Struga once again confirmed its reputation as a world capital of poetry as the jubilee 65th edition of the Struga Poetry Evenings took place from 24 to 29 June 2026 under the theme "Where Poetry Lives".
Around 70 poets, translators, critics and literary professionals from Macedonia and abroad took part in this year's festival, including guests from Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Australia, Albania, the Netherlands and Italy. The Struga Poetry Evenings National Library also promoted 14 new book editions during the week-long programme.
The festival's highest honour, the "Golden Wreath", was awarded to Dutch poet Aneke Brassinga, while British poet Daniel Hynds received the "Bridges of Struga" award for younger poets in translation.
The opening ceremony on 24 June symbolically marked the 165th anniversary of the "Collection of Folk Works" published by the Miladinov brothers in 1861, reaffirming poetry's deep roots in the city on Lake Ohrid.