Events and festivals in Pristina

Festivals and events are one of the very few things that people in Pristina enjoy properly, without rushing to get it over with. Despite having quite a small territorial space, Pristina has a pleasant number of festivals and events. The diversity of festivals makes it possible for people of different tastes to find themselves in a city this small. Festivals for citizens and visitors of Pristina are a good thing to break the daily routines. Another thing that makes spending a day out in a festival or event worth while is the fact that festivals in Pristina provide entertainment for the youth as well as for adults.

Music festivals

EtnoFest

Etno Fest is a cultural event held in Kukaj village during summertime. As the years passed the festival progressed into something bigger than the exposure of traditional food and folkloric music. Artist such as: actors, dancers, musicians, cooks, painters and photographers show their artistic creation under an open sky. One of the most visited areas in EtnoFest is the acting stage where local plays have come alive. Within EtnoFest exists a smaller festival named AgroFest and is specifically made for the traditional Albanian food.

The founder of EtnoFest is the Albanian director Fadil Hysaj. The festival usually lasts for 5 to 7 days.^[1][2]

Pristina Jazz Festival

This festival is known as the most artistic event in Kosovo. It brings together a lot of significant artists from all over the world to flow the local jazz scene. It is held annually in October/ November, in the ODA theatre (Behind Pallati i Rinisë complex), at 20:00. Pristina Jazz Festival has hosted world-famous artists such as:Uri Caine, Tom Kennedy, Reggie Washington, Giulio Martino, Willard Dyson, Bob Albanese, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Robin Verheyen, Aki Rissanen, Peppe La Pussata,Tim Story,Francesco D’Errico, Yiotis Kiourtisoglou without excluding artist from Kosovo such as Besim Gashi,Faruk Musliu, and Visar Kuqi.^[3][4]

ReMusica Festival

ReMusica

ReMusica is a festival where a group of talented Albanians from Kosovo led by Rafet Rudi (the initiator of the whole idea) work to promote contemporary music, through presentations of different stylistics tendencies of the 20th century up to the present day. ReMusica, so far, had a lot of famous guest artists from all over the world – from individual ones to collective ensembles. Guests like: Aki Takahashi (Japan), Peter Sheppard Skaerved (England), Rafael Andia (France), Andreas Lewin Richter (Spain), Vande Gorne (Belgium), Ensemble Vivendi (Kosovo), etc. This festival is held every year in May.^[5][6]

The Pristina Music, Wine and Beer Festival

The Pristina Music, Wine and Beer Festival is a summer event that is held annually from 30 August to 1 September at Pallati I Rinise. It offers different types of beers and wines for half of the price, meaning you can get completely wasted and still have cash in your wallet to get back home. It provides music, delicious food and different party-themed games. The festival is dedicated only for adults.^[7]

Chopin Piano Fest

The Chopin Piano Fest is a festival held in April every year. It is appreciated by critics, fans and growing audience as an excellent presentation of the mastery of piano. Because of the great success this festival had, and appreciation by the audience in Kosovo, it has become a traditional piano festival. It offers opportunity to see and enjoy live piano performances by local and international pianists performing piano works not only of ChopinfEST, but also of other well known composers, classical and contemporary ones. The attractive program is selected and prepared by Festival Artistic Director Prof. Lejla Haxhiu-Pula, the first pianist in Kosovo.^[8]

DAM fest.

DAM Fest

The international festival of young musicians is one of the most important events in Kosovo. It brings classical music to Pristina, with performances by hundreds of musicians in various venues during March and April. The first edition was held in 2006, ever since then the festival has provided the city with the sound of Classical Music from International Performers for a week. This festival aims to present new and young musicians from different countries of the world, while highlighting new forms of musical expression Talented people like: Alexander Prior (British), Maurizio Mastrini (Italian), Pervin Chakar (Turkish), Petrit Çeku (Albanian) and a lot more have participated in DAM Festival.^[9]

VideoFest

For 11 years now in Pristina is held the annual VideoFest festival. The festival is about the video clips that different musicians and entertainers create. Artists from Kosovo and places nearby compete with one another for the main prize. VideoFest aims to promote and stimulate the creativity productions in the aforementioned territories. The jury does the selection of the best video-clips in different genres but also the best video-clip of the year.^[10]

