Not all of us have the opportunity to travel abroad for vacations, also the pride of Macedonia-Ohrid probably will be occupied by foreign tourists. You really want to feel summer vibes. Yet, does Skopje offer something interesting? Definitely! Staying here for summer might be a good idea as well.
Or maybe you are a traveler who is thinking about Skopje as a summer destination? Take your calendar then and mark the dates of the best summer events that are going to happen in Skopje.

June
09.06-Bölzer, concert ofthe extreme metal band from Zurich, Switzerland. Their albums are critically acclaimed.So if you are a fan of heavy sounds, you should visit MKC (Youth Cultural Centre) soon.
Skopje Calling – There will be several concerts starting from the first weekend of June.All the concerts will be held in Arm Stadium, with famous DJs, legendary trip-hop andpoprock bands. It is promoted like the biggest fest in the capital, you can expect great parties under the stage.
21.06 -Axwell&Ingrosso, two Swedish DJs, former members of Swedish House Mafia. They made their debut in 2014 and since that time they headline the biggest electro and house festivals. Their most popular song is “More than you know”.
23.06- Texas,the iconic British pop rock band who sold 40 million albums within almost 30 years of existence. You can be sure that Sharleen Spiteri, together with her colleagues, will perform all the well-known hits like “Inner Smile” or “Say what you want”.
22.06–Morcheeba, classy trip-hop band coming to Skopje for the very first time. Except for older records, they’re going to present material from their latest album, released at the beginning of June. They have a reputation for doing energetic concerts, so better not to miss this gig.

23.06 – Darko Rundek, Croatian legend, singer, actor and poet will perform just before the band“Texas”.

29.06 – Alernative Skopje – festival for young bands. It takes place in MKC.

July
26.07-MKC for Skopje – cultural event, in the memory of 55 years since Skopje’s earthquake.
August/September
16- 23.08- 9th Creative Documentary Film Festival MakeDox, Kurshumli An.
Avant-garde festival about creative documentary movies. The organizers described the event as a ”stimulating environment for the exchange of experience and knowledge of documentary creation and promotion of films with cinematographic quality, offering the creative point of view of an author, both in terms of content as well as in form”. Except films screenings, you can attend workshops, live performances and enjoy the music under the night sky.

01.09- ZDRAVO MLADI, Macedonian Culture Centre (MKC) – 8th edition of the festival of the new music. It will only last a day, but full of music, joy and fun. Previous editions of the festival witnessed performance from bands like: Slowdive, King Khan and The Shrines, Lee Ranaldo&EL Rayo, Follakzoid, Moon Duo, Metz, FM Belfast, Chinawoman. If you start a new school year, it’s going be the best place for that.
Still, you can expect more and more interesting events, festivals that are just not announced yet. It is worth to follow social media of MKC for example or visit the http://www.visitskopje.mk/ website, where you will find the latest news. There are still many things to discover in Skopje so better come before it becomes a top tourist destination. Then you would be able to say “I was in Skopje before it was trendy”.
But if you are tired of the city and looking for place to escape from hot weather and crowds, just look around. Nine kilometers away from the center of Skopje, you can enjoy a totally different experience. Lower temperature, fresh air and rays of light brush your skin – welcome to Vodno, the place that help to fill your battery. Vodno, the lungs of Skopje, despite the fact that city is growing and more buildings appeared, it’s still the most popular place for inhabitants of Skopje and its visitors. You might take a tent and feel in harmony with the nature. When youreach the top, as a result, you will get breathtaking cityscape. Directly from Vodno, you might go to Canyon Matka, located on the Treska river. There you can find dozens of caves. The most popular is Vrelo, possibly the world’s deepest underwater cave. To reach this place, you canuse a kayak or a boat. Ifyou seek a spiritual experience, follow the trails and youmight find the Monastery of St. Andrew’ and The Monastery of St. Nicholas Shishovski. To give energy to your body, visit SPA with thermal mineral water in Katlanovo, just 25 km away from Skopje. After such relaxation, I’m sure you will be ready to hit the city and party all night long.

Paulina Gołębiowska