Bosnian star Fuad Backović Deen will perform exclusively at the Kvirhana Festival on June 20. Admission to all festival events is free of charge.

The sixth edition of Kvirhana, the festival of queer (LGBTIQ) art and activism, will be held under the slogan “Despite Everything” from June 17 to 20, 2026, in Sarajevo. Over four days, the festival will bring together artists, activists, members of the LGBTIQ community, and allies from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region through a rich program of art, discussion, entertainment, solidarity, and resistance.

This year’s theme, “Resistance and Struggle,” is rooted in the experiences of LGBTIQ+ people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region—within a social context where queer lives have long been pushed to the margins, but never erased. Kvirhana serves as a reminder that queer people have always been here, that they continue to endure, and that they keep building community despite pressure, violence, and attempts at marginalization.

At a time when narratives challenging gender equality, feminism, and human rights are gaining strength, Kvirhana affirms community as a space of knowledge, resilience, and collective care. Through artistic, discursive, and community-based programs, the festival connects past experiences, contemporary challenges, and future perspectives, creating opportunities for encounter, dialogue, and collective reflection on a more just society.

The festival will officially open on June 17 at the Goethe-Institut with a screening of the award-winning film Transition followed by a conversation with its director, Jordan Bryon. The opening evening will continue with the theatre performance Svemajkino by Magični Teatar. In the days that follow, audiences can expect discussions on visibility, coming out, and intergenerational dialogue within the LGBTIQ community; performances and conversations on trans experiences and healthcare; the film program “Queer Cinema for Palestine”; and evening events featuring DJ sets, drag performances, and live music.

The festival’s final day will feature participatory workshops, conversations about living with HIV, activism, and safe spaces, as well as discussions on the importance of legal victories for the LGBTIQ community and society as a whole. Kvirhana will conclude with a music program at Dom mladih Skenderija, featuring performances by Deen, Jovanka Broztitutka, #ŽeneBiH with a DJ/VJ set, and 12 drag kings from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While Kvirhana is primarily a safe and celebratory space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, the festival is also open to everyone who supports the LGBTIQ community or wishes to question established norms related to sex, gender, and sexuality. Admission to the festival is free of charge (registration is required for certain parts of the program).

The festival will take place at several venues across Sarajevo, including the Goethe-Institut, Sarajevo War Theatre (SARTR), Social Cultural Centre (DKC), and Dom mladih Skenderija.

More information about the program and festival activities is available at kvirhana.ba and on Kvirhana Festival’s social media channels: Instagram and Facebook.