Pula Film Festival 2026 – Cinema in a Roman Arena | Croatia's Cannes
Pula Film Festival 2026 at the Roman Arena — Croatia's oldest film festival, screening films to 5,000 under the stars. July 9–16. Tickets, programme, and travel guide for Istria.
The Pula Film Festival is one of the most extraordinary film events in the world — not because of the films it screens (though the programme has always been ambitious and internationally respected), but because of where it screens them. The main venue is the Pula Arena, a remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheatre built in the 1st century AD, capable of seating 5,000 people beneath an open Adriatic sky. When the lights go down and a film begins on the great screen erected within those 2,000-year-old stone walls, with the summer stars visible above and the warm stone still holding the day's heat, the experience is genuinely unlike anything else in world cinema.
History of the Festival
The Pula Film Festival was founded in 1954, making it one of Croatia's oldest cultural institutions and the country's most prestigious film event. For decades it served as the showcase for the Yugoslav and then Croatian national film industry — premiering domestic productions in front of audiences drawn from across the region. The festival has evolved significantly in recent years, adding an international competition and documentary sections alongside the Croatian film programme, and attracting guests from the broader European cinema world.
The Arena Experience
The Arena holds up to 5,000 spectators on cushioned seating on the ancient stone steps. The atmosphere before each screening — with food stalls, the soft hum of conversation in the summer evening, and the extraordinary backdrop of the colonnaded amphitheatre — is as much part of the experience as the film itself. The main Arena screenings run from late evening (around 9.30pm) and the summer nights are warm enough to watch in a T-shirt well past midnight. Indoor screenings for documentary and short film programmes take place at the Valli Cinema in Pula's city centre.
Pula: An Extraordinary City
Pula is one of the finest Roman cities in the world — the Arena is only the beginning. The city's forum contains the perfectly preserved Temple of Augustus, a 2,000-year-old marble building used as a church, then a granary, then a museum. The Arch of the Sergii, the city walls, and several Roman gates remain in active use, woven into the fabric of a living city. Pula also has excellent restaurants (fresh seafood from the northern Adriatic, Istrian truffles, local Malvazija wine), a thriving café scene, and easy beach access. The Pula Jazz Festival in June provides another excellent cultural reason to visit Istria.
Dates 2026: July 9–16, Pula Arena (main venue) and Valli Cinema, Pula.
Tickets: Main Arena screenings: €10–20. Gala openings and special events: up to €30. Indoor screenings: €5–10. Book online via the festival website or at the Arena box office.
Getting There: Pula has its own international airport (Pula Airport) with summer connections from most European cities. Pula city centre is 10 minutes from the Arena by walk. Parking near the arena can be difficult — walk or take a taxi from your hotel.
Tips: Arrive 45 minutes before the main Arena screening to get a good seat. Bring a small cushion or rent one at the venue. Evening temperatures drop after midnight — a light layer helps. Explore Pula's Roman sites the day before your film evening.
