November the 14th, 2025 – Can you believe it’s almost that time of year again?! We were baking under the sweltering sun not long ago, and now Advent Zagreb 2025 is gearing up to bring us the festive cheer we’ve come to love, with a packed calendar from start to finish. The countdown is on!
Advent Zagreb. Those words are now synonymous with the sort of festive tourism few ever associated with Croatia at all in the not so distant past. The capital’s amazing transformation into a winter wonderland in the very heart of Europe saw it declared the Best Christmas Market in Europe by the European Best Destinations hub for three consecutive years, and with very good reason. Advent Zagreb 2025 is now fast approaching and it’s time to see what we’ve got in store for this season, which officially stretches from the 29th of November until the 7th of January!
concerts, food, mingling, art, museums and so much more
If there’s one thing that can be said about Advent Zagreb, it’s that it encompasses everything in the city. You’ll be wandering down a foggy street cloaked in the scent of kobasice and roasted chestnuts and bump into a group of children and adults alike singing traditional Croatian Christmas songs at concerts. You’ll stumble into a museum and come across an unusual, quirky festive display. Even art dons its santa hat when in Zagreb with ARTvent. While beloved attractions like King Tomislav Square (Trg Kralja Tomislava) transforming into an ice rink every year are always popular, if you look around you, you’ll notice that the Christmas spirit is quite literally everywhere you turn in this city.
the schedule for advent zagreb 2025
It all begins this year with the traditional lighting of the Advent candle in Zagreb’s main square (Ban Jelačić Square/Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića) on the 29th of November. Other locations across the city will then open up and begin sprinkling the festive cheer we all adore.
Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said that this year, “Advent Zagreb is going to return in its full glory as one of the most beautiful Christmas fairs in all of Europe and the world, as confirmed by numerous international awards. I’m particularly pleased that Advent in Zagreb 2025 is going to be making a return to the now revitalised Upper Town (Gornji grad), which is once again set to become one of the central locations for festive events. I expect that the renovated Strossmayer Promenade will also confirm its status as one of the most beautiful and most visited winter events, as well. In addition to the main locations, the Christmas charity fair High School Advent will also be held on Kennedy Square, which will contribute to the festive atmosphere in that part of the city. In addition to that, as a result of abundant interest and in cooperation with ZET, we’ve organised two Merry Christmas Trams.”
The mayor is also actively inviting all visitors to Advent Zagreb 2025 to use public transport as much as possible, given the expected crowds.
The Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, Martina Bienenfeld, revealed that visitors to Advent in Zagreb 2025 can expect a special food zone and three decorative zones located in Upper Town, the ZagrebBal programme in the atrium of Klovićevi Dvori, and plenty of festive concerts in sacred, public and historical locations, as well as all kinds of fun activities for children which will once again return the Upper Town.
“Among the novelties for Advent Zagreb 2025, I’d like to highlight two new artistic collaborations that will bring about some creative interpretations of space. These involved renowned Croatian artists – Saša Šekoranja, who will transform the space of the former savings bank in Oktogon Passage, and Nenad Sovilja, who is celebrating 20 years of artistic activities with an exhibition in the Ethnographic Museum, and whose installation will also enrich the lapidary of the Archaeological Museum. There’s also the Advent edition of the Open House Zagreb project and our Museums, Maybe project, each of which will connect culture, architecture and the overall experience of the city.
cnn, national geographic, condé naste traveler and more praise advent zagreb
Advent Zagreb has once again found itself on the lists of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe, and has been reported on by more than 50 global media outlets including CNN, Condé Nast Traveller, Mirror, National Geographic, Time Out and many more. Such strong media presence, together with the promotional activities of the Zagreb Tourist Board across fifteen different markets, further strengthens Zagreb’s position as a globally recognised Advent destination.
In this regard, a special Advent Zagreb campaign at 30 London Underground stations will soon launch, with long-standing cooperation with Croatia Airlines and HŽ Passenger Transport continuing. It looks as if Advent Zagreb 2025 is set to be as popular as it has been every year since its inception, with crowds from all over Croatia, Europe and indeed the world descending on the city.
wondering how to get here? look no further
Zagreb is an incredibly well connected city and remains so throughout the entire year. It doesn’t suffer the same seasonality as coastal destinations, and there are always many options to arrive from more or less anywhere in Europe by air.
From companies like Ryanair offering cheap and very frequent (in some cases daily) direct flights to Zagreb, to those coming from a bit further afield and with a bit more leg room, the Croatian capital isn’t difficult to arrive to.
Here’s a definitive guide so you can plan your trip to Advent Zagreb 2025 with ease.
zagreb – full of hotels
Fancy new hotels seem to spring up in Zagreb like mushrooms after the rain, so you won’t be short on accommodation options. From centrally positioned hotels right in the thick of the festive atmosphere to those a little further afield but with fantastic and frequent public transport links directly into the heart of the city, we’ve got you covered.
come and meet croatia outside of the summer sweat
If you ask us, the best time to truly get acquainted with Croatia’s real soul is outside of the summer season. That’s particularly the case for Zagreb. Christmas lights lining the city’s streets, decorations bringing the beautiful Austro-Hungarian architecture to life and enjoying mulled wine, a rakija (or two) and traditional kobasice, fritule and more is what winter in this fantastic city is all about.
Here’s the full programme with all the details you need for Advent Zagreb in 2025.
Keep up with Advent Zagreb on social media by following the events as they’re announced on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.
Need more inspiration? Take a look at Advent Zagreb 2024 and 2023!
We’ll see you there!
