XVIII KROKODIL FESTIVAL – LITERATURE AS DISOBEDIENCE

01 Jun  XVIII KROKODIL FESTIVAL – LITERATURE AS DISOBEDIENCE

XVIII KROKODIL Festival
LITERATURE AS DISOBEDIENCE
July 03–04, 2026
Amphitheater and the park in front of the Museum of Yugoslavia, Mihaila Mike Jankovića 6, Belgrade

When we speak of disobedience, we have in mind a type of defiance that does not begin on the street, but in a sentence. We are thinking of books that changed societies because, above all, they changed the language through which society thinks about itself, defending the right to truth, doubt, and individual autonomy whenever the collective demanded obedience and unconditional cooperation. Literature is disobedience in its purest form precisely because it is impossible to silence it, to force it to trivialize reality, or to bow before power and injustice.

This year’s KROKODIL Festival, the eighteenth in a row, celebrates exactly that inexhaustible energy – literature as social defiance and the beginning of every change. Following a well-tested formula, the program is organized dynamically, featuring morning and afternoon events, panel discussions, workshops, plays, and films distributed across the Debate, Kids, and Film zones, as well as the Studio Stage (this year’s exciting new addition). In the evening hours, literary-musical spectacles await us on both the Main and Studio stages.

On Friday, July 3rd, do not miss an unforgettable summer evening at the amphitheater in front of the Museum of Yugoslavia – amidst the scent of linden trees and the company of some of the most prominent international, European, and regional authors: Lea Ypi, Rachel Kushner, Åsne Seierstad, Monika Herceg, and Rumena Bužarovska. The evening will also feature a musical performance by the band Ana & The Changes (Ana Ćurčin), as well as the shamanic power of a joik performance by Sami poet Johan Sandberg McGuinne.

On Saturday, July 4th, an all-day program awaits us across several zones, under the shade of trees at the edge of Hyde Park by the amphitheater. From 10 AM until late at night, there will be a rotation of debates, book promotions, workshops, theater plays, film screenings, concerts, and much more – featuring Zoran Kesić, Boris Postnikov, Dragan Ilić, Darija S. Radaković, Olga Kavran, Igor Štiks, Dubravka Stojanović, Olga Manojlović Pintar, Katarina Peović, Littfest authors from both the far north and south of Sweden, Adriana Zaharijević, Ger Duijzings, Dragoslava Barzut, Hristina Radović Andrić, Ognjenka Lakićević, Bojan Savić Ostojić, the bands Fronta and Vroom, and many others.

For the first time this year, the all-day children’s program is being realized in collaboration with Dečiji grad (Children’s City). In addition to the traveling theater “Ćira” and literature for the youngest, a series of new and rich programs awaits – from acrobatics to various workshops for children and youth.

So, take a walk to the Museum of Yugoslavia with your children, friends, or pets, bring a picnic blanket, and spend the day in a space where the word is not an ornament but a tool: a way to say a decisive “no,” to ask the right question, and to imagine a different reality.

In an era of imposed silences and rigid borders, join us at the KROKODIL Festival – a unique celebration of literature that refuses to compromise.

Full program is available HERE.
 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING TICKET SALES

Tickets are required for the evening program on Friday, July 3rd. Entry to other programs is free, but we invite you to purchase tickets for these programs as well if you wish to contribute to the realization of the festival.

Tickets are available through the GIGSTIX sales network and at the KROKODIL Center (Male stepenice 1a) every workday from 10 AM to 6 PM, as well as at the festival box office one hour before the start of the evening program, or at the bar next to the Debate Zone for daytime programs.

Evening program (presale): 1,000 RSD
Evening program (day of the festival): 1,500 RSD
Students and seniors: 800 RSD
Day pass for debate programs (optional): 500 RSD (Friday) / 700 RSD (Saturday)
Kids program (optional): 500 RSD 

To purchase tickets, click HERE.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The organizer of the KROKODIL Festival is the KROKODIL Association.

Supported by: The European Union, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Serbia, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Serbia, the Swedish Institute, Terre Solidaire, the British International Development program implemented in partnership with the British Council, and Hotel Moxy.

Program Partners: Dečiji grad, Littfest, Conrad Festival, and Bookstan.

Media Support: Danas, Nova, LiceUlice, Radar.

Technical Production: Production Pool.

*The appearance of Lea Ypi and the play FunFact are realized through the PPE4InfoDEM project, co-funded by the EU’s CERV program.

_______________________________________________________________

KROKODIL Festival (Literary Regional Gathering That Alleviates Boredom and Lethargy) is a literary festival that presents local, regional, and international literature in its full scope in a unique and original way—without generational, poetic, gender, or any other exclusions. With its modern and dynamic approach to presenting authors through readings enhanced by contemporary video and audio media, musical-stage performances, and a wide selection of poetry, prose, and drama, KROKODIL has become one of the most visited literary events in the region since its founding in 2009. To date, seventeen summer festivals and over twenty guest editions have been held in nine European countries, featuring nearly five hundred authors from Serbia, the region, and Europe.

Find out more about KROKODIL HERE.