International Klapa Festival Perast
Three evenings of Adriatic a-cappella harmony on the main square of baroque Perast.
Perast itself is a single line of baroque palaces and church towers pressed between the mountainside and the stillest water in the bay, facing the islets that made it famous. It has one waterfront street, no resort sprawl, and an evening quiet in which voices carry beautifully — which is exactly the point. When a klapa opens a song on the square, the whole town becomes the concert hall.
Klapa groups from Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia compete across three categories — children's ensembles, adult groups and new klapa songs — keeping the tradition alive at both ends of the generational span. The best performances are honoured with the festival awards "Peraški kampanio" and the audience prize "Kazada", so the listeners on the square have their own say.
Come for one evening and you may well stay for all three. The programme unfolds at an unhurried pace, the audience drifting between the square, the waterfront and the café tables in between, and the singing carries out over the water long after the formal programme ends.
Between evening concerts, the festival spills into the daytime with tastings of local products and guided tours of Perast, whose single waterfront street, palaces and views of the islets Our Lady of the Rocks and St. George make it one of the most photogenic settings for any festival on the coast.
All concerts are free. Perast is a short drive or boat hop from Kotor, and June evenings on the waterfront are warm without high-season crowds — arrive before sunset to watch the light leave the islets first. The festival's website, festivalklapaperast.com, publishes the detailed programme each year.
What to expect
A cappella on the square
Klapa harmony singing in the open air before St. Nicholas Church, carried by the stone acoustics of Perast.
Three competition categories
Children's ensembles, adult groups and new klapa songs keep the tradition evolving.
Audience prize "Kazada"
Alongside the jury's "Peraški kampanio" awards, the crowd votes for its own favourite.
Groups from three countries
Ensembles from Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia meet at one of the Adriatic's leading klapa festivals.
Perast itself
Daytime tastings and guided tours in a baroque town facing Our Lady of the Rocks.
Free and easy from Kotor
All concerts are free, and Perast is a short drive or boat hop from Kotor — arrive before sunset for the best of the evening light.
What happens when
June 18 – 20, 2027 · 20:00
- EveningsCompetition concerts on the square before St. Nicholas Church — children's, adult and new-song categories
- DaytimeTastings of local products and guided tours of Perast
- Closing nightAwards ceremony — the "Peraški kampanio" prizes and the audience award "Kazada"
Photos
Where it takes place
Where to Eat in Kotor
“Partner” marks a paid placement. We verify the details with the venue’s official source.
Plan your stay
Kotor — where to stay and how to get around
Live offers from local hosts on our booking platform. Nothing is charged online — you pay the host on site.
Booking requests are confirmed by the host; payment on site. Offers come from the Travel to Montenegro booking platform.
More events
What else is on in Montenegro around the same time.
New Year’s Eve in Herceg Novi
Three days of New Year’s programme on Nikola Đurković Square in Herceg Novi, with performances by regional music stars from 31 December to 2 January.
New Year’s Eve in Tivat
Four nights of open-air concerts by the sea on the Pine waterfront in Tivat, from 30 December to 2 January, featuring the biggest regional performers.
International Children's Carnival
An international children's masked parade takes over Herceg Novi each early June.
