Today marks the beginning of Špancirfest – a stroll that turns over 35 million kuna

Today, the doors to the jubilee, 20th edition of Špancirfest, a festival of street artists and strollers, open in Varaždin, running from August 17 to 26.

>>>Špancirfest included among the 20 best European festivals

It is expected that more than 260,000 visitors from around the world will stroll through the streets of the city this year.

So far, over 300 performers have participated in the festival, and last year the city recorded nearly 4,000 overnight stays and welcomed tourists from 44 countries.

During the ten days of Špancirfest, the streets, squares, palaces, parks, gardens, and courtyards of historic Varaždin become stages, and alongside a diverse cultural program, the festival offers a rich gastronomic and exhibition-sales offer.

During the festival, more than 200,000 liters of beer will be consumed, over 100,000 meals will be served, and the average distance each visitor walks during the festival is 6.5 kilometers per day.

This year, Špancirfest in its Creative Workshop, located on Uska Street, becomes home to as many as 25 Croatian product designers.

>>>Research: Croats most often visit street festivals

When it was launched in 1998, the festival lasted only three days and was completely local in character, and twenty years later it has grown into a national event that is gladly attended by residents from all over the world. During the ten days of the festival, the city generates 35.5 million kuna in tourist revenue. If we divide this amount by 260,000 visitors, we get an average of 136 kuna spent by each guest at Špancirfest.

Some of the performers at the festival include Bajaga i Instruktori, UB40, Soul II Soul, Dubioza Kolektiv, Josipa Lisac, Amira Medunjanin, Urban &4, Zoran Predin and Lačni Franc, S.A.R.S., The Brand New Heavies, Vlatko Stefanovski trio…