21 August 2019 - Bokeljska Night (noć), the traditional Kotor feast, which has the status of intangible cultural property, will be held on Saturday, August 24 at 9 pm and its start will be announced by the City Music of Kotor and Sailing Club "Lahor" sailboats. Entering the corridor, 45 ornate boats with ten towing vessels will be presented to the audience and the jury and will compete for prizes, the fund of which is €4,500.00.
The jury will be composed of Lana Bokan - sculptor and members of prof. Marina Dulović - Secretary for Culture, Social Affairs and Sport and Vladimir Jovićević - Academic painter and professor at the Academy of Arts in Florence.
Following the announcement of the most imaginative creations, the musical fireworks show will be organized by the company Mirnovec from the sea.
The program will be hosted on the main stage by Dubravka Jovanovic, poet and journalist at Skala Radio, while RTCG will provide live coverage on the first state television program.
After the performance on the aqua stage, the festivities will continue in the squares around the Old Town, the defile of City Music will be on markets and squares.
The organizers point out they have hired local music forces this year, so that only Kotor music bands will perform in the squares, as follows:
- • Arms Square - Three Quarts and the Group
- • St. Tryphon's Market - Four Blues Drivers and Jelena Kazanegra with band
- • Museum Market – Mija and Sanja
- • Pjaca near the old prison - VIS Tetra
- • St. Nicholas Market - Acoustic Therapy and
- • Škaljari Market - Incanto Klapa and band Skuribanda
In cooperation with the Tourist Organization and the Maritime Museum of Montenegro Kotor, on the ramparts near the City Square, an exhibition of colorized photographs of the Bokeljska noć from 1959 has been organized, when Marshal Tito attended it.
Above the main city gates, next to the Bokeljska Night banner, there is a banner featuring the character and lyrics of Maya Perfiljeva and her poem "Bokeljska noć", which is the unofficial anthem of this biggest sea feast in Boka.
On the day of Bokeljska Night, the city's main waterfront parking will not be operational.
With tens of thousands of visitors expected, the organizers are urging drivers to park their vehicles by 8 pm to reduce the crowds.
Attention was also drawn to the speed limit in the aquatorium, as a uniformed vessel would penalize all malpractice drivers who could damage the decorated parade boats.
Firework pontoons will be stationed at the bay - between the hospital and the waterfront, so vessels will be alerted not to approach them for their safety.
The organizer of the Bokeljska Night is the Public Institution Cultural Centre "Nikola Đurković" Kotor, co-organizer the Local Tourist Organization, sponsor the Municipality of Kotor.
General sponsor is Luka Kotor, and the partner is Public Communal Enterprise Kotor. Bokeljska Night has been supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Montenegro.
