Kostoski festival Ohrid

Kostoski festival Ohrid (also known as Kostoski – Međunarodni Festival or Kostoski International Festival) is an international review festival of folklore, majorettes, orchestras, choirs and modern dance held annually in Ohrid, North Macedonia. According to the Croatian Wikipedia entry, the festival has been held since 2019 and takes place in several terms during spring, summer and autumn. It is organized by Kostoski Tourist Bureau Ohrid, a travel and event agency based in Ohrid. The festival is a multi-disciplinary performing arts event. Its programme features cultural-artistic societies, majorette groups, singing choirs, orchestras, modern dance ensembles and various other groups. The official website of the organizer lists international dance festivals, international folklore festivals, international majorette festivals, international choir festivals, international orchestra festivals, modern dance festivals and brass band festivals among its activities in Ohrid. This makes the festival a platform for amateur and semi-professional ensembles from North Macedonia and abroad to perform in the historic lakeside city of Ohrid. The festival is closely tied to the Kostoski Tourist Bureau, which was registered as "KOSTOSKI 2018" with headquarters in Ohrid. The bureau provides accommodation services, tour guiding in Ohrid, Skopje, Bitola and Struga, and organizes Macedonian evenings with traditional food and folklore performances for tourists. Its owner, Gjoko Kostoski, is described as a Master in Law, tourist guide speaking Macedonian, Serbian and English, and a musician with many years of experience in tourism and in organizing festivals in Ohrid with thousands of participants from around the world. The festival operates as a private commercial and cultural-tourism brand rather than a state institution. It is not listed on a stock exchange and is owned by Gjoko Kostoski through the Kostoski Tourist Bureau. Its main market is Ohrid and the wider North Macedonia tourism sector, with participants drawn from multiple countries. The event contributes to the cultural calendar of Ohrid, a UNESCO World Heritage city known for its lake and historic churches, and it supports the local hospitality industry by bringing ensembles and their accompanying travellers to the city. As of the available evidence, the festival remains active and continues to be promoted through the organizer's website at kostoski.mk/festivals. The Croatian Wikipedia article provides a concise overview of its scope and annual rhythm, while the official website supplies the detailed list of festival categories and the organizer's tourism services.

The Kostoski festival Ohrid is a relatively recent cultural initiative. According to the Croatian Wikipedia article "Kostoski – Međunarodni Festival", the festival has been held since 2019. It is described as an international review festival of folklore, majorettes, orchestras, choirs and modern dance, taking place every year in Ohrid in several terms during spring, summer and autumn. The festival is organized by Kostoski Tourist Bureau Ohrid. The organizer, Kostoski Tourist Bureau, is presented on its official website as "KOSTOSKI 2018", a tourist bureau headquartered in Ohrid. The bureau's stated aim is to provide a pleasant stay for guests in Ohrid and in other cities of the Republic of Macedonia, offering accommodation mediation, guided tours of cultural and historical monuments, and the organization of international folklore festivals in Ohrid. Its owner is Gjoko Kostoski, described as a Master in Law, a tourist guide speaking Macedonian, Serbian and English, and a musician with many years of experience in tourism and in organizing various festivals in Ohrid with thousands of participants from around the world. The festival's programme is broad. The Croatian Wikipedia entry states that cultural-artistic societies, majorettes, singing choirs, orchestras, modern dance ensembles and various other groups perform at the festival. The official website similarly lists international dance festivals, international folklore festivals, international majorette festivals, international choir festivals, international orchestra festivals, modern dance festivals and brass band festivals among the events it organizes in Ohrid. This multi-genre approach distinguishes it from single-discipline folklore festivals and allows it to host a wide range of amateur and semi-professional ensembles. Because the festival is run by a private tourist bureau rather than a public cultural institution, its history is intertwined with the bureau's tourism services. The bureau offers accommodation in 3-star and 4-star hotels, apartments and villas, tourist guiding in Ohrid, Skopje, Bitola and Struga, and Macedonian evenings with traditional food and folklore dance performances for tourists. The festival thus functions both as a cultural event and as a component of a broader inbound tourism product for North Macedonia. No major scandals, ownership changes or structural transformations are documented in the available evidence. The festival appears to have continued annually since 2019, with its official website serving as the main promotional channel. The Croatian Wikipedia article provides external links to the official pages, confirming the website as the primary source of current information.

• 2019

  The Kostoski International Festival is first held in Ohrid, according to Croatian Wikipedia.

• 2018

  Kostoski Tourist Bureau is presented as "KOSTOSKI 2018", headquartered in Ohrid.

A private, multi-genre international performing arts festival in Ohrid, North Macedonia, organized by Kostoski Tourist Bureau and aimed at folklore, majorette, choir, orchestra and modern dance ensembles from around the world.

• International folklore festival

  A festival category for cultural-artistic societies and folklore ensembles performing in Ohrid.

• International majorette festival

  A festival category for majorette groups.

• International choir festival

  A festival category for singing choirs.

• International orchestra and brass band festival

  A festival category for orchestras and brass bands.

• Modern dance festival

  A festival category for modern dance ensembles.

1. 1KOSTOSKI-Ohrid Folklore FESTIVAL (Choir,Band,Majorettes)Macedoniakostoski.mk
2. 2About Us - Kostoski tourist bureau Ohrid Macedoniakostoski.mk
3. 3Kostoski – Međunarodni Festivalhr.wikipedia.org
4. 4Kostoski festival Ohridwikidata.org