The Light is Life festival will take place on Friday, August 28. Light installations will be set up along the waterfront, while the highlight of the evening will be a performance by The Stickmen Project in front of Azimut.

Šibenik, August 11, 2026 – Šibenik’s historic city center, intertwined with narrow stone streets, looks like a true open-air museum. It is home to the impressive Cathedral of St. James, a masterpiece by Juraj Dalmatinac and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as powerful historic fortresses. In front of the city stretches the Šibenik archipelago, with dozens of islands and islets seemingly made for summer island hopping. Yet this gem of Dalmatia has another remarkable story it is particularly proud of—and it has nothing to do with the sea or stone. It is the story of electricity.

Šibenik was at the forefront of the technological revolution at the end of the 19th century

At the end of the 19th century, Šibenik found itself at the very forefront of the technological revolution of the time. Today, this historic achievement is celebrated through the Light is Life festival, which will take place this year on August 28 and is free of charge for everyone, exactly 131 years after electric light first illuminated the streets of Šibenik. To better understand why this particular date is being celebrated, we need to go back to 1895, to a time when electricity was still considered a marvel of the new age.

That year, the Krka–Šibenik power system was put into operation—the first complete alternating-current power system in Croatia and the first of its kind in the world. The Krka Hydroelectric Power Plant, later known as Jaruga I, was built below Skradinski Buk, and the electricity it generated was transmitted to Šibenik via an approximately 11-kilometer-long transmission line. The system was commissioned just three days after the hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls.

The day electric lights first illuminated the streets of Šibenik

The system was based on alternating current and technological principles associated with the work of Nikola Tesla. According to records from the time, the electric lights in Šibenik were switched on in the evening. Most of the lamps were installed in locations where petroleum lanterns had previously stood, meaning that almost all of the city’s streets were illuminated by electric light.

The Light is Life festival was launched in 2016 by Šibenik artist and creator Zoran Lučić Luca, together with the Šibenik Tourist Board. The first edition was held on the 121st anniversary of Šibenik’s electrification. The public lighting along the waterfront was switched off, underwater lights were turned on, a night regatta was held, and musicians performed on a floating stage. Since then, the festival has taken place every year, transforming different parts of the city into stages for light installations, concerts, and audiovisual performances.

The centerpiece of the program will take place in front of Azimut on August 28

The new edition of the Light is Life festival will take place on Friday, August 28, 2026. Light installations will be set up along the waterfront, while the main program will begin at 10 p.m. in front of the iconic Azimut Club. This year’s performer seems almost tailor-made for a festival dedicated to light and electricity. The Stickmen Project, a British electronic music duo known for their spectacular audiovisual performances combining DJ sets, electronic drums, and light effects, is coming to Šibenik.

The duo’s members conceal their identities beneath completely black costumes outlined with LED lights, making them look like glowing stick figures in the dark. During their performances, the music, drumbeats, and visual effects are perfectly synchronized. The Stickmen Project was founded in the United Kingdom in 2016 and gained widespread popularity through videos posted on social media. They have more than eight million followers on TikTok alone.