A New Installation of the Theatre Pop-Up Museum Dedicated to the History of DramaDrama — 22. March 2026.
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is marking its 165th season, and on this occasion, a new installation of the Theatre Pop-Up Museum will be ceremonially opened on World Theatre Day, 27 March 2026 at 11 am, in the theatre atrium. The installation focuses on the individuals who have shaped the history of Drama at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
This anniversary recalls the beginnings of institutional theatre life in Zagreb. The theatrical tradition of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb began with Drama, when the first professional performances in the Croatian language were staged in 1860, marking the start of the continuous development of the national theatre that continues to this day. On the occasion of this important anniversary, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb presents a new exhibition installation of the Theatre Pop-Up Museum, offering an engaging and accessible insight into the history of Drama, as well as into the many artists and theatre professionals who have shaped its identity over time.
At the centre of the exhibition are 165 portraits of artists—actors, directors, dramaturges, set designers, costume designers, writers and theatre professionals—whose work has marked the development of Drama at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and Croatian theatre as a whole. Installed around the auditorium, the portraits symbolically represent 165 seasons of theatre life, as well as the generations of artists who have built the artistic reputation of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. The second part of the exhibition is presented at the Zagreb City Museum, offering an overview of the theatre’s activity during its time on the Upper Town.
The exhibition concept is authored by Snježana Banović, PhD, and the project has been realised in collaboration between the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and the Zagreb City Museum—two institutions jointly committed to promoting and preserving the city’s theatrical and cultural heritage—with the support of the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography.
At the opening ceremony, addresses will be given by the General Manager and Artistic Director of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Iva Hraste Sočo, PhD; the exhibition’s author, Snježana Banović, PhD; Senior Curator of the Zagreb City Museum and Head of the Theatre Collection, Marina Perica Krapljanov; and actress, theatre director and pedagogue Neva Rošić.
The exhibition will remain open until the end of the 2025/2026 theatre season. Visitors will be able to view it half an hour before performances and during intervals at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (free admission), as well as during regular opening hours at the Zagreb City Museum.
