“Spirit of the Balkans” unites the cultures of the region in Korça

2026-06-21 11:44:00, Qyteti im CNA

“Spirit of the Balkans” unites the cultures of the region in

The international festival "Spirit of the Balkans", which this year is taking place in its eighth edition in Korça, has brought back to the southeastern city the atmosphere of dance, music and folkloric traditions of the Balkan countries.

Artists and folkloric ensembles from several countries in the region, through their traditional costumes, rhythms and choreographies, have brought a mosaic of cultures to the streets and squares of the city. The festival began with the “Colors of the Balkans” parade, where the participating groups marched through the main areas of Korça, attracting the attention of citizens and visitors.

Colorful costumes and traditional dances created a festive atmosphere, transforming the city into an open stage of different cultures. The second evening continued with artistic performances on the festival stage in the city's Old Bazaar, where in addition to folklore groups, the Korça audience also attended the concert of special guest, Kamela Islamaj, together with the "Ritual Band".

The Director of Art and Culture at the Municipality of Korça, Blerta Belliu, says that "The Spirit of the Balkans" has now become an important activity for the cultural life of the city, but also an event that influences the tourist promotion of Korça.

"The Spirit of the Balkans is coming to its eighth edition. A festival that belongs not only to cultural events, but also to tourist ones for Korça and beyond. We started yesterday with the first night where there was the parade of Balkan colors, where we had several groups from many Balkan countries participate. And then, on the stage behind me, two musical groups performed. Kamela Islamaj with 'Ritual Band' was a special guest. Meanwhile, today, all the ensembles that paraded in the city squares yesterday will perform on the stage of the Old Bazaar, to continue later with a very interesting and very beautiful collaboration in this edition, a novelty of this edition, the Korça Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the orchestra from Katerini will be together to weave two cultures that connect us even more strongly to each other. I hope that this festival will achieve its goal and I believe that Korça will have good tourism through this festival, but also an exchange of cultures "very beautiful ," said Belliu.

One of the most special elements of this edition is precisely the artistic collaboration between the Korça Symphony Orchestra and the orchestra from Katerini, Greece, a musical combination that aims to bring another dimension to the cultural connection between the two countries.

Part of the festival are also folklore groups from Montenegro, who came to Korça for the first time to present their traditional dances and costumes. The artists expressed their admiration for the reception, the atmosphere and the energy created during the festival.

"I am from Montenegro, we will perform our choreographies. Our two choreographies are called Cërnagora and Cërnogorka. It is a great pleasure here and I hope you enjoy watching us too. I saw the Albanian group and they left me speechless. They dance so beautifully and are always very cheerful and cheerful. I liked the atmosphere they created, they are always happy and I liked everything about their dance", says the artist.

For some of the members of the ensemble from Montenegro, this visit is also an opportunity to get to know the city of Korça and Albanian traditions up close.

"We come from Montenegro, we will perform two dances. We have our original costumes. This is our first time in the city of Korça and we are very happy to have come. Everything here is very beautiful. Your city is small, but very pleasant," says the ensemble member.

The festival atmosphere was also enriched by the participation of groups from Greece, who brought traditional Greek rhythms through dances such as Zeibekiko, Zorba and Sirtaki. For them, such festivals are a way to bring peoples closer and create new bridges of cooperation through culture.

"We come from Thessaloniki and will dance folk choreography, Zeibekiko, Zorba, Sirtaki. We are very happy to be here, it is a great joy for us. Congratulations to the organizers and we hope to come again because in this way we connect our Balkan cultures. This makes us happy and is very beautiful. We were in Korça last year, we are coming back again and it is very beautiful here."

Through music, dance and the exchange of traditions, "Spirit of the Balkans" aims to strengthen ties between the countries of the region and at the same time enrich the cultural and tourist offer of Korça. /CNA