The Split Festival 2026 will open in a special way. The first festival evening, named Nocturno, on September 4 at Prokurative, brings a grand musical tribute to one of Croatia's greatest composers, Zdenko Runjić. The central part of the program will feature three exceptional female vocalists: Ivana Starčević, Maja Posavec, and Natali Dizdar.
A Meeting of Unforgettable Voices
Each guest will bring her own artistic stamp to Runjić's timeless compositions. Ivana Starčević will perform with her signature vocal power, Maja Posavec will bring stage expressiveness and emotional interpretation, while Natali Dizdar will breathe her distinctive sensibility into the songs. Their performances will show how alive, modern, and irresistible Runjić's melodies still sound today, each in its own way, intimate, powerful, and unexpected.
Through this musical evening, the audience will be guided by Marko Tolja, one of Croatia's most charismatic vocalists, who joins the three guests on stage.
Lush Orchestral Sound and a New Surprise
The musical backdrop will be provided by the HRT Jazz Orchestra, augmented by strings from the HRT Symphony Orchestra, with conductor Miron Hauser leading the entire ensemble. New arrangements will blend the elegance of jazz, the power of a full orchestra, and the unmistakable Mediterranean emotion of Runjić's melodies, giving familiar songs a completely new guise.
The organizers also announce a special surprise for the evening, the performance of a new composition by Zdenko Runjić. That moment will be one of the most anticipated parts of the program and further proof that his oeuvre is not just a precious legacy, but music that continues to live and find its way to new generations.
Nocturno will thus open this year's Split Festival with an evening worthy of its greatest composer, featuring a top-notch orchestra, Marko Tolja, and three female voices that will give Prokurative a special emotion. Tickets for this event are available via the online platform Adriaticket.hr, as well as at the box office of the Croatian House Split.