Tuna, Sushi & Wine Festival Returns to its

The Japanese also learned that Zadar is a city from which they receive top-quality tuna. The Zadar area is home to the three largest tuna farming companies in Croatia: Pelagos Net Farma, Jadran tuna, and Kali tuna. The headquarters of Cromaris, the largest Croatian company for farming sea bream, sea bass, and other white fish, is also located in Zadar, with its farming cages in the local waters. Marikomerc, a Zadar-based company and one of the largest distributors of fish and seafood products in Croatia, is the festival's fifth long-term partner. These companies will once again provide their top-quality products, strongly supporting the project.

The central event of this year's festival is the gala dinner at Zadar's Arsenal club in the very center of Zadar on Friday, April 11th. The evening's gastronomic story will be set by Japanese master chef Akiyuki Nasu and his culinary team. Master chef Akiyuki and his wife Ryoko own the restaurant il Gastro Sara in Okinawa, where they fuse Mediterranean ingredients into their cuisine. One special program segment of the restaurant is called "Dalmatia in Okinawa Japan." Nasu became well-acquainted with Dalmatian cuisine through long-standing private friendships with Croatian sailors, and later through numerous stays in Croatia. His restaurant offers a selection of Croatian wines, and the house wine is always a Croatian wine. Some dishes use the most famous Croatian spice, and he also offers Croatian sausages, jams, etc. The main feature of his restaurant is the fusion of Japanese and Mediterranean, i.e., Croatian cuisine. What dishes the Japanese master chef and his three cooks will prepare in Zadar remains to be seen, but the best of their Japanese-Mediterranean gastronomic fusion is expected.

The main attraction of the evening will be the Kaitai Show—a demonstration of cutting large tuna. The rest of the program in Zadar's Arsenal will be marked by Japanese guests: gospel singer Hikari Mukai, sanshin (three-stringed traditional instrument) artist Hitomi Uratani, and a show by the samurai group Katanayaichi, extremely popular in Japan and known for their roles in samurai films. Singers Hikari and Uratani will dedicate part of their performance to the legendary Croatian singer Oliver Dragojević in the "Tribute to Oliver" segment.

The Open Air part of this year's Tuna, Sushi & Wine Festival will be held over all five festival days under a large tent at Petar Zoranić Square in the morning and evening hours, featuring a wide range of gastronomic, cultural, and entertainment programs. Dishes will be prepared by renowned Croatian chefs, while popular Japanese rolls will be made in the Sushi Corner. Selected wines from the Zadar region will be served at all events. Namely, ten of the best wineries from the Zadar County have joined the event. The program at Petar Zoranić Square will run daily from 11 AM to 3 PM and in the evening from 6 PM. Evening programs will be enriched with concerts by Croatian performers such as the Husar sisters, Retrodukcija, and Scifidelity Orchestra, as well as Japanese performers.

Ticket prices for the gala dinner at Arsenal on Friday, April 11, 2025:

Tickets for the parterre zone with buffet service are available online at 35 EUR per person

Tickets for table seating during the gala dinner in the Arsenal gallery are available for 80 EUR per person through the Ilirija d.d. central sales department by sending an inquiry to reservations@ilirijabiograd.com or by calling 023 383 556