Christmas 2026 · Zagreb
Christmas church music and midnight Mass in Zagreb, 2026
In Zagreb, Christmas music belongs to the churches of the Upper Town and Kaptol: a choir under the tiled roof of St Mark’s, a chamber orchestra by candlelight, and the cathedral, open again after the earthquake of 2020. Here are the Advent and Christmas concerts and services we could confirm on the official pages on 12 November 2026.
Updated October 2026
Music in St Mark’s Church
St Mark’s, the church with the tiled roof on St Mark’s Square in the Upper Town, holds Glazba u crkvi sv. Marka, Music in St Mark’s Church, as part of Advent in Zagreb: sacred music on Sunday 13 and Sunday 20 December at 12.30pm, and at 11.59pm on Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December, to welcome Christmas at midnight.
Our advice: St Mark’s is small and the Tourist Board warns that seating is limited; arrive early, and come up by the funicular to walk the gas-lit lanes afterwards.
Advent in Zagreb: Timeless Melodies
Advent concerts in churches and halls
The Zagreb Chamber Orchestra gives Advent concerts on 29 November, the first Sunday of Advent, at 8pm in the Church of St Joseph, then on 5, 13 and 19 December at 8pm. The Ivan Filipović Chamber Choir, Zagreb Voices, sings Christmas carols and contemporary choral works on 29 November at 7pm in the Church of St John the Baptist, with further concerts on 13 December at 8pm and 29 December at 7.30pm.
The Zagreb Soloists play From Baroque to Christmas Melodies at the Zagreb City Museum on 3, 6, 10 and 13 December at 6pm. On 5 December the HNK Opera sings Advent at the Croatian National Theatre at 5.30pm, and the Festival of Advent and Christmas Carols follows at 7.30pm. On Christmas Eve at 11am, choirs sing Midday Advent Melodies.
Our advice: the Tourist Board does not print venues for every later date; check each ensemble’s venue in the week before you go.
Advent in Zagreb: calendar Advent in Zagreb: Jolly Melodies
Zagreb Cathedral, open again
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Vislupus · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsZagreb Cathedral on Kaptol was closed after the earthquake of March 2020 and reopened on Christmas Eve 2025 with a blessing at the dawn Mass. It is open every day from 8am to 7pm for visits and prayer, while restoration goes on one section at a time: in 2026 restorers painted the starry vault of the north nave to Hermann Bollé’s 19th-century designs.
The archdiocese lists Sunday and holiday Mass in the cathedral at 10am. Its Christmas 2026 times, including midnight Mass, had not been published when we checked. Our advice: check the archdiocese’s page in mid-December, and arrive well before midnight Mass.
Zagreb Archdiocese: services in the cathedral Zagreb Archdiocese: the cathedral restoration
The Nutcracker and Christmas at Lisinski
The Croatian National Theatre dances The Nutcracker on 22 and 23 December at 7.30pm, on Christmas Eve at noon, and on 29 and 30 December at 7.30pm. At the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet is staged on 12 and 13 December at 4pm and 8pm (€30–66), and the Zagreb Philharmonic gives children’s Christmas concerts on 22 and 23 December.
Our advice: several Lisinski Christmas shows were already sold out on 12 November; book now.
HNK: programme Lisinski: events
Getting a seat
Most church concerts in Advent in Zagreb have limited seating, and the Tourist Board advises checking with the organisers before you go. Churches are cold in December: dress warmly. Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, and the Tourist Information Centre on Ban Jelačić Square is closed on Christmas Day.
Our advice: combine a concert with the living Nativity scene, staged from 19 December, and the lights of Zrinjevac.
Questions and answers
Is Zagreb Cathedral open for Christmas 2026?
Yes. The cathedral reopened on Christmas Eve 2025 after the 2020 earthquake and is open daily from 8am to 7pm while restoration continues. Its Christmas 2026 Mass times, including midnight Mass, were not yet published on 12 November 2026.
Where can I hear Christmas music in a church in Zagreb?
St Mark’s Church in the Upper Town has music on 13 and 20 December at 12.30pm and at 11.59pm on Christmas Eve; the Zagreb Chamber Orchestra plays at St Joseph’s Church on 29 November, and the Ivan Filipović choir sings at St John the Baptist the same evening.
When is The Nutcracker in Zagreb at Christmas 2026?
The Croatian National Theatre dances it on 22 and 23 December at 7.30pm, 24 December at noon, and 29 and 30 December at 7.30pm; Lisinski Concert Hall stages it on 12 and 13 December.
Dates and times from the official pages (adventzagreb.hr, the Zagreb Tourist Board’s Advent calendar; zg-nadbiskupija.hr; hnk.hr; lisinski.hr), checked 12 November 2026. Check before you go.