Free
Elbasan / March 14
Dita e Verës (Summer Day)
A pagan-rooted spring festival now national in scale. Whole families bake ballokume (cornmeal cookies) and walk together at sunrise.
Home / Fun
A year, in fun.
Festivals on castle walls, boat parties in hidden coves, rooftop clubs in Tirana, and beach bars that stay open until the sun comes up.
34listings
10festivals
8boat trips
16nightlife picks
Annual calendar
Tradition, music, food and film across the year.
From Dita e Veres to Gjirokaster Folk Festival, this is the calendar worth planning around.
Editors pick
Gjirokastër National Folk Festival
The country's most important folk gathering — ensembles from every region perform inside the castle. UNESCO-recognized.
Mar
1 event Free
May
1 event
Tirana / May 22 – 25
Tirana Jazz Festival
Three nights at the Pyramid and Air Albania Stadium. International headliners, Albanian openers, free outdoor stage on Skanderbeg Square.
Jun
2 events
Dhërmi / June 11 – 17
Kala Festival
A week-long festival in Dhërmi village. House, disco, and soul by the Ionian Sea. The after-parties happen on pirate boats.
Free
Sarandë / June 12 – 14
Sarandë Sea Festival
Free three-night beach concert series on the lungomare. Pop, rap, and the obligatory closing-night Albanian folk superstar.
Jul
2 events
Gjirokastër / July 4 – 9
Gjirokastër National Folk Festival
The country's most important folk gathering — ensembles from every region perform inside the castle. UNESCO-recognized.
Shëngjin / July 18 – 22
Unum Festival
Four-day electronic music festival on Rana e Hedhun beach. Underground techno from a younger crowd; sunrise sets that actually deliver.
Aug
1 event
Free
Korçë / August 15 – 21
Korça Beer Fest
Six nights of grilled meat, brass bands, and Birra Korça straight from the brewery. The largest festival in Albania, by attendance.
Sep
1 event
Tirana / September 14 – 21
Tirana International Film Festival
Albania's premier film festival. 200+ shorts and features from around the Mediterranean. English subtitles standard.
Nov
1 event
Free
Vlorë / November 28
Dita e Pavarësisë (Independence Day)
Albania declared independence here in 1912. Parades on the Pavarësia square, fireworks at 9pm, the country's largest flag.
Dec
1 event
Free
Tirana / December 31
New Year on Skanderbeg Square
Free open-air concert in the largest pedestrian square in the Balkans. Expect 50,000 people and proper fireworks.
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