- by croatiaweek
- September 8, 2026
- in
(Screenshot/Croatia Airlines)
8 September 2026 – More than 100 Croatian tambura musicians turned an ordinary Croatia Airlines flight into an impromptu musical celebration after the pilot welcomed them over the aircraft’s public-address system.
Members of the Hrvatska Tamburaška Rapsodija orchestra were travelling to Brussels for a performance at the European Parliament.
The group includes more than 100 tambura players from Slavonia.
The pilot made a special announcement welcoming the musicians aboard the flight.
He told passengers that the orchestra would be performing in the European Parliament and described their visit as an opportunity to present Croatian musical and cultural heritage in the heart of Europe.
The announcement was met with applause from passengers.
The musicians then responded with a traditional bećarac, a form of folk singing closely associated with Slavonia and eastern Croatia.
The unexpected performance created a celebratory atmosphere inside the aircraft and quickly attracted attention online.
The trip has a wider cultural significance beyond the unusual moment on the flight.
Tambura music is strongly associated with Croatian cultural identity, particularly in Slavonia, where tambura orchestras have long played an important role in festivals, celebrations and community life.
The performance in Brussels provides the group with an opportunity to introduce that tradition to a wider international audience.
The orchestra’s large size makes it particularly distinctive, with more than 100 musicians travelling together for the event.
The episode aboard the aircraft offered an informal introduction to the group before it even reached its destination.
Rather than a planned concert, the short performance happened spontaneously following the pilot’s greeting.