As part of the Heroines programme on the first weekend of June, the European Capital of Culture is bringing us a true family festival that will gather European heroines of art in the heart of the oldest national park. We highly recommend that you plan a visit to Novi Sad and Fruška Gora and take your family and friends on a real adventure in nature – Fruška Gora Vila Festival (The Fairy of Fruška Gora), which will be held in a unique setting of Vrdnik (Fruške Terme Resort) from 3 to 5 June. In honour of the great Serbian heroine of the past, poetess, journalist, and a fighter, Milica Stojadinović Srpkinja, this festival is located in Vrdnik, where she spent most of her childhood. An attractive three-day programme for all generations, Vila is a unique experience in the greenery of the national park. A rich musical, gastro, and children’s programmes await you, so plan your stay in the European Capital of Culture in advance.
Old Stories Reimagined
The youngest visitors of the festival will enjoy fairy tales read to them by the heroine of the Serbian theatre, Anica Dobra, as well as the famous journalist Nataša Miljković. Bring your loved ones to hear old stories reimagined. Moreover, the children’s programme will include dance performances and various workshops, while the more mature audience will have the opportunity to enjoy the play ‘My Husband’ in the forest landscape. The play by Rumena Bužarovska, and directed by Jovana Tomić, creates a portrait of different women, whose point of contact is the fact that their husbands are the focal point of their lives.
Film and Theatre Programme
Visitors can also expect an open-air cinema, superb sound, and a movie screen. The three-day film repertoire will entertain both children and adults, and one of the currently popular films, ‘How I Learned to Fly’, will be shown, as well as the play ‘Dust’, in this ‘open-air theatre’ starring Nataša Ninković and Zoran Cvijanović, directed by Veljko Mićunović. Do not miss it!
Fairies That Will Play Music on Fruška Gora
Programme on 3 June
On Friday, a performance by Simone Lamsma, one of the leading violinists of her generation who performs with the world’s most eminent orchestras, awaits us, this time with the support of the city orchestra Camerata Academica Novi Sad. The voice that pushes the boundaries arrives at the family festival, the fairy of the North Macedonian pop scene Kaliopi. The same evening, Jenny Berggren,singer of the internationally famous Swedish pop group Ace of Base, is waiting for you. The world-famous singer will perform in the oldest Serbian national park.
Programme on 4 June
On the second day of the festival, we turn to the reinterpretation of classical sound with the gothic fairy Tarja Turunen. The fairy of the symphony rock scene, known as the former vocalist of the band Nightwish, will perform at the Vila festival, and on the same day, we can also expect a concert by Amira Medunjanin and the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra, which will contribute to the whimsical festival atmosphere
Programme on 5 June
The last night closes with a performance by the American indie pop band Warpaint, which consists of four fairies, as well as regional heroine Natali Dizdar. A slightly more intimate and ethereal atmosphere will be achieved with a recital by Tabea Zimmermann, a soloist on the viola who is considered one of the greatest musicians of today, which is confirmed by numerous collaborations and awards on the international level.
Take your little ones to the children’s corner, which will include an obstacle course and other interesting games, as well as a Girls Rock Camp. Relax in the Great Shade area, on as much as 400 square meters, and enjoy a garden party with food and drinks, but also visit the mini bazaar within the festival.
The partner of the Heroine program is Erste Bank.
Photo: Promo / ECoC
