Interetno Festival

Interetno Festival is an annual multicultural folk arts event in Subotica celebrating the diverse ethnic heritage of Vojvodina. Founded in 2002 by the Hungarian Cultural Centre (Népkör), it features live performances of traditional dance, music and theater groups from many ethnic communities in Serbia and beyond. The festival includes marketplaces of traditional handicrafts, regional cuisine stalls and workshops on folk crafts 1 2. Over the years it has grown into one of the largest cultural events in the region, where visitors can purchase handmade jewelry, wood crafts and local products, and enjoy a rich program of music and dance from folk tamburitza to modern styles 1 2. Interetno Festival operates under the auspices of UNESCO and the International Council of Folklore Festivals (CIOFF), reflecting its role in preserving intangible cultural heritage of Vojvodina 3.

Subotica is a multilingual, multiethnic city on the Pannonian Plain. The Interetno Festival was founded by the Subotica’s Hungarian cultural association to nurture the customs and folklore of all ethnic communities (Hungarian, Serbian, Croatian, Bunjevci, Slovak, Roma, etc.) in Vojvodina 1. It emphasizes community ties and cultural exchange, embodying the city’s history as a crossroads of East and West. As a folk arts festival, it showcases tamburitza music, traditional costumes (e.g., klempica skirts of Bunjevci), and communal craft-making, illustrating how folk traditions remain alive in modern Vojvodina.