Montenegro as a Festival Destination
Ratimir Martinović, pianist, university professor, and founder of the KotorArt International Festival. He has performed over 700 concerts with 60 orchestras worldwide. His recordings include works by Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, Prokofiev, and a double album of Vasilije Mokranjac’s complete piano works (2019). His latest album, Bach’s Goldberg Variations (2024), was released by Azure Sky. As a university professor, he has shaped generations of pianists at the University of Novi Sad. Martinović founded the Wild Beauty Art Festival in Durmitor (2019) and the Tivat Music Festival (2024). He is co-founder and president of the ME&US Foundation, and the Vasilije Mokranjac Foundation. He also serves as Advisor for culture and art in Wuxi, China (2023) and was on the cultural board of China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative (2016-2020).
For a small country like Montenegro, festivals can be a foundational element rather than just a decorative addition. The country’s coastal region is recognised as a destination for unsustainable mass tourism. Alongside this tourism model, various events, including festivals, have developed. However, an important question arises: Can festivals serve a broader public interest rather than merely functioning as tourist attractions?
Montenegro hosts several significant and high-quality theatre festivals in cities without permanent theatres. Does this suggest that tourists are prioritised over local citizens? Can festival content contribute to society’s development? It is essential to bridge the gap between public interest and tourism, making them more complementary. A notable example is the Kotor Festival of Theatre for Children, which has been running for over three decades and is now in the process of becoming a public institution. Despite ongoing challenges, this is a great example of how festivals can influence systemic cultural solutions.
To integrate festivals into the cultural system, synergy between public, private, and civil sectors is crucial. A development strategy for local communities, educational programmes for young audiences, accessibility, and justifying the tourism sector, as well as aspects such as festival duration, financial sustainability, and overall impact, are key criteria that should be considered. Currently, Montenegro, with just over 630.000 people, has a chaotic festival scene, with over 200 uncoordinated festivals. The festival boom of the past 30 years has lacked a strategic plan. There is significant knowledge, enthusiasm, and potential that could contribute to society’s development if harnessed more systematically. This can be achieved by focusing on education, heritage, youth engagement, local community participation, programme quality, creative industries, and international cooperation and promotion.
Montenegro is a small country with limited financial resources, and festivals cannot replace systemic cultural policies. However, what festivals can do is align with and support these policies strategically. This raises the crucial question of the lack of clear vision, sustainable planning, and development strategies for Montenegrin cities, where festivals should be integral components.
Successful Festival Models
Montenegro Creative Collective manages three festivals, grounded in long-term sustainability and strategic development, always with a focus on public interest and future growth. Each of our three festival platforms was established in synergy with the public and private sectors, responding to the developmental needs of local communities.
Kotor is inherently a city of culture and a treasure chest of cultural and natural heritage, providing an inexhaustible source of inspiration for contemporary interpretations and a platform for educating young generations. As Don Branko Sbutega said: “It is harder to restore the beauty of a neglected garden than to create oases in the desert.” At KotorArt, we remain dedicated to refining that beauty, focusing on youth development and identity-building, particularly through music. In addition to concerts, theatre plays, and forums, we emphasise education through various programmes, serving as excellent examples of non-formal learning. We are committed to heritage preservation and promotion through its reinterpretation and commissions, as well to the culture of remembrance by honoring significant historical figures and events.
Wild Beauty Art Festival, set in the Durmitor mountains, is built on four pillars: art, ecology, natural heritage, and wellness. More than three decades ago, Durmitor became the symbolic heart of Montenegro’s declaration as an ecological state. Its breathtaking landscapes provide the perfect backdrop for blending nature with high-quality artistic programmes. Numerous artistic events have already taken place, while our long-term vision is to establish Durmitor as an international hub for discussions on ecology, sustainability, and the conservation of natural resources. The region’s rich heritage offers endless opportunities for exploration, reinterpretation, and international contextualisation.
Tivat, the fastest-growing city in the Bay of Boka, has undergone major transformations due to tourism investments like Porto Montenegro and Luštica Bay. These changes deeply impact the local community. Noting Montenegro’s lack of opera representation, we launched initiatives focusing on vocal performance and bel canto. Within Tivat Music Festival, we produce small-scale operas, commission musical theatre works, and present concert performances featuring opera highlights. Community engagement and participatory art are our priorities – we’ve revived the city choir, formed ensembles, and collaborated with local organisations to strengthen cultural life.
Montenegro’s festival scene holds immense potential beyond tourism, serving as vital element of cultural and social development. To fully realise this potential, festivals must be strategically integrated into the broader cultural landscape. Successful models already demonstrate how festivals can foster local engagement and shape cultural identity – whether through music and heritage in Kotor, ecological initiatives in Žabljak, or operatic development in Tivat.
Moreover, international collaborations play a crucial role in expanding the reach and impact of the festivals, with partnerships and EU support enhancing programming and positioning Montenegro within the global cultural context.
While festivals cannot replace systemic cultural policies, their role in supporting and complementing them is undeniable. If properly structured and strategically aligned, festivals can serve as catalysts for cultural innovation, education, and international recognition – contributing to a more dynamic and sustainable cultural ecosystem.
Festival Life creates shared moments of audiences and artists, eye-to-eye
