Gusinje Summer (Gusinjsko ljeto)
A month-long valley festival peaking with the Aliđun diaspora homecoming at Ali-Pasha's Springs.
This event has ended
It returns every year — dates for the next edition haven't been announced yet.
Gusinje lies deep in a broad green valley walled by the sheer faces of the Prokletije — a town whose horizon is all rock and whose history is all departure and return. That geography sent generations abroad, and it is what makes the summer homecoming so charged: for a few weeks, the valley holds everyone at once.
The programme is famously eclectic. Big open-air concerts anchor the evenings — the 2026 programme brings Amadeus Bend on 13 July, Šejla Zonić on 31 July and Mirza Selimović on 2 August for Aliđun — while recent editions have filled the days with exhibitions, ethno-room visits, book promotions and a bicycle race through the valley. One recurring fixture captures the diaspora spirit perfectly: a basketball match pitting Gusinje's emigrants in the USA against those in Europe.
Everything peaks on 1 and 2 August. Traditional village games take over Vusanje on the 1st, and on the 2nd the whole valley converges on Ali-pašini izvori — the crystal springs of Ali Pasha — for the great Aliđun gathering, the emotional summit of the homecoming.
For outside visitors, the festival offers something rarer than entertainment: the sight of a community celebrating itself. Join the crowds at the springs, where the cold water pours straight from the foot of the mountains, and the line between guest and local dissolves quickly.
All events are free. The festival spreads across Gusinje town, the springs and the village of Vusanje, beneath some of the most dramatic peaks in the Prokletije — come for the concerts, stay for the sense of a scattered community reassembling at home.
What to expect
Aliđun at the springs
On 2 August the whole valley gathers at Ali-pašini izvori — in 2026 with a Mirza Selimović concert — the festival's emotional summit.
The great homecoming
Gusinje's diaspora returns en masse each summer, doubling the valley's population and energy.
USA vs Europe basketball
A one-of-a-kind recurring fixture pits the town's emigrants in America against those in Europe.
Village games in Vusanje
Traditional games take over the village of Vusanje on 1 August.
A month of free events
The 2026 season — Amadeus Bend, Šejla Zonić, Mirza Selimović and more — is billed as the richest yet, and every event is free.
The 2026 concert nights
Amadeus Bend (13 July), Šejla Zonić (31 July) and Mirza Selimović (2 August) anchor the open-air evenings.
What happens when
July 12 – August 5, 2026
- Mon13JulMonday, July 13Amadeus Bend in concertThe opening concert of the 2026 series.
- Fri31JulFriday, July 31Šejla Zonić in concertOpen-air concert evening in Gusinje.
- Sat1AugSaturday, August 1Traditional village games in VusanjeThe village of Vusanje hosts the traditional games.
- Sun2AugSunday, August 2Aliđun at Ali-pašini izvori — Mirza SelimovićThe great gathering at Ali Pasha's Springs, with Mirza Selimović in concert.
Photos
Where it takes place
Venue
Gusinje town, Ali-pasin trg, Vusanje, Ali-pasini izvori
Gusinje, Ali-pašini izvori & Vusanje
Get directions
GuideGusinje travel guideWhat to see, where to stay and eatMore events
What else is on in Montenegro around the same time.
Autumn Folklore Festival
Regional folk ensembles, vocal groups and majorettes fill Herceg Novi over five free autumn days.
Meetings under the Old Olive Tree
Children's poetry and art celebrated beneath Bar's 2,000-year-old olive tree each November.
DEUS — December Arts Scene
A month-long December season of theatre, music, literature and film across Podgorica.
