Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić opened the 55th Trumpet Festival in Guča. The minister welcomed the visitors to, as he put it, the world capital of trumpet and the Balkans’ biggest party in the open air.

In 55 years, more than 17 million visitors have come to the festival, Ljajić said.

“Guča is more than a cultural festival. It is a cultural miracle and we have to work to enhance the event,” he noted.

A total of 20 percent of the guests are from abroad, but our goal is for foreign guests to account for one third of the visitors, he added, and pointed out that the trumpet festival is a tourist, cultural and national brand of Serbia.

The attendees were addressed by the representative of the Municipality of Lučani Vesna Stambolić who wished them good entertainment.

Guča has been the “capital of trumpet” since 1961, when the festival was first held.

The organizers of the event are the Center for Culture and Sports in Guča and the local community. The festival is sponsored by the Serbian Government, the Municipality of Lučani, and numerous other sponsors.