LOSINAVA 2026 revives the golden age of Lošinj maritime history.
Traditional boat regattas, maritime customs, workshops, concerts and Taste the Mediterranean from September 5 to 19 turn Lošinj into a maritime stage.
During the Taste the Mediterranean festival, Mali Lošinj will also see a revival of its rich maritime, shipbuilding, and sailing heritage. The 10th edition of LOSINAVA, running from September 5 to 19, 2026, is a major festival featuring a program that combines traditional boat regattas, sailing, maritime customs, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and concerts. The festival aims to revive the era when Lošinj was a key maritime hub of the Adriatic - specifically its maritime "golden age" in the second half of the 19th century. The festival officially opens with a program on the Lošinj Captains' Waterfront (Riva lošinjskih kapetana), featuring various events, a DJ set, a gastronomic offer, and a concert by the band TBF. Also announced is "Đir po vali" (A Tour of the Bay) - a free boat ride around the Mali Lošinj bay with local boatman Steno Vidulić, available over several days between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM and again from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
At the LOSINAVA Point, located in front of the Museum of Apoxyomenos, visitors can discover maritime and fishing skills and local products, as well as participate in workshops and lectures. One such event is "Food on Board" (Hrana na brodu), a lecture by historian Irena Dlaka at the Museum of Apoxyomenos, while the Čikat area will host "Addio - Farewell to the Captain," a dramatic reenactment of the traditional send-off for sailors heading out to sea. Guests will find the regattas particularly interesting: the 9th Night Regatta of Traditional Boats and the 44th Lošinj Regatta - the Lošinj Olympians' Regatta—which includes both a navigational race and a "windward-leeward" (course-style) race. Entertainment has certainly been considered, too - the "Maritime Evening" on the Lošinj Captains' Waterfront and Republic of Croatia Square will feature folklore groups, ‘klapa’ ensembles, music bands, and a wind orchestra; traditional maritime crafts and skills will be demonstrated simultaneously, and the evening will conclude with a concert by Alen Nižetić.
The Jugo Sailing Club in Čikat Bay organizes daily educational sailing sessions for children, giving them the chance to learn the basics of sailing theory, tie nautical knots, and discover the fundamentals of boat hulls and practical sailing at sea.
A special attraction will be the restored Primorka sailboat, which is linked to the Olympic history of Mali Lošinj. The boat and its accompanying exhibition can be viewed at Hotel Bellevue; following the renovation of the old Maritime School, the Primorka is slated to become part of its future maritime collection.
On the festival's final day, the 50th anniversary Nerezine Regatta of traditional sailing boats will take place in Nerezine, marking the conclusion of LOSINAVA 2026 with a concert by Petar Dragojević at 9:00 PM in the town's Studenac Square.
The two-week program also includes the grand opening of the "Taste the Mediterranean" International Festival on September 10 at 7:00 PM at the Mali Lošinj fish market. This encapsulates the core concept of LOSINAVA: transforming Lošinj’s rich maritime history from something merely read about into something that can not only be seen, learned about, and experienced, but also tasted.
