Ohrid Summer wraps 66th edition with 48 events and over 700 artists

The 66th edition of the Ohrid Summer Festival concluded after forty days of concerts, theatre, ballet and jazz, consolidating the event’s place on the country’s cultural calendar and on the wider European festival map.

Rich programme, full venues and international line-up

This year’s festival presented 48 events and brought together more than 700 artists representing 24 countries. Stages across Ohrid hosted a mix of large-scale productions and intimate chamber evenings, drawing audiences who filled halls and open-air venues throughout the four-week programme.

The opening gala in the Ancient Theatre — an operatic evening entitled "Ljubov" — stood out as a highlight. World opera star Ermonela Jaho and tenor Charles Castronovo performed with the orchestra of the National Opera and Ballet under the baton of Marco Boemi, creating a spectacular musical night that set the tone for the season.

Festival director Gjorgji Cuckovski summed up the edition: "Behind us are forty days filled with top art, wonderful concerts, strong emotions and an audience that was the greatest success of this festival edition. I am especially pleased that interest was enormous from the very beginning, and many events sold out before they took place. That is the best confirmation that the audience recognised the quality we offered at this 66th Ohrid Summer."

OH, JAZZ 2026 was integrated into the festival with four jazz evenings, introducing contemporary sounds and internationally known names. Audiences had the chance to hear artists such as Nubya Garcia and Peter Somuah, underlining the festival’s effort to bridge tradition and modern artistic trends.

Beyond music, the programme included carefully selected theatre productions and a gala ballet evening featuring "Carmen Suite" and "Bolero," which added visual dynamism to the festival programme. Special concerts in the Forecourt of St. Sophia and the Lower Palace (Dolni Saraj) recorded particularly high attendance, notably performances by Stefan Milenković, Ana and Igor Durlovski and the National Jazz Orchestra.

The festival also dedicated attention to national cultural heritage: organisers marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ana Lipsha-Tofović with the launch of a monograph on her life and work.

Photo: press material from the event