Pristina Kids Fest

Pristina Kids Fest is a festival where kids from different places compete. This is a singing competition that is being held in Pristina for the 5th year. This year's festival takes place in the American School of Kosovo on October 24 and then in 21 square on October 2. Children from Sweden, Malta, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Romania etc. The international children's song festival in Kosovo is organized by the International Multicultural Children's and Young People's Center "Xixëllonjat". The goal of this festival is to stimulate and promote children's new music productions and the creation of young musicians. The festival also aims to bring children from different countries together in order to share experience and tradition.^[11]

Javës së Jazz-it Turk | Turkish Jazz Week në Kosovë

I organizuar në përkrahje të Ambasadës së Turqisë në Kosovë. Kjo festë është krijuar në vitin 2012 në qytetin së Prishtinës dhe në vitin 2015 u mbajt edicioni i 4’të Javën e jazz’it Turk i cili u mbat prej datës 14. Prill 2015 deri më 18. Prill.

Në edicionin e 4’të të muzikës Jazz #turkishjazzweek për hërë të parë të cilët festivali u performuar në tre qytetet bukura të Kosovës;

Prishtinë (Teatrin Kombëtar), Gjakova (Palatin e Kultures "Asim Vokshi") dhe në Prizren (në Shtëpinë e Kulturës Xhemail Berisha).

Arts events

International exhibition Gjon Mili

Gjon Mili is an international exhibition that is held every two years in The National Gallery of Kosovo (Albanian: Galeria Kombëtare e Kosovës). This event is a memorial for one of the most famous photographers in the last century, Gjon Mili. Despite the extremely short time that his photographs had to be exposed, they still had the ability to show a great connection between science and art, something this that doubles the value of his exhibitions. Some of the previous winners are: Genc Kadriu (2013), Driton Paçarada (2002), and Mumin Jashari (2004).

International exhibition Muslim Mulliqi

Exhibition

Muslim Mulliqi is an exhibition which displays visual arts such as painting, drawings, videos, etc. A contest is opened yearly by The National Gallery of Kosovo (Albanian: Galeria Kombetare e Kosoves) giving any artist the chance to participate. The winner is chosen by the committee, which has included Loreta Ukshini, Antigona Selmani, Malsor Bejta, Din Azizi, Fatos Kabashi, etc.^[12]

Artist of Tomorrow

This event is a program initiated by Wendy W. Luers, founder and director of Foundation For a Civil Society in the United States. It is an exhibition that provides space for young creators to expose their art. The project is built with help from The American Embassy In Kosovo. To stimulate the youth, a prize awaits for the most hardworking youngster. The winner is given the opportunity to travel to the US in order to represent Kosovo for a month. After the trip the winner is also encouraged to have a personal exhibition in order to share the newly gained experience. This contest is held every year in The National Gallery of Kosovo (Galeria Kombetare e Kosoves).

Sports events

Car racing

People in Pristina seem to have a special affection when it come to cars. Two events of car racing are held during the year. The first one is highway car-racing and it is held in June, the other has a Tōge racing theme (The cars rcae in mountains and hills). Participants need to be well trained and the vehicles under great conditions. the whole even is organized by FASK (Federate of Auto Sports in Kosovo).^[13]

Pristina's Half Marathon

Pristina’s Half Marathon is an event that is organized from Ministry for Culture and Sport. The main reason of this marathon is to promote the values of peace, coexistence and excellence in sports, and this is the reason that the motto of this Marathon is “Run for Peace and Tolerance. In this half marathon participate people from different countries, like: Kosovo, Kenya, Morocco, Hungary, Ukraine, Sweden, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Moldova. All participants will be awarded with certificates, ranking and finishing time, but the for the best finishers in senior, veteran and disables category for men and women will be awarded from a total of 12.000 euros.^[14]

Streetball Kosova

Streetball in Kosova is held since year 2000, and it is organised in Germia. It is a traditional tournament where hundred teams and thousand of youth people unite to play, so in that way they make the streetball more attractive to others, special to the young population but in the same time they reduce violence and crim. In this even, until now, competed people from different countries like: Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia. This sport event progressed a lot since the first edition. At year 2005, for the first time it was organised in seven major cities. After that, at year 2006, Kosova participated in the Streetball World Championship in New York. In 2009, Streetball Kosova participated for the first time in the Prague International Streetball cup, where the Team Akull represented the Kosova in PIS 2010, where they won the 3rd place.

Streetball in Europe 2011

Later at year 2012, applied for the first time at FIBA 3x3 rules, where Team Kujta won the tournament in the Senior class. A year late, this group of talented youth applied again in FIBA 3x3, and in memory of Kosova’s valued partner, MVP (Most valuable player) of the tournament was prized with the “Genc Dushi” award.^[15]

See also

• Film festivals in Pristina

References