Festival glumca (Actor's Festival)

Festival glumca (the Actor's Festival) in Nikšić is the region's theatre festival devoted to the actor — performances are chosen and judged for the acting itself. The 21st edition ran from 16 to 21 November 2025, confirming two decades of tradition.

Each edition brings five productions from across the former Yugoslavia: in 2025 theatres from Sarajevo, Novi Sad, Belgrade's Zvezdara teatar, Varaždin and the Montenegrin National Theatre. The selection gathers the region's strongest ensembles on a single stage, and it is built to showcase performances rather than spectacle — what counts here is what happens between actor and audience.

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.