Program schedule for Rovinj Photodays 2026
May 15th – May 17th, 2026
13:00 MMC – Multimedia Center:
Official Opening of the Festival
EXHIBITIONS
13:00 MMC – Multimedia Center:
BIG FINALISTS EXHIBITION
International Competition of Contemporary Photography – 19th Rovinj Photodays, 2026
Featuring nominated authors from 5 categories: Architecture, Landscape, Documentary, Portrait, and Body. Curator: Sabina Salamon
13:45 CVU BATANA:
“Black gold“ – Mitar Simikić
Exhibition by the Grand Prix winner of Rovinj Photodays 2025
14:30 COMMUNITY OF ITALIANS OF THE CITY OF ROVIGNO:
Stefania Rössl & Massimo Sordi : „“Couplegames“
Photographic project in which two perspectives on the same places and subjects engage in a dialogue, exploring the expressive possibilities of photographic language in India.
17:00 GRAND PARK HOTEL ROVINJ,
Lobby, Lungomare Plaza promenade
Saša Poldan: “Between sky and Eearth – AFRICA“
A visual journey through the landscapes and wilderness of Africa: Namib — Atlantic — Okavango. Seen from above, Africa transforms into a landscape of lines, textures, and movement, in which nature itself forms magnificent visual compositions. Curator: Nataša Ivančević
OUTDOOR EXHIBITIONS, Rovinj City Center
Square & Waterfront Promenade
FRIENDS OF THE SEA 2026: “Istria as It Once Was“” – Livingstone Association
The 2026 edition of “Friends of the Sea” exhibition features 30 large-format photographs that explore the life on the Istrian coast, presenting the images as they were seen by our renowned photographers Tošo Dabac and Alojz Orel, who sought their authentic shots in the optical interplay of light.
PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, PARTIES, AND SHOWS:
12:00 – 17:00 Cultural Center Rovinj (Trg M. Tita 12):
Info Point – Accreditations & Event Assistance
20:00 Island Hotel Istra:
Dinner for Accredited Hotel Guests
21:30 Island Hotel Istra:
Evening Gathering – Wine, music & photography
After Party: DJ Alex Sabattini Welcome Drinks: Vina Geržinić
11:30 -12:30: Cultural Center Rovinj (Trg M. Tita 12), 2nd floor
Interactive lecture: Dubravka Lazić:“The (Mis)Use of Photography“
How do we “read” a photograph—and how much do we trust it? Through a series of carefully selected examples, the lecture examines not only the different uses of photography, but also how its meaning changes depending on temporal distance and the context in which it is viewed.
12:45 -13:45: Cultural Center Rovinj (Trg M. Tita 12), 2nd floor
Interactive lecture: Danijel Berković:“ Authenticity as the Most Valuable Currency”
In this lecture, using examples from contemporary photography, we will demystify what authenticity is, how it can be developed, and why it is so important to leave a mark in the visual history of our time
19:00 Island Hotel Istra:
Dinner for Accredited Hotel Guests
21:30 Island Hotel Istra:
Awards Ceremony – Rovinj Photodays 2026 & Grand Prix Announcement
Sparkling toast with Geržinić Wines
22:15 Island Hotel Istra:
After Party by DJ Alex Sabattini
10:00 – 10:30 Island Hotel Istra:
meeting of the festival’s coordination team