Varaždin Media Fest, an international multimedia journalism festival, takes place on 9 and 10 October 2026 at the Varaždin City Museum – Herzer Palace, Franjevački trg 10. Entry to all events is free.
Through analyses, discussions and documentary films, journalists, editors, researchers and media experts from the region and across Europe will address five topics:
- How free (or not) are the media, and how can they be freed?
- What do we (not) know about media audiences?
- Is artificial intelligence a journalist’s ally or enemy?
- Stop the harassment of women in the media
- The ethics of war reporting: does war journalism still exist?
The festival’s professional programme is held in English. As a gift to Varaždin, the festival also brings stand-up and performance in Croatian, plus a rock night.
The festival is organised by the Investigative Journalism Center (IJC), with the support of the City of Varaždin and the Varaždin Tourist Board. Partners are SEENPM, MDI and SEEMO, and media partners are 24sata and Varaždinske vijesti.