It’s time for us – queer, vibrant, strong and important — Smoqua time of the year is here! 😊
LORI cordially invites you to the ninth edition of the international festival of queer and feminist culture Smoqua, which will take place from October 9 to 11, 2025. at vibrant locations across Rijeka.
What to expect?
→ more than 80 artists, activists, collectives, and organisations from 12+ countries,
→ 22 events: workshops, exhibitions, performances, plays, quizzes, games, Queer‑UP! Party, …,
→ 9 queer hotspots in the centre of City That Flows!
→ Care&Safety Team: makes sure all guests, volunteers, and audience members feel safe, welcome, and cared for throughout the festival.
This year’s theme is Togetherness, focusing on queer joy and care for ourselves and others in times of crisis, uncertainty, and increasing attacks on human rights. We celebrate queer and feminist culture, our achievements and struggles, and the strength of community..
In 2025 LORI celebrates 25 years of existence,and our wish is to celebrate this big anniversary at Smoqua with all dear people who support our work and values we stand for, and with our community, for whom and with whom we do all of this. We could not have survived without you! ❤️ Some symbolic gifts of care are already prepared! 😉
Here is the queer schedule ↓↓
THURSDAY, October 9th
14.30 - 15.15 Get Involved: Youth for Youth(1)
How youth can create positive changes in their environment? Hang your ideas for taking action in the community on our Youth Tiramol and you can hear about ways queer youth in Rijeka and Pula organise. Amina Imamović from Sarajevo Open Centre will tell us how queer youth in BIH connect and empower.
Palach, Kružna 8
15.00 – 16.00 Workshop: Keep Calm and Fundraise!
A must-attend for activists, civil society organisations & organisers! Experts from the European Centre for Digital Action in Brussels share insights on how to grow organisational resilience and engage supporters through small donor fundraising program.
Gallery SKC, Kružna 8
15.00 – 17.00 Queer Mystery, Alex Katunar(1)
In a lively, campy mystery game you become a queer detective, roaming the festival, interrogating suspects and piecing together clues. Solve the case and claim your prize!
Start: Palach, Kružna 8
17.30 – 18.45 Panel: LGBTIQ+ Inclusivity in the Workplace
Representatives of public institutions, civil society organisations and employers will talk about inclusive policies and their approach to employees. IKEA, Decathlon, University of Rijeka speak up how they create an inclusive environment for the whole society.
Srce, VBZ bookstore, Korzo 9
19.00 – 19.30 Exhibition Opening: 24 BACI (24 KISSES)
What does it mean to love openly, authentically and without fear?
Through a series of portraits of LGBTIQ+ couples in intimate moments of a kiss, author Matthias Dürr explores the beauty and vulnerability of these encounters, as well as their deep social and political significance — inviting reflection on universal love, identity, and freedom. The exhibition is open until October 17, 2025.
O.K. Gallery, Krešimirova 26
20.30 – 21.30 Show: Infinite Archive #1Unstoppable
Vibrant documentary performance and installation born from a three-month Croatian-Argentinian artistic exploration, based on real-life stories from the LGBTIQ+ community. Four artists open up their personal worlds in a multidisciplinary experience combining photography, performance, music, acting, drag, and video — engaging all our senses. Director Gonzalo Quintana explores new, contemporary forms of representation with the production by Association Domino. Donations will be collected at the entrance.
Palach, Kružna 8
21.30 – 22.00 What Infinite Archive Means (to Me)?: Q&A
Director Gonzalo Quintana and the cast will share how the research on the lives of queer people in Croatia and Argentina was transformed into a performance.
Palach, Kružna 8
FRIDAY, October 10th
13.00 – 14.00 Workshop: Your DRAG-est Self with Drag Kokošinjac
Through sharing our queer experiences and connecting with each other, we empower each other, practise self‑expression and enjoy nurturing ourselves.
Palach, Kružna 8
14.00 – 15.00 Workshop: Let Our Voices Be Heard!
A participatory vocal workshop with Le Zbor, designed for women and non-binary people, focuses on personal empowerment through singing and a shared musical experience. It is based on the belief that the voice is one of the fundamental tools of expression and connection, and that singing in a group nurtures a sense of belonging, safety, and mutual support.
Gallery SKC, Kružna 8
16.00 Exhibition opening: Lili Celebrates Feminist Joy, Judith Lava
Playful and witty "Lili" – the alter-ego of the Austrian visual artist – breaks free from conventions and knows no moral, sexist, social or politically correct boundaries.
Srce, VBZ bookstore, Korzo 9
16.30 Photo Session: TOGETHERness Under the Rainbow!
Join the photo session and capture a moment of queer togetherness, joy and support with us – just say: YAY! 25 years of LORI!
In front of City Hall, Korzo 16
17.30 Festival Opening
With a toast to memories, plenty of laughter and an abundance of togetherness, we celebrate 25 remarkable years of fighting for a society of equal rights and opportunities for all.
Circolo (2nd floor), Uljarska 1
18.00 – 19.00 Talk: Lesbian* Achievements in Activism: the Power of Togetherness(2)
What motivated us, how did we come together, and what have we achieved so far? Activists from Croatia and the region share insights into the accomplishments of the lesbian* and feminist movement through personal stories, organisational work, and grassroots experiences. Speakers: Danijela Almesberger (Croatia), Emina Bošnjak (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tatjana Greif (Slovenia) and Elena Petrovska (North Macedonia). The moderator is Tina Kovačić (Croatia).
Circolo (2nd floor), Uljarska 1
19.30 – 20.30 Film premiere: 25 Years of LORI(2)
Director Noah Kraljević documents LORI through time, portraying its beginnings, first activist steps, important social changes and collaborations and, most importantly, the people and the community.
Circolo (2nd floor), Uljarska 1
20.30 - 21.00 Quiz: The Weakest Barbie(2)
Drag hens collective will teach us a thing or two about queer topics with funny questions — and besides the fun, lovely prizes may be won.
Circolo (2nd floor), Uljarska 1
SATURDAY, October, 11th
14.00 – 15.30 Radionica: „LezBA(j)KA“, Sonja Schelper
There is (queer) joy to be found at any age! Sonja, one of the founders of a brilliant lesbian* co-housing project in Hamburg, shares 20 years of lived experience—challenges, highlights, and insights into building a shared life in community. Sonja invites you to join an open exchange of ideas and approaches to aging with pride and togetherness.
Palach, Kružna 8
14.00 – 17.00 Queer Hobby Tea Party
Relaxed tea‑time hangout and chat about hobbies with Korin Hunjak, comic author and illustrator. Bring whatever you need for your hobbying and share your enthusiasm with others!
Palach or in front of Palach, Kružna 8
15.00 – 16.00 Workshop: Me* in Tropical Paradise, Fondacija CURE
With Denija&Stela we make our own body scrub and learn about self-care with feminist approach to natural skincare. Note: bring a jar.
Palach or in front of Palach, Kružna 8
15.00 – 17.00 Workshop: Resistance, Renewal and Resilience Through