Guča trumpet festival

Guča Trumpet Festival
The Guča trumpeter statue
Location(s)	Guča, Serbia
Years active	1961–present
Website
saborguca.info

The Guča Trumpet Festival (Serbian: Фестивал трубача у Гучи/Festival trubača u Guči), also known as the Dragačevski Sabor (Serbian: Драгачевски сабор or Dragačevo Fair (Fete, Gathering or Assembly), pronounced [draɡǎːtʃeʋskiː sǎːbor]), is an annual brass band festival held in the town of Guča, near the city of Čačak, in the Dragačevo region of western Serbia. Guča is a three-hour bus ride from Belgrade.

600,000 visitors make their way to the town of 2,000 inhabitants every year, both from Serbia and abroad. Elimination heats are held earlier in the year and only a few dozen bands qualify to compete. Guča's official festival has three parts, Friday's opening concert, Saturday night's celebrations and Sunday's competition. The Friday's concerts are held at the entrance to the official Guča Festival building. This event features previous winners, each band getting to play three tunes while folk dancers, all kitted out in bright knitting patterns, dance kolos and oros in front of a hyped-up audience.

An English party site, ThisIsTheLife.com, has named Guča the best festival in the world.

Said Miles Davis, a Guča Festival visitor:

In 2010 the organizers issued invitations to Russia and U.S., Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, to attend the 50th anniversary event.

The village of Guča has gained world fame owing to its Assembly of Trumpet Players, the largest trumpet event on the planet. The love of the people of Dragačevo for music, especially for the trumpet, began in the rule of Prince Miloš Obrenović, who ordered the formation of the first military band in 1831. From then until now the trumpet has reigned here uninterrupted while woodwind instruments, in keeping with the customs, warm the soul of its population.