Festival Dalmatinskih Klapa Omiš 2026 – UNESCO Acapella Singing Festival | Croatia
The Festival of Dalmatian Klapa Singing in Omiš 2026 celebrates UNESCO-inscribed traditional a cappella vocal harmony — the most authentic expression of Dalmatian musical culture. July 1–19.
The Festival of Dalmatian Klapa (klapsko pjevanje) in Omiš is the world's premier celebration of one of Croatia's most cherished musical traditions — an a cappella vocal harmony style inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2012 that is deeply embedded in the social and emotional life of coastal Dalmatia. The festival, held over three weeks in July in the atmospheric town of Omiš at the mouth of the Cetina River canyon, brings together klapa groups from across Croatia and the wider Adriatic region for competitive and gala performances that showcase this haunting, complex, entirely unaccompanied vocal art at its highest level.
What Is Klapa?
Klapa (the word simply means "group of friends") is a form of traditional Dalmatian a cappella singing that originated in the coastal towns and islands of the region. A typical klapa consists of 4–12 male voices (though female klapas have become increasingly prominent), singing in close harmony without instrumental accompaniment. The songs themselves — usually about love, the sea, and the homeland — are characterised by a distinctive tonal quality that mixes Mediterranean warmth with Slavic melancholy, and by the extraordinary blend that skilled klapa singers achieve through years of practice singing together. The sound, heard in a stone-walled piazza on a warm July evening, is genuinely transfixing.
The Festival Format
The competitive festival runs over three weeks, with groups competing in different categories (male klapa, female klapa, mixed, and new compositions). Judged by a panel of musicologists and cultural experts, the competitions are taken seriously by participants and audiences alike — Croatian television broadcasts major concerts, and a prize at the Omiš festival is one of the most coveted recognitions in Dalmatian musical culture. Between competitive evenings, gala concerts and street performances fill Omiš's squares and piazzas.
Omiš and the Cetina Canyon
Omiš itself is a compelling small town at the dramatic entrance of the Cetina River canyon — framed by sheer limestone cliffs, a medieval fortress (the Mirabela tower) perched impossibly on the rock above, and a wide shingle beach stretching along the coast. The town has a history as a pirate republic (the Omiš pirates once terrorised the Adriatic) that it now commemorates with the Omiš Pirate Festival in August. Omiš is 25km south of Split — easily combined with a longer Dalmatian itinerary that includes Split, Dubrovnik, and the islands.
Dates 2026: July 1–19 at various venues across Omiš.
Tickets: Competition evenings: €10–20. Gala concerts: €15–30. Some outdoor performances free. Book advance tickets at the festival box office or online.
Getting There: Omiš is 25km south of Split — frequent buses from Split's bus station (30 min). Alternatively, drive or hire a car. Split airport makes the best entry point for a Dalmatian trip combining the festival with Split, islands, and Dubrovnik.
Tips: The main competition evenings in the Piazza are the festival's heart — don't miss the final night gala. Combine with a morning canoe trip on the Cetina River, which runs dramatically through the gorge above the town.
