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Festival

XV International Music & Folk - Dance festival “MONTENEGRO EASTER FESTIVAL”

Application Form Price: 89 € Date: 3 - 6 April, 2025
Location: BUDVA - TIVAT-KOTOR - HERCEG NOVI, Montenegro
Director: Z.S. & WOFA
Application Deadline: 1 November, 2024
Groups pay in advance a 10% guarantee fee, which is to be deducted at the final payment.

                                       I N V I T A T I O N

With pleasure We INVITE you (folk groups, Choral groups and orchestras majorette teams), (children, youth and adults groups) to participate on  XV International  Music & Folk - Dance festival “MONTENEGRO EASTER FESTIVAL”  04-07  april 2024,  Budva - Kotor -  Tivat - Herceg Novi, Montenegro 

    Participants are ensembles from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Ukraine, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, Slovenia, Italy, Sweden, Moldavia, Armenia, Croatia, Czech, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary…

    The Festival light motive is to present the cultural tradition of different countries and to provide an opportunity for the members of groups to get together, to establish friendships and culture presentation trough dance and music

Budva – Stari grad

  One of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast, first mentioned in historical records more than two and a half thousand years ago as the “town of Illyria,” this is a place that must be visited during a stay in the Riviera. A legend tells that Budva was established by Cadmus, a son of the Phoenician king, Agenor, and his Queen, Telephassa. Cadmus was the conqueror and ruler of the Greek province of Boeotia and, when he was exiled from the city of Thebes, together with his wife Harmonia, he found refuge with an Illyrian tribe called the Enchelei. According to the legend, Cadmus arrived with a team of oxen, which is where Budva got its name from (bous is Greek for ox). The older names of Budva were Butua, Buthos, Butoba and Civitas Antique (the Old Town)

Throughout history, it has been a target of different conquerors (Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Saracens, Turks, Venetians, Austro-Hungarians, French...) and as a result it has belonged to many different states.

The Old Town is a unique architectural and urban whole, surrounded by medieval walls, complete with a fortress, towers and gates. During the course of its history, the Old Town suffered the greatest damage in an earthquake in 1667, while the consequences of the 1979 earthquake were also serious.

Along the narrow streets and on the small piazzas and squares, there are lines of cafes, boutiques, bars, restaurants, galleries... while the town becomes a genuine “Theatre City” during the summer months, thanks to the numerous plays, concerts and exhibitions it plays host to. This is also the name of the festival which has been enriching this old costal town since 1987, lending it a special colour and charm.

Its many religious buildings – the oldest church of Santa Maria in Punta, the Church of St John and the Church of St Sabbas the Sanctified – have the special value. Next to the Church of St John are the remains of an early Christian basilica while the remains of the Church of St Maria are located on the Citadela. Between the churches is a stage for the plays of the “Theatre City”.

Original Roman columns, set into the walls of Budva’s oldest gate, can also be seen in the Old Town. More information on  www.budva-travel.me 

Kotor – Old city

On the space of irregular triangular forme on the slopes of the hill of St John, arrounded by city-walls, limited on north by the flow of short but violent river Skurda (300 meters long!) as well from west and south by the sea-shore and submarine spring Gurdic, on the alluvial bottom with the surface approximatively similar to the present, was performed the process of the formation of oldest urban core of Kotor, with its irregular plan of city streets, considerably different of typical scheme of rectangular street’s net gived by the Roman urban and building genius to the civilisation, by which the streets must to chop one other in a right angle (90 grades), forming rectangular or square »insulas« , the blocks with one-storied or poly-storied architecture.

Meanwhile, in Kotor is present the sense of irregularity and anusuality in the town-planing, which is never existing, but it is  all made »ad hoc« , by the momentaneous necessities, although Kotor even in 14th century had the regles of the building   in the urban core in its own city Statute.

Old urban matreix, defined during the 13th and 14th centuries and specialy after the Venetian occupation in early 15th century, was almost completely destroyed by strong earthquakes in 16th century (in l537 and 1563)   and more worse in the bigest, so-called »Dubrovnik earthquake« in 1667, when were demolished about two thirds of all buildings in the town. After it, over of that inherited matrix was cast a new one, but with all older irregularities and increased wresting of whole postulates of architecture. For that reason, the urban core of Kotor now represente  an intricate     knot of narrow, winding streets and irregular squares, thrown on the urban core without any order.  

More info on http://www.tokotor.me/en/mm-post-stranice/stari-grad/

Herceg Novi

The centre of Herceg Novi is Stari Grad, decorated by buildings dating back to the epochs of Sahat – Kula (1667) and Kanli – Kula (1483). Fortress Spanjola (1538) and Fortress Forte Mare (1687) are only a part of the cultural heritage of this renowned town.

