PULA BECOMES A EUROPEAN STAGE OF HISTORY, ART AND MUSIC
The third edition of the internationally awarded event “Living Pictures of Austro-Hungarian Pula” brings three days of top-tier cultural events and the gala concert Classic for All Generations
From August 27th to 29th, Pula will once again become a city where history comes alive.
The third edition of the internationally awarded event “LivingPictures of Austro-Hungarian Pula,” winner of the international Plautilla Award and the national Simply the Best Award, will transform the city’s historic core into a unique open-air stage where history, art, music, science and culture will intertwine.
Over the course of three days, visitors will step into the era when Pula was one of the most important cities of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Through historical reenactments, costumed performances, musical programs, exhibitions, guided tours and authentic urban settings, the city will once again bring to life the spirit of the time that shaped its development.
This year’s event carries special symbolism as it marks 150 years since the arrival of the railway in Pula. With the arrival of the train, the city was connected to Vienna, Zagreb and Ljubljana. These rails carried not only people, but also ideas, culture, art and music that shaped Pula’s identity as an open European city.
That is precisely why, on August 28th, in the magical setting of the Small Roman Theatre, the gala concert Classic for All Generations will be held, the musical highlight of the event.
On this unique ancient stage, top artists from Croatia, Slovenia and Austria will come together: conductor Patrik Greblo, the Slovenian String Orchestra, soprano Josipa Bilić, internationally acclaimed violin virtuoso Yury Revich, and Croatian composer and pianist Matej Meštrović.
The program takes the audience on a musical journey from the Viennese waltzes of Johann Strauss and the operetta masterpieces of Franz Lehár, through Puccini’s lyricism and the Mediterranean charm of Ivo Tijardović, to the evening’s contemporary musical highlight – Vivaldi Recomposed, an original project by Matej Meštrović that presents Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in a new, exciting sonic guise.
Special exclusivity is added to the concert by the performance of violinist Yury Revich, who will play the solo part on an exceptional violin by Antonio Stradivari, kindly loaned by the renowned London house J & A Beare, one of the world’s leading authorities on historical string instruments.
This concert is not merely a musical event. It symbolically returns Pula to the time when the railway opened the doors of Europe, and the city became a meeting place for cultures, artists and new ideas. Today, almost a century and a half later, music once again connects Vienna, Zagreb, Ljubljana and Pula.
The “Living Pictures of Austro-Hungarian Pula” event confirms that cultural heritage can be interpreted in a contemporary, attractive and internationally relevant way. Through a combination of history, top-level art and authentic urban spaces, Pula is positioning itself as one of the most interesting cultural destinations in the region.
From August 27th to 29th, Pula will not merely host cultural events, it will become a grand European stage where history, music and emotion come alive once again.
Living Pictures of Austro-Hungarian Pula 2026. Three days. One city. Countless stories.
Find the event program here: Living Pictures of Austro-Hungarian Pula
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