The rich programme will take place over two weeks, and visitors will enjoy various regattas, sporting competitions, concerts, educational lectures, and interactive workshops.
„NAVIGARE NECESSE EST“/ FOR SAILING IS NECESSARY!
The festival’s traditional opening ceremony will take place on 6 September at the Port of Mali Lošinj, featuring a parade of this year’s participants of the pasara rowing boat regatta, the Lošinj majorettes, and the Josip Kašman Primary School choir. This will be followed by the start of the 13th Lošinj pasara rowing boat regatta. This traditional rowing race is a competition for wooden pasara rowing boats up to 4.3 meters in length and over 4.3 meters in length, modelled after the historic pasara rowing boat regattas held in the late 19th century. The opening ceremony continues in Veli Lošinj with the 5th Veli Lošinj Wooden Barrel Regatta, followed by an evening of entertainment featuring a gastronomic offer and a concert by Tomislav Bralić and Klapa Intrade.
This will be followed by the 8th Traditional Sailboat Night Regatta at the Port of Mali Lošinj (12 September), and the 43rd Lošinj Regatta — the Lošinj Olympians Regatta, featuring a navigation regatta and windward leeward regatta (13-14 September). The Lošinj Olympians Regatta was named in honour of the athletes who participated in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. Among them were Mario Fafangel, Karlo Bašić, and Nicolò Rode, as well as the world-renowned Lošinj native Agostino Straulino. Straulino is the most successful sailor in Italian Olympic history, originally from Mali Lošinj, and a winner of both gold and silver Olympic medals, as well as a three-time world champion in the Star class.
The final regatta in the series is the 49th Nerezine Traditional Sailboat Regatta, which was held from 1920 to 1942, from 1954 to 1966, and again from 2011 to the present. This event also marks the festival’s conclusion on 20 September.
Other sporting events at the Čikat bay include the 21st Bottlenose Dolphin International Water Polo Tournament (5-7 September) and the 5th ‘Plejade’ International Women’s Water Polo Tournament (12-14 September).
A GONDOLA RIDE
During the festival, the Port of Mali Lošinj will become the stage for a unique experience – a free ride in an authentic Venetian gondola! Gondolier Andrea Balbi, arriving directly from Venice, will navigate the elegant vessel along the route from Priko to the Riva lošinjskih kapetana each morning and afternoon (11–14 September; from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.). This symbol of Venice and its craftsmanship is built from as many as eight types of wood, and its perfect balance allows it to glide through water steadily and quietly. The gondola ride is a way to connect two sides of the northern Adriatic shoreline—Venice and Lošinj—through culture, tradition and the sea that unites them. The activity is part of the Europa Adriatica Nordest initiative, promoting sustainable development by bringing together the past and the present. The event will also be a chance to present products from the Venetian islands of Burano and Murano, such as lace, glass, delicacies and artwork (12–13 September).
LOSINAVA POINT
Once again, Riva lošinjskih kapetana will host LOSINAVA POINT, with daily workshops for children and adults such as Craft & Wine, BeCreative, and Losinava Arts & Crafts. There will also be maritime-themed workshops organised by the Blue World Institute, the “Ruka u ruci” association, the “Jugo” Sailing Club, the Mali Lošinj branch of the “Naša djeca” organisation, and others. Producers of local Lošinj products will present their goods, while visitors can learn various maritime and fishing skills, and even pose for a photo to bring home the perfect souvenir from the island’s seafaring past.
“ADDIO – FAREWELL TO THE CAPTAIN” – A TRIBUTE TO THE WIVES OF LOŠINJ’S SEAFARERS
Visitors will get the chance to see what a farewell of seafarers used to be like in the performance entitled “Farewell to the Captain” (11 and 18 September). Whenever a Lošinj ship set sail from the port on a long voyage, it would first call at one of the island’s most beautiful coves—Čikat Bay—in front of the Church of the Annunziata. There, the crew would go ashore and, together with their families, pray the rosary before parting. As a tribute to the wives of Lošinj’s seafarers and as a symbol of love and fidelity, the art installation “ADDIO” has been placed at this very spot. The special ambience of the event will be further enhanced by an evening concert by Magic Guitars in Čikat Bay.
