Singing Bibinje Celebrates Its 45th Birthday
One of Croatia's most esteemed klapa festivals gathers top performers from across the country on Saturday at Trg Sri sela, with the evening's unique feature being the absence of a competitive spirit.
One of Croatia's most esteemed klapa festivals gathers top performers from across the country on Saturday at Trg Sri sela, with the evening's unique feature being the absence of a competitive spirit.
The Raspivano Bibinje festival, which has nurtured the tradition of Dalmatian song for decades, marks its jubilee 45th edition this year. On Saturday, August 8, 2026, starting at 8:30 PM, klapa groups from various parts of Croatia will gather at Trg Sri sela in Bibinje, where the only measure of success will be the sincere applause of the audience.
This is precisely what makes the festival special. Unlike many other gatherings, Raspivano Bibinje has no winners, no scoring, and no official awards. Klapas perform solely to win the favor of the Bibinje audience, which is widely known for its refined musical taste and respect for quality interpretation. The organizers-the Municipality of Bibinje, the Bibinje Tourist Board, and the company Bibinjac d.o.o.-invite all lovers of klapa music to be part of this unique evening.
This year's lineup features an impressive list of klapas from all over Croatia. Confirmed performers include klapa Pasika from Kostanje, the local klapa Bibinje, mixed klapa Sfida from Korčula, Zadar's klapa Munita, female klapa Garofuli from Bibinje, klapa Kolapjani from Sisak, and two female klapas from Split-Luše and Orca. The latter recently won third prize from the expert jury at the prestigious Festival of Dalmatian Klapas in Omiš, further confirming the high caliber of the performers.
In addition to the klapas, the evening will be enriched by special guests. Poet Ante Sikirić Krivin and the Bibinje mandolin ensemble MOBA will present themselves to the audience, adding an extra note of diversity to a program that celebrates the richness of Dalmatian musical heritage.
The program will be hosted by the Zadar-based television duo from Croatian Radiotelevision. Katina Vrsaljko will make her debut as a host in front of the Bibinje audience, while she will be joined on stage by the experienced Šime Vičević, who is hosting the festival for the third time-previously taking on this role in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
The entire event is held under the golden sponsorship of Zadar County, further emphasizing the importance of this festival for the cultural identity of the region. Over more than four decades, Raspivano Bibinje has grown into one of the most important gatherings of klapa singers and lovers of Dalmatian song, where the only true recognition is the most valuable one-a long and warm applause from the audience.