Full of thick greenery, Herceg Novi hides numerous kinds of tropical flowers. Towards the end of January the town becomes scented with the subtle fragrance of yellow and green mimosas and the festival of Praznik Mimosa is dedicated to this flower. During the summer months many festivals are organised to further enrich the tourist offer of this enchanted town.

The beginnings of the Herceg Novi tourism are connected to the XIX century. Back at that time the tavern of Sjora Roza and the café “Bella Vista” are mentioned. Still, the precursor of the modern hotel keeping on the Montenegrin coats is thought to be the Hungarian nobleman Antal Magyar from Budapest, who in the 1902 built a “Boarding house on the green beach” in Zelenika, which later became hotel “Plaza” (BEACH) – Zelenika.

                 General rules:

- Non-competitive sample of traditional and modern dances, choral groups, majorette teams, orchestras, brass bands..

- Every Folklore, Choral group, modern dance, majorette Teams, orchestras  has the right to participate.

- On the festival may participate folklore dance groups, modern dance groups, vocal groups, instrumental groups and soloists, as well as groups and performers from other art styles.

- The number of participants are limited (only 3  groups from each country).

Each group should consist of most 70 members including dancers, managers, musicians and family members.

- Ensemble should have prepared at least 2 dances, 10-15 minutes each with USB or orchestra. Choral groups should prepare 12 minutes free program.The performances will be in the evening hours so you can plan the day ahead and use it for visiting the historical part of the city.

- To send us short CV and 2 – 3 photos of the group.

- To take a flag of the country.

- Groups should have there own transport for arrival and departure. 

                       Program

Day 1 

13.00.Arrival in Budva, hotel accommodation and free time

19.00 – 20.00 Dinner in hotel 

21.00. Welcome reception with leaders of the group

Day 2 

09.00 -11.00 Breakfast, 

11.00 -14.00  Budva sightseeing – Stari Grad

18.00.- 19.30 Dinner in hotel 

20.00 - 23.00 Ensembles parade (old town) and festival evening, certificate and exchange presents

Day 3  

09.00 -10.00 Breakfast, 

10.00 – 18.00 Visiting Kotor and sightseeing  – Stari grad or visiting Porto Tivat or visiting Dubrovnik,Croatia

18.00 – 20.00 Dinner in hotel 

20.30 - 22.30 Free time or nice evenng in restourant

Day 4   

09.00 -10.00 Breakfast, 

10.00 – 11.00  Departure of participants

Participation fee:

-       89 euro for 3 HB per person ( 3 nights with 2 meals per day)

-      119 euro for 4 HB per person  (4 nights with 2 meals per day (Half Board).

It covers hotel accommodation in 3* hotel- like Hotel Braic,  Hotel apartmant Knezevic and similar like that in triple and quadriple rooms, situated in the centre of the city near Slovenska beach..                              

 Organizer provide for each group  two double rooms (for drivers and leaders of the group)..supplement for additional double rooms is 10 euro per day per person.

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

You can see how was last year in budva festival on folowing link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn36jy6glzI

Festival organizers provide:

-      For 24 dancers – one gratis (24 paying + 1 free of charge),

-      Souvenir and gift for each group,

-      Welcome cocktail

-      Certificate for attendance,

-      Drinks during the performance,,

-  Advertising of the festival (press release, social media promotion,posters and flayers). 

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 Price of 32 Euro per day per person HB – price is special for the participants in festivals that we can provide.

.After the festival finish organizers will send you link from  the festival and you can take the photos from there. The copy right of all video materials and pictures are ownership of the Organization of the Festival.

The festival will organize the transport for the groups coming by plane by picking them up from Tivat 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.By applying you confirm that you accept all festival conditions. All detailed information will be supply after your confirmation for participations.

In 2017 on this Festival participated over 460 (children’s, youth and adults) participants from 8 countries of Europe.

In 2018 on this Festival participated over 520 (children’s, youth and adults) participants from 9 countries of Europe.

THE NUMBER OF SEATS IS LIMITED!

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NEWS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL                                   

 BUDVA BECAME THE CENTER OF FOLKLORE

VI International Music & Folk - Dance festival "SEA & SUN FESTIVAL" was held from 28th of April till 2nd of May in Budva, Montenegro. The event was conducted simultaneously with the International Budva Carnival, said the director of the festival Zoran Strezovski.

According to him, the festival was attended by groups from Slovenia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro. They had the opportunity to sing and dance on oper-air stage in Budva.

“After the warm welcome and successful performances of the groups, we gave the participants diplomas and gifts and then the groups danced together. Later with lot of festive mood, the groups continued the party in the restaurant of Hotel “Loza”. During their stay in Budva, participants visited numerous monuments of culture, they explored the towns of Kotor and Dubrovnik in Croatia.”, said Mr. Strezovski.

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Reviews from the groups: 

This festival has review of 7 groups and average estimation is VERY GOOD - 8,6/10
Groups pay in advance a 10% guarantee fee, which is to be deducted at the final payment.

"We build bridges from nation to nation"