SUNSET SAIL – A UNIQUE SUNSET ON BOARD THE „NEREZINAC“ LUGGER
During the festival, visitors can take the unique opportunity to witness the sunset aboard the Nerezinac lugger (8 – 17 September). This sailboat was restored after the model of Lošinj luggers from the late 19th century, and it now serves as an interpretive sailing centre of maritime heritage and an “open-air museum.”
MARITIME EVENING AND ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
Folk ensembles, brass bands, majorettes, local klapa groups, as well as exhibitions and local stands showcasing traditional maritime skills and crafts, will welcome visitors to the September Maritime Evening (13 September). Gastronomic delicacies will be offered by excursion boats, and later in the evening the Mišomanija—Mišo Kovač tribute band—will perform, followed by a DJ after party.
The entertainment programme continues with concerts by the Coro Serenissima choir from Venice and the Vittorio Craglietto choir from Mali Lošinj, held aboard the lugger (12 September) as part of the 8th Night Regatta. Visitors can also enjoy the parade of the Sevnica brass band from Slovenia in Nerezine (19 September). The festival will close with a concert by A-strana in Nerezine (20 September), followed by a DJ after party to keep the party going.
WORKSHOPS AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES!
Register your youngest sailors and let them learn the basics of sailing theory and ship hull design, and perhaps even try the Educational Sailing for Children organised by the Jugo Sailing Club (6 –20 September). In addition to the Sailor’s Knot workshop (11–13 September), the Maritime Evenings in Mali Lošinj, Veli Lošinj, and Nerezine will host the Little School of Net Weaving with Fabijan Jurčević. Those fascinated by the night sky will also have the opportunity to observe celestial bodies up close through a telescope with the Leo Brenner Astronomical Society.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME – LECTURES AND EXHIBITIONS
Exhibitions and lectures are also an integral part of the festival programme. The Ambroz Haračić secondary school in Mali Lošinj will open its doors to the public for a Maritime Collections Exhibition (19 September), while the Cvrčak kindergarten will present a maritime-themed exhibition (18 September).
At the Museum of Apoxyomenos, Dr. Vedran Vukotić will give his lecture entitled “Crtice usmene predaje o Lošinju / Snippets of Oral Traditions from Lošinj” (9 September), and the Fritzi Palace – Lošinj Museum will host the 2nd Historical Exhibition “Po svjetskim morima / Across the World Seas” (5 September – 2 November). In addition, the Brašćine Community Cultural Centre in Ustrine will welcome Captain Ivo Saganić with his lecture entitled “Povijest tunera u Ustrinama / History of Tuna Lookouts in Ustrine” (16 September).
GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE – Taste the Mediterranean & Taste of Vitality
During the festival, don’t forget to visit Lošinj’s restaurants and enjoy culinary delights by sampling “Taste of Vitality” specialties. From 11 to 14 September, Lošinj will also host the 13th International “Taste the Mediterranean” Festival! The most relevant international festival of Mediterranean cuisine, wine, and lifestyle will be held for the first time in Kvarner – the European Region of Gastronomy for 2026. The Distinctive Mediterranean flavours will bring together award-winning chefs from Lošinj Hotels & Villas’ top restaurants and several of the island’s finest restaurants (Deveron Gastro Pub and Bocca Vera) and their colleagues from France, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain.
From 12 to 14 September, Lošinj will also host the AEROMEETING – a spectacular event for all aviation enthusiasts, offering an exciting and dynamic flight programme. The occasion marks the 40th anniversary of the Lošinj Airport, which was the venue for the World Parachuting Championship in 1985.
Join us and set sail through Lošinj’s maritime history!
Check the LOSINAVA program
