Expat Serbia

Guča Trumpet Festival

Guča Trumpet Festival is the most famous Folk Festival in Serbia and in the region.

The village of Gucha in the Dragacevo district, peaceful and colorful part of western Serbia, has gained world fame owing to its Assembly of Trumpet Players, the largest trumpet event on the planet.

Today the traditionally hospitable Gucha has earned its place on the map of world music festivals, inviting high interest from ethno music lovers, and deservedly so. It's official split into three parts. Friday's opening concert, Saturday night celebrations and Sunday's competition. Friday's concerts are held at the entrance to the official Guča Festival building. This event features previous winners, each band getting to play three tunes while folk dancers, all kitted out in bright knitting patterns, dance kolos and oros in front of a hyped-up audience.

All this is more than enough to attract visitors to Gucha each Mexico, Spain, Greece, Denmark, China and many other close or distant countries. The names of Boban Markovic, Milan Mladenovic, Ekrem Sajdic, Elvis Ajdinovic, Fejat and Zoran Sejdic have carried the glory of the Serbian trumpet across the world.

"I didn't know you could play trumpet thet way" 
                    Miles Davis, a Guca Festival visitor

Guča vilage is located near the city of Čačak, in the Dragačevo region of western Serbia. Guča is a three-hour bus journey from Belgrade.

52nd Guca Trumpet Festival will be held from 6-12 August 2012 while the program could be viewed HERE. It will gather 50 brass bands from Serbia and abroad. Total of 19 bands would compete for the Golden Trumpet award in the festival's final, while 12 bands from Brazil, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Macedonia, France and two ensembles from Serbia would fight for the title of the world's best brass band. 15 junior and 4 pioneer brass bands would also compete at the festival in their own categories.

Like all previous years, entrance for 52nd trumpet Festival, for this 2012 is for free.That means that there are no tickets for this year Festival. Only entrance with cars costs 10 euro or about 1000 dinars.