Pljevlja has been preserving the spirit of tambura for two decades.

Last night, the jubilee, 20th edition of the Tambura Music Festival "Pljevlja 2026 - The Heart and Soul of the Old Bazaar" concluded in Pljevlja, an event that, over the course of three August days, once again confirmed that this city rightfully bears the title of the Tambura capital of Montenegro.

The central evening was held on August 15th at the Pljevlja Cultural Center, and the program "Great Tamburitza Symphony of Pljevlja" brought together a large tamburitza orchestra and numerous performers who marked two decades of the festival.

The audience was treated to a performance by Mirko Rondović, Omer Talović, Esad Memić, Milica Lukić, Eldin Šabanović, Nino Veličkovski, Nina Strugar, Ama Sokić, Adnan Hrastovina, Zdravko Đuranović, Ringo Hamidović, Šukrija Žuti Serhatlić and Danijela Jelić Šipovac, who arrived at the festival from Canada. Dragiša Čolić, Andrijana Božović, Mustafa Šantić, founder of the band "Mostar Sevdah Reunion", and Blanka Došen from Croatia also performed. The special guest was Cakan Ozgur from Ankara, while opera singer Olivera Tičević from Bijelo Polje also performed for the audience.

Mirko Rondović, an artist originally from Pljevlja, received a special ovation. His appearance on stage caused a strong reaction from the audience, who accompanied the well-known melodies with long applause. A special emotion was felt in the hall of the Cultural Center - the encounter of the artist with the city from which Rondović originates gave the finale of the festival additional weight and warmth. Even at the age of 81, Rondović showed that time has not diminished the strength of his voice and the emotion with which he sings.

The audience also applauded the other performers, and the final concert took place in an atmosphere of communal singing, tamburitza melodies, and reminiscences of the songs that have marked the festival over the past two decades.

The second festival evening, held on August 14th at Milet Bašta, featured performances by the Women's Tambura Ensemble "La Banda" from Novi Sad and tambura players from Pljevlja. The combination of local tambura tradition and more contemporary arrangements by guests from Novi Sad attracted the audience, who enjoyed the diverse repertoire and the open-air atmosphere.

The festival began on August 13th, with a screening of the film "Stop the Danube and the Old Clocks" by the World Tamburitza Association from Novi Sad on the city promenade. The festival was opened by Dragana Vuković, who, on behalf of the event's Council, reminded that two decades of the festival are not just an anniversary, but also 20 years of music, memories, friendships and encounters.

Over the course of two decades, the Tamburitza Music Festival in Pljevlja has brought together more than a thousand tamburitza players from 14 European countries, and numerous well-known names from the regional music scene have performed on the festival stage, including Zvonko Bogdan, Merima Njegomir, Garavi Sokak, Zoran Kalezić, "Legende", Šukrija Žuti Serhatlić, Zdravko Đuranović and Blanka Došen.

The leader of the City Tambura Orchestra and co-organizer of the festival, Emir Prekić, said that the anniversary edition justified all expectations and once again confirmed that Pljevlja rightfully bears the flattering title of the tambura capital of Montenegro.

"During the three festival days, from the screening of a film about the tambura on King Petra Street, through the superb atmosphere in Milet Bašta, to the ceremonial closing concert at the Cultural Center, Pljevlja was the center of the region when it came to preserving the tambura tradition and musical heritage," said Prekić.

He emphasized that the two decades of the festival represent a confirmation of dedication and love for tamburitza music, thanking the performers, guests from the region, and the Pljevlja audience, who, as he said, filled every festival evening with their energy.

"We continue to cherish the tradition and eagerly await new editions," said Prekić.