Festival glumca (Actor's Festival)

A celebrity jury of acting greats — Dara Džokić, Irfan Mensur and Boda Ninković in 2025 — awards the festival's honours, crowned by the "Veljko Mandić" award. Being judged by celebrated actors gives the prize particular weight: it is recognition from people who know the craft from the inside, and the verdicts are debated in the foyer long after the curtain falls.

The festival's signature is intimacy with the craft: post-show talks bring audiences face to face with the performers, and November evenings in Nikšić revolve around who acted best rather than which production was flashiest. For theatre lovers it is a rare chance to see the ex-Yugoslav acting elite compete on one stage in a single week, with the conversation continuing each night after the show.

Nikšić suits the occasion. An easygoing beer-and-industry city with a broad central square and a plane-tree promenade, it takes its culture seriously without taking itself too seriously, and the festival's conversations spill naturally from the theatre foyer into the surrounding cafés. November is a quiet season in the city, which works in the festival's favour: for that week, the theatre becomes the warm centre of town.

The festival is held annually; the coming edition runs from 15 to 20 November at the Nikšić Theatre. Performances are ticketed; the talks follow the shows each evening.