Dubrovnik celebrates its deep cultural connection with the United Kingdom this summer as the 77th Dubrovnik Summer Festival, one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious arts festivals, opens on Friday, 10 July. Over 47 days, more than 2,000 artists will bring over 70 theatre, music, dance and folklore performances to the squares, palaces and fortresses of the UNESCO-listed Old Town, running until 25 August.
Lovrjenac Fortress, Credit: Nikša Raguž-Lučić
The centrepiece for British audiences is a major new production of William Shakespeare’s Richard III, premiering later this month at Lovrjenac Fortress, the medieval stronghold perched on a 37-metre sea cliff just outside the city walls. The timing could not be more fitting: 2026 marks the 462nd anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and the 410th anniversary of his death, placing Dubrovnik firmly on the cultural map among destinations worldwide celebrating the Bard.
Lovrjenac has hosted celebrated open-air Shakespeare productions for decades and is regularly described as one of Europe’s most dramatic theatrical settings, while millions of Britons will also recognise it as the Red Keep from Game of Thrones, which famously transformed Dubrovnik into King’s Landing.
Beyond the summer’s headline drama premiere of Shakespeare’s Richard III, British artists and ensembles play a prominent role throughout the 77th Dubrovnik Summer Festival, with leading British and international stars performing at historic locations across the city, such as the Rector’s Palace Atrium. Key British highlights of the 2026 programme include:
- Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields — the celebrated American violinist and Music Director of the legendary British orchestra performs with the ensemble on 14 July, in a programme of works by Mendelssohn and Beethoven.
- Steven Isserlis — the distinguished British cellist performs works by British composers Charles Avison and John Tavener.
- Tenebrae Choir — the renowned British choir brings its European tour to the festival.
Culture is driving British bookings
Dubrovnik’s summer of theatre lands squarely on the trends shaping UK travel in 2026. ABTA’s latest Holiday Habits report shows British travellers continuing to prioritise holidays over other spending — 65% describe holidays as the most important time of their year — and highlights fast-growing demand for experiential travel. Separate research by Titan Travel found that 58% of British travellers now prefer experience-led holidays over traditional getaways, and identified Croatia as the second most-searched bucket-list destination among UK holidaymakers.
‘Set-jetting’ — choosing destinations first seen on screen — again features among 2026’s defining trends, including in Expedia’s annual forecast, and few places embody it like Lovrjenac, instantly recognisable to Game of Thrones fans. Encouragingly for the season ahead, YouGov polling in May found that more than a third of UK adults (36%) expect to spend more on summer travel this year than last. ABTA has also identified a ‘Super September’ trend, with one in four Britons planning September breaks (up from 17% in 2023) — playing perfectly to Dubrovnik’s long, warm shoulder season and a festival calendar that runs deep into late August.
There is real value on offer, too. The official Dubrovnik Pass combines entry to the city’s major landmarks — including the famous City Walls, its museums and Lovrjenac Fortress itself — with discounts on Dubrovnik Summer Festival tickets that grow with the length of the pass: 10% with the 1-Day Pass (€40), 30% with the 3-Day Pass (€50) and 50% with the 7-Day Pass (€60). Discounted festival tickets can be purchased in person at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival Box Office by presenting an active pass.
The United Kingdom is traditionally Dubrovnik’s number one international source market. Between 1 January and the end of June 2026, the city recorded 74,856 arrivals and 319,220 overnight stays by British visitors. With direct flights from London and airports across the UK, Dubrovnik is expecting another strong British season — one managed responsibly through Respect the City, the city’s long-running programme for sustainable destination management, which helps preserve the quality of the visitor experience in and around the UNESCO-listed Old Town.
Miro Drašković, Director of Dubrovnik Tourist Board, said:
‘This summer, Dubrovnik offers British visitors a truly special cultural experience. With Shakespeare’s Richard III performed at Lovrjenac by the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, bringing contemporary English theatre to the iconic fortress, the city is showcasing the best of British culture in one of the most beautiful backdrops in Europe. This highlights Dubrovnik’s long-standing affection for UK visitors and its commitment to celebrating shared cultural heritage through world-class theatre in unforgettable surroundings.’
