From 4 to 8 September, the Ulcinj Salina will once again become a meeting place for nature, culture, heritage, the local community and conversations about the future. The fifth edition of BirdSaltPeople:FEST this year is titled +5BirdSaltPeople:FEST, because alongside five days of program it also brings a special international event – Forum Solana.
The festival that connects birds, salt and people will take place in Nature Park “Ulcinj Salina”, through a program that includes workshops, concerts, films, birdwatching tours, market days, exhibitions, discussions and international exchange of experiences on the future of saltworks.
This year’s + sign is not there by chance. It represents Forum Solana, an international gathering dedicated to saltworks, their protection, restoration and future, which will bring together representatives of Mediterranean saltworks at the Ulcinj Salina.
Five days of program at the Ulcinj Salina
04 September / Friday
Opening of the laboratory for visits and concert
The festival begins with the opening of the laboratory for visits, a new space through which visitors will be able to learn about the heritage of the Ulcinj Salina, its history, work, salt, space and the people who shaped it.
The first evening of the festival also brings an ethno jazz concert in the unique setting of the Salina.
Program:
18:30 Opening of the laboratory for visits
20:00 Concert – Ethno Jazz
05 September / Saturday
Save the Ocean, Salina Cinema and Green Agenda Panel
On the second day of the festival, the program continues through a combination of art, film and environmental discussions.
The audience will have the opportunity to see the Save the Ocean exhibition, followed by Salina Cinema and the premiere of the documentary film “Years of Poisoning”, directed by Mladen Ivanović, with Aleksandar Dragičević as the main protagonist.
After the screening, the Green Agenda Panel will be held, dedicated to issues of space protection, sustainability and the future of the natural values that bring us together.
Program:
19:00 Save the Ocean – exhibition
19:45 Salina Cinema – premiere of the documentary film “Years of Poisoning”
After the screening: Panel Green Agenda
06 September / Sunday
Workshop, Birdwatching and Market Day
The third day of the festival is dedicated to nature, creativity and the local community.
The salt soap-making workshop, led by Ela Redžepagić – Ela Magic, brings one of the first souvenirs inspired by the Ulcinj Salina. The soaps will be made from salt from the last harvest at the Salina, turning part of its heritage into a small, authentic object that carries the story of this place.
On the same day, a birdwatching tour with Reborn by Adventures will be organized, as well as Market Day at Ulcinj Salina, presenting local products, producers and the community.
Program:
16:30 Workshop – salt soap making with Ela Redžepagić – Ela Magic
17:30 Birdwatching with Reborn by Adventures
17:30 Market Day at Ulcinj Salina
07 September / Monday
Paper-making workshop, birdwatching, musical performance and the “Revitalization” exhibition
The fourth day of the festival opens with a paper-making workshop using fibres, in cooperation with Atelier Propuh. The paper will be made from fibres of an invasive plant species that grows at the Salina, turning one of the challenges of this space into material for creative work and a new form of interpretation.
The program continues with a birdwatching tour with Reborn by Adventures, a musical performance by Stefan Kostić, as well as the exhibition and presentation of master projects titled “Revitalization”.
The works of Ana Mandić-Huber, Genci Hollaj and Anđela Bubanja present the Ulcinj Salina in a new way, through contemporary ideas, spatial reflections and opportunities for a different understanding of its industrial, natural and social significance.
Program:
16:30 Workshop – paper making from fibres with Atelier Propuh
17:30 Birdwatching with Reborn by Adventures
18:30 Musical performance – Stefan Kostić
19:00 Exhibition and presentation “Revitalization”
Works by: Ana Mandić-Huber, Genci Hollaj and Anđela Bubanja
08 September / Tuesday
Forum Solana
The final day of the festival is reserved for Forum Solana, an international gathering of representatives of Mediterranean saltworks.
The forum will bring together representatives of Saline Conti Vecchi from Italy, Salina La Esperanza from Spain and Solana Pag from Croatia, with the aim of exchanging experiences on the protection, restoration, management and future of saltworks as unique spaces of natural, cultural and industrial heritage.
Forum Solana is exactly what gives meaning to this year’s + sign. That is why this is not only the fifth edition of the festival. This is +5.
Program:
10:00–17:30 Forum Solana
The Salina as a meeting place
MSJA emphasizes that the festival is not only a cultural event, but a continuation of long-term work to make the Ulcinj Salina once again an important part of the identity of Ulcinj and Montenegro.
The Salina is not protected only through decisions. It is also protected by being brought closer to people again, opened for visits, interpreted through stories, connected with the community and presented as a space of knowledge, culture, nature and shared responsibility.
Information
The festival is organized by MSJA, with the support of its partners and donors: the European Union in Montenegro, Europe House, the Municipality of Ulcinj, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Ulcinj Tourism Organization, Argos Tourist, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Eco-Fund, EuroNatur, JPMD, Montenegro Experte, L&G Design, Golbi Print, and Reborn by Adventures.
5+ BirdSaltPeople:FEST
📍Nature Park “Ulcinj Salina”
📅 04–08 September 2026
The day-by-day festival program will be available on the official profiles of MSJA and BirdSaltPeople:FEST.
See you at the Salina. +
