Kotor Summer Carnival

Kotor answers its famous winter carnival with a summer twin on the first weekend of August, when masked groups from around the world take over the marble streets of the UNESCO-listed Old Town. The main days fall on the first weekend of August, with a warm-up programme of street events in the days leading up to it.

August in Kotor is the year at full volume: café terraces busy past midnight, the fortifications floodlit against the dark mountainside, the bay glittering with anchored boats. The summer carnival leans into that energy rather than fighting it — masks and brass moving through lanes already crowded with summer life, confetti settling on marble polished by centuries of footsteps.

The centrepiece is the grand evening parade: international masked groups winding through the gates and lanes of the walled town, met by crowds that pack the squares and café terraces. Concerts follow on the main square — the 2025 edition brought Tap 011, Toć and Polkafoliki — and the party continues with masked balls and street performers scattered around town.

By day the carnival belongs to the youngest, with a dedicated children's programme that turns the squares into a daytime stage, so families can enjoy it as much as the night crowd. The mix of costumes, brass, confetti and Venetian stone gives Kotor a theatrical energy unlike any other August weekend on the coast.

Carnival runs deep in the Boka calendar — masked processions are one of the oldest customs of this coast, and the summer edition extends the tradition to visitors who would never otherwise see it. The costumes and the satire change from year to year; the instinct to take over the streets in disguise does not.

Everything is free and open. August is peak season in the Bay of Kotor, so arrive early on parade evening to find a spot along the route, and expect the Old Town squares to stay lively well past midnight. If crowds are not your thing, the warm-up days offer the same costumed spirit at a gentler pace.