATS IS LIMITED..

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Reviews from the groups: 

This festival has review of 8 groups and average estimation is VERY GOOD - 8,6/10.