Autumn days in the capital of culture, interspersed with shades of art, especially highlight its charm, and this October in Novi Sad brings us a handful of cultural events for real enjoyment – exhibitions, concerts, plays, festivals, as well as the finale of the sixth Kaleidoscope of Culture. We highlight the best that Novi Sad has to offer, and invite you to take a look at our suggestions. Enjoy (your) city of culture and regularly follow the calendar of events to keep up to date with all the happenings in Novi Sad. As always, we have suggestions for all ages and everyone, so circle some of these dates in your planner.
Kaleidoscope of Culture
This year’s sixth Kaleidoscope of Culture, which has so far hosted numerous artists in the District and the Network of cultural stations, continues until mid-October, and Novi Sad will once again turn into a centre of architecture (from 2 to 8 October) and literature (from 9 to 15 October). The programme in the Architecture Week ahead of us includes an expert lecture by one of the most famous architects in the world, Alejandro Aravena, winner of the Pritzker Prize, which represents the Nobel counterpart in architecture. Do not miss the Future Modernity expert panel, which will discuss what the city’s future modernity should look like. The third important event of the Architecture Week is the phenomenal exhibition on the development of kitchens through time, Kitchens [Fragments] – Skatches from History and Popular Culture, which will have a rich accompanying programme including expert lectures, panels and author guides.
The final week of the Kaleidoscope of Culture will be dedicated to literature, so two events for children and parents await us at the Mlin Cultural Station on 10 October. The pedagogue Olgica Pušić Ugrnov will teach us How to Grow from Books and with Books, and why reading to children and reading with children is important for their development. After the instructive lecture that starts at 6 p.m., just an hour later we will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the famous writer Jasminka Petrović, the author of the children’s novel The Summer I Learned to Fly. Our recommendation for the end of the Keleidoscope of Culture is a conversation with some of the most widely read regional writers – Danica Vukićević, Muharema Bazduj and Milica Vučković in the District on 14 October.
You can find the Architecture Week and Literature Week programmes on the official website.
Culture in the Palm of Your Hand: Current Exhibitions
When it comes to cultural events, the list is not complete without a walk from exhibition to exhibition. The city really has something to offer this month as well, so we advise you to visit the District, which, as part of the Kaleidoscope of Culture, is an exhibition space for several interesting installations. A must-see exhibition in the District is a permanent multimedia exhibition that dramatizes and thematizes the space of the District through time – Spirit of Place – A Century of the District. Divided into six phases, from the establishment of the factory, through World War II and NATO bombing, to the European Capital of Culture, the exhibition tries, through its organization, but also through the construction of the space, to depict turbulence, progress, changes, tragic fates, chaos, hope and the cacophony of a time.
You can also visit the exhibition On the Paths of Serbian Art 1923 – 2023: From Konjović to Marina Abramović, which was opened during the Visual Arts Week in the Radionica facility. While in the District, stop by and touch the heat installation Heart, the largest interactive sculpture in Serbia, which will be exhibited until 15 October. If you missed the opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture and the House We Built in the 90s exhibition you can visit it until 8 October in the Biro facility.
If you walk along Liman Park towards the city centre, do not miss the exhibition in the open-air gallery, on 49 masts – Suba Confessions, and then continue your walk to one of the oldest streets in Novi Sad, Dunavska Street, where the exhibition Boško Petrović: Works from the Collection of the City Museum of Novi Sad awaits you in the City Museum of Novi Sad. We have saved for last the multimedia exhibition Mileva: We Are One Rock at the Patrovaradin Fortress, where you will get to know more about the relationship between the heroine of science Mileva Marić Einstein and the genius Albert.
Festivals in the European Capital of Culture
October in Novi Sad is also in the spirit of numerous festivals, the first of which is the current Chamber Music Festival Blisko!, which attracts fans of supreme music, and lasts until 6 October. The international festival that includes screenings of films on the topic of disability is the Seize the Day/Seize the Film festival, which will be held in CCNS from 11 to 15 October, and the Novi Sad audience is waiting for another international video festival, Videomedeja, from 12 until 14 October 12 at the Svilara Cultural Station.The Serbian Underground Festival deals with the promotion of regional and local underground culture through music, fanzines and vinyl exchanges, and will be held at SCCNS Fabrika in the District on 20 and 21 October. Do not miss the Obnova Film Festival in Novi Sad from 20 to 22 October, and find all the information on the official website. The traditional classical music festival NOMUS will be held at several locations in Novi Sad from 18 to 26 October, and will once again highlight Novi Sad on the international music map, and the festive opening of the festival will be marked by a concert by Ivo Pogorelić and the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Srboljub Dinić in the Novi Sad Synagogue, on 18 October at 8 p.m.
In the Theatre…
The new ballet performance of the Serbian National Theatre, Coppélia, will be performed on 3 October at 7 p.m., so do not miss the second performance in the new season, and we also recommend the musical performance and children’s workshop Three Tickets to the Opera, which will take place on Saturday, 7 October at 4 p.m. The next day, the actor Nikola Đuričko takes the stage of the Youth Theatre with his stand-up show SHOWBIZZ at 7:30 p.m. The performance of the Great Migration of Archivists will take place at the Serbian National Theatre on Monday, 9 October, at 8 p.m.
On the same day, but an hour earlier, children will enjoy the choir concert of the Children’s Opera Studio Poštovana Deco in the Serbian National Theatre on 9 October at 7 p.m. If you missed the two-act opera Vladimir and Kosara during the ECoC title year, you will now have the opportunity to watch it at the Serbian National Theatre on 10 October at 7 p.m. Do not miss the world musical Happy Girls directed by Rade Vukotić, which arrives at the Youth Theatre on 12 October at 7:30 p.m. On Tuesday, 17 October, you can watch the Swan Lake ballet at the Serbian National Theatre at 7 p.m., and the play Kerovi, in which Aleksandar Srećković Kubura and Srđan Timarov play the roles, will also take place on 17 October in the NIS ceremonial hall at 8 p.m. Watch Staša Koprivica’s performance Canary Soup in the NIS ceremonial hall on Friday, 20 October, at 8 p.m. On the same day, at the Youth Theatre from 7:30 p.m., the cabaret Veseli Matorci, starring Jelica Sretenović and Nenad Ćirić will be staged. Towards the end of the month, on 25 October from 7 p.m., the youngest audience will enjoy the premiere of the play Ksenija i Lovac, and do not miss the hilarious comedy Ženski Razgovori at the City Concert Hall on 28 October at 8 p.m.
You can find the complete thetre repertoire on the official websites of the Serbian National Theatre, Youth Theatre and Novi Sad Theatre.
October in Novi Sad Is to the Rhythm of Music (and Dance)…
The diva with a magical voice, Josipa Lisac, is coming to Novi Sad on 8 October, when she will perform at the Serbian National Theatre in front of the Novi Sad audience, so get tickets at the theatre ticket office or online. If you like old Yugoslavian hits, you will definitely be attracted to the Jugoslovenka party, so make time to jam at SPENS on 13 October. After the unforgettable ROCK OPERA concert, the combined ensemble of the Novi Sad Big Band, members of the choir and the opera orchestra of the Serbian National Theatre will take you on a fantastic journey through the most beautiful themes of disco music, so do not miss the Disco Opera Special at the Serbian National Theatre on 15 October at 8 p.m.
The American stoner rock band Unida will perform in SCCNS Fabrika on 19 October, together with the rock and roll/stoner band RoadkillSoda from Romania, while all hip hop fans can expect the performance of Đorđe Miljenović , better known as Sky Wickler, in Hall 2 of the Novi Sad Fair on 20 October at 9 p.m. Those who prefer a slightly ‘harder’ sound, the Mortal Kombat band arrives in Novi Sad on 21 October, and one of the most sought-after male bands that performed at this year’s Eurovision, the Slovenian Joker Out, will perform at Fabrika in the District on 27 and 28 October . At the end of the month, two Halloween parties await us – 2000Late Halloween and Elektroпоп Halloween.
Oktoberfest Novi Sad
The spirit of Bavaria is brought to Novi Sad by the traditional Oktoberfest Novi Sad, which will take place in front of SC Promenada on 22 and 23 October, and will gather the most important breweries from Serbia and the region, as well as a large number of musicians. Along with good beer, German sausages and pretzels, which you will be able to buy, are indispensable. Tickets are sold on the Gigstix website and ticket office, and you can find more information HERE.
Charms of the Bazaar
The Fish Market in the centre of Novi Sad every first Friday of the month turns into a Night Bazaar of handicrafts and local producers from the surrounding towns. So, on 6 October from 6 p.m., a real spectacle of irresistible tastes and scents that intertwine in the air awaits us, while we enjoy the music programme and unique clothing, jewellery, home decorations, etc. If you like this type of events, do not miss the Fenseraj Ukusa at Detelinara Market on 14 October at 6 p.m. Towards the end of the month, on 20 October, the Startup Night Bazaar awaits you at the Fish Market at 6 p.m.
Ready for marathons?
When: On 8 and 21 October
Where: Liberty Square and Popovica Fruška Gora
October in Novi Sad is also reserved for the most challenging discipline of the queen of sports – the 42 km long marathon. This year, the Novi Sad Marathon , which will be held on 8 October at 10 a.m., will gather long-distance runners, and the start and finish of the race is in Liberty Square. In addition to the 42-kilometre marathon and half-marathon, running fans will be able to try their hand at the 5- and 10-kilometre races. Sign up to participate here, and we wish you, in addition to the competitive spirit and good weather, to persevere to the end and beat yourself. If you prefer mountain challenges on hilly terrain, Saturday, 21 October, is reserved for the Autumn Fruška Gora Marathon, which will start at Popovica (you can also get to the starting point by bus line 74). Let’s run!
Author: Marina Marić
Photo: Vladimir Veličković
