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Opatija, the gem of the Adriatic Sea, with its tradition in tourism of more than 160 years, is one of the most popular destinations in Croatia. It is located on the coast of the Kvarner Bay, at the foot of the Ucka Mountain slopes.
The Open Air Theatre is located on the green peninsula of the widely known Angiolina Park, right by the sea. The special location and its ambiance created by the combination of greenery and stone walls make it the most breathtaking and the most magnificent venue of this kind in the Mediterranean. The main stage area can seat 2500, or alternatively offer 5000 standing places, and with the stage of 21x21 meters it is a perfect spot for all kinds of performances, be it music, play or combined art forms, from the classical operetta, opera, musicals or ballet, across contemporary jazz, pop, and rock concerts to many other happenings of varied kinds. The small stage area can seat 600 and with its stage that measures 10x10 meters, apart from being the little big stage, it gives the audience a much more private feeling with a bigger connection among those present.
It is perfect for staging smaller formats of musical performances or dramatic. The place where the Open Air Theatre stands today was originally intended for a much more demanding project at the beginning of the 20th century – a multifunction health resort palace, for which there was a public tender inviting for architectural bids in 1911. The architects drafted a blueprint of a palace with ballrooms for concerts and balls, swimming pool with artificial waves, cafes and shops. Unfortunately, the onset of the World War I interrupted the glorious development of Opatija. After the world war was over, by the Treaty of Rapallo from 1920, Istria – with Opatija included – came under the Italian rule and as a replacement of a health resort palace, the Theatre was built. It got its present form according to the project by the celebrated Croatian architect, Neven Šegvić, in 1957.
Since then, it has been hosting ballets, operas, concerts, symphony orchestras, folk-dance performances and plays. Festival Opatija never forgets the fact that Opatija, by its history, has always been the city of festivals and great happenings.