Guča 2026: Inside Serbia’s Biggest Trumpet Festival

The ‘Serbian Woodstock’

Dubbed the ‘Serbian Woodstock’, the Guča festival is far more than a music event — it’s a national institution in Serbia and a showcase for Balkan brass band tradition. According to Wikipedia, it draws between 300,000 and 700,000 visitors each year — staggering for a village of 2,000 people. Entry is completely free, including concerts and competitions.

The trumpet holds a unique place in Serbian identity. A military instrument under Karadjordje during the First Serbian Uprising (1804), it was brought back to villages by soldiers returning from the Serbo-Turkish wars in the late 19th century, overtaking the gaida (bagpipe) and violin as the folk instrument of choice, according to the Balkan Brass article on Wikipedia.

Highlights

• Largest brass festival in the world: up to 700,000 visitors in record years
• 65th jubilee edition in 2026, running 7-9 August
• Free entry to all concerts and competitions
• ~1,500 participating musicians each year, mostly from the Roma community
• Unique atmosphere blending concerts, kolo (circle dance), toast competitions and local cuisine

Three days of non-stop celebration

The 2026 edition is hosted by Marko Keselj, former Serbian national basketball player and State Secretary for Sports, according to national broadcaster RTS. The programme, confirmed by B92, alternates competitions and concerts. If you’re after another major music event in the region, check out the EXIT Festival 2026 guide, Serbia’s other iconic festival.

Friday 7 August: Opening

• 3pm: ‘Iz srca Dragačeva’ concert — folk ensembles and local orchestras
• Zdravičari (toast speech) competition and best folk costume contest
• Evening: Opening ceremony at the stadium, flag-raising by Marko Keselj
• Concert: Slobodan Trkulja & Balkanopolis, Dejan Petrovic Big Band
• Midnight concert with all finalist orchestras, closing by Sestre Gobovic

Saturday 8 August: Competitions

• 2pm: ‘Igra kolo kraj Bjelice’ cultural programme with multiple folk ensembles
• Young Serbian trumpet orchestras competition
• Evening: ‘Pobedili su – zaslužili su’ concert with 2025 winners

Sunday 9 August: Final

• 2pm: Children’s shows by KUD ‘Abrašević’
• 6pm: Final competition of Serbian trumpet orchestras
• 10:45pm: Winners announced — the Golden Trumpet (Zlatna truba)
• 11:15pm: Closing concert by Dejan Jevđic

From military instrument to national icon

The festival was the brainchild of Blagoje Radivojevic (1925-2016), a journalist for daily Politika. In 1961, he heard trumpeters playing at Čačak railway station and proposed including them in an existing folk festival. The first edition took place on 14 October 1961 in the courtyard of the Church of St Michael and St Gabriel in Guča, with just four local village orchestras and around 2,500 spectators, according to the festival’s Wikipedia entry.

The first winner was Desimir Perisic (1919-1983), nicknamed ‘the Harry James of Dragačevo’. A bronze monument was dedicated to him at the village entrance in 2010. The festival grew spectacularly: in 2010, for the 50th anniversary, attendance hit 700,000 visitors with President Boris Tadic opening the event, according to CNN.

Serbia’s brass tradition dates back to the First Serbian Uprising (1804), when Karadjordje used the trumpet as a military instrument. In 1831, Prince Milos Obrenovic established the first official military brass band in Kragujevac. After the Serbo-Turkish wars, soldiers brought trumpets back to their villages, where the instrument became the heart of folk music, according to Wikipedia. Three regional schools emerged: eastern (Zaječar), southern (Vranje) and western (Užice).

Key dates in festival history

• 1961: First edition (4 orchestras, 2,500 spectators)
• 2001: Boban Markovic receives maximum marks from every jury member — a first
• 2010: 50th edition — record attendance (~700,000 visitors)
• 2020: Only cancellation in history (COVID-19)
• 2025: 64th edition — winner Dejvid Bajramovic, ~100,000 visitors/day
• 2026: 65th jubilee edition with expanded programme

From trumpet masters to international stars

The festival has hosted the biggest names in Balkan brass. The supreme title, ‘Trumpet Master’, is awarded to musicians who accumulate three wins in any category. Since 2017, at least two of the three wins must come from the jury to prevent a very young player from winning purely on popularity, according to Wikipedia.

The 4 competition prizes

• Best Orchestra (awarded by the jury)
• First Trumpet (individual distinction, by the jury)
• Folk Playing (by the jury)
• Golden Trumpet / Zlatna truba (public vote)

Fejat Sejdic (1941-2017): the king of the trumpet

A Serbian Roma trumpeter born in Bojnik, he is considered the greatest in the festival’s history. He learned entirely by ear, never reading music. He first touched a trumpet at age 3 and formed his own orchestra at 14. Nicknamed the ‘Gentleman in White’ for his signature white suit, he performed 22 times at Guča and won Best Orchestra 6 times (a record), according to Wikipedia. He played for Tito, de Gaulle, Elizabeth II and celebrities including Orson Welles and Ayrton Senna.

Boban Markovic (b. 1964)

A Roma trumpeter from Vladičin Han, he won the First Trumpet in 2001 with maximum marks from every jury member — a first in the festival’s history. Elected Ambassador of the Festival in 2006, he is recognised as one of the world’s 50 best instrumentalists by British magazine Song List. His orchestra performed the music for Emir Kusturica’s films, according to All About Jazz.

Trumpet Masters (historical top 5)

• Fejat Sejdic: 32 points, ‘Master of Guča forever’
• Milovan Babic: 28 points, record 11 total wins (1972-2003)
• Slobodan Salijevic: 27 points
• Bakija Bakic (1923-1989): 25 points
• Raka Kostic (1927-1994): 24 points