Kia Ora Hrvatska: New Zealand ensemble to tour Croatia for big 1100-year celebration

Te Rōpū Manutaki (Photo: Joseph Erceg)

The Kralj Tomislav Folklore Ensemble from New Zealand is preparing for a special tour across Croatia this July, marking the 1100th anniversary of the Coronation of Kralj Tomislav and the founding of the first Croatian Kingdom.

Invited by the Croatian government, the ensemble’s Kia Ora Hrvatska 2025 tour will take place from 1 to 13 July 2025.

The programme will showcase New Zealand’s cultural diversity and Croatian heritage through an engaging 70-minute performance of music, dance, and song.

Audiences can look forward to a display of multiculturalism featuring nearly 50 performers, including dancers, singers, and musicians from the Kralj Tomislav Folklore Ensemble, The Shades, a renowned Samoan-Tongan vocal quartet, and members of Te Rōpū Manutaki, a leading Māori kapa haka group.

(Photo: Joseph Erceg)

Tour Schedule

• 3 July – Sveta Nedelja, Ante Starčević Square at 8:00pm
• 4 July – Bjelovar, Cultural Centre at 7:30pm
• 7 July – Šibenik, Barone Fortress at 9:00pm
• 8 July – Biograd na Moru, King Tomislav Square at 9:00pm
• 9 July – Tomislavgrad (BiH), in front of the Cultural Information Centre at 8:00pm
• 10 July – Split, Gajo Bulat Square, outside the Croatian National Theatre at 8:00pm
• 11 July – Skradin, Trg Mala Gospe at 8:00pm
• 12 July – Zagvozd, Actors’ Square at 9:00pm as part of the 28th Actor’s Theatre Festival

The ensemble will also be joined by guest musicians from Croatia.

(Photo: Joseph Erceg)

The collaboration brings Māori and Pasifika musical traditions into harmony with Croatian folklore, creating a performance that reflects the unique cultural landscape of New Zealand and its Croatian diaspora.

With a blend of tradition and modern multiculturalism, the Kia Ora Hrvatska 2025 tour promises to be an entertaining tribute to heritage, unity, and the strong ties between Croatia and its diaspora.