What's on in Split, Croatia through the year

Busy — Winter (Christmas) holidays in Croatia, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Bura season (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Bura season (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Spring (Easter) holidays in Croatia, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Bura season (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Spring (Easter) holidays in Croatia, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Busy — Cruise season, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Cruise season

  1 May – 15 OctCrowded

  Ships berth a few hundred metres from Diocletian's palace, so the cellars and the Peristyle absorb the whole of a ship's day trip. The old town is a different place before nine.

Peak crowds — Cruise season, Summer holidays in Croatia

• Opening

  Summer island timetable

  1 Jun – 30 SepSummer season opensBook early

  Jadrolinija and the catamaran operators run their full schedule to Brac, Hvar and Vis only in summer; out of season it drops to a couple of sailings a day. Cars need booking well ahead in August. Source ↗

• Season

  Sea warm enough to swim

  15 Jun – 10 Oct · usually

  Bacvice, the shallow city beach where they play picigin, warms first and is swimmable straight off the promenade. The Marjan coves on the far side stay colder and quieter.

Still on: Cruise season (1 May – 15 Oct)

Peak crowds — Cruise season, Ultra Europe

• Festival

  Ultra Europe

  10–12 JulMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Tens of thousands of ticket holders at the Park Mladezi stadium, then a week of boat parties spilling onto Brac and Vis. Rooms across the city triple and the old town does not sleep. Source ↗

• Festival

  Split Summer Festival

  14 Jul – 14 AugMajor festival

  A month of opera, drama and ballet staged in the palace itself, with the Peristyle as the main auditorium. Tickets are modest and the acoustics were not designed for it, which is half the appeal. Source ↗

Still on: Cruise season (1 May – 15 Oct), Summer island timetable (1 Jun – 30 Sep), Sea warm enough to swim (15 Jun – 10 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Cruise season, Summer holidays in Croatia

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Cruise season (1 May – 15 Oct), Summer island timetable (1 Jun – 30 Sep), Sea warm enough to swim (15 Jun – 10 Oct (usually)), Split Summer Festival (14 Jul – 14 Aug)

Busy — Cruise season, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Cruise season (1 May – 15 Oct), Summer island timetable (1 Jun – 30 Sep), Sea warm enough to swim (15 Jun – 10 Oct (usually))

Busy — Cruise season, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Cruise season (1 May – 15 Oct), Sea warm enough to swim (15 Jun – 10 Oct (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Season

  Bura season

  15 Nov – 15 Mar · usuallyWind seasonClosuresRisk

  The dry northeasterly comes off the Dinarics in gales that shut the catamarans and sometimes the coast road. It clears the air completely, which is why winter photographs of the islands look like that.

Busy — Winter (Christmas) holidays in Croatia, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Bura season (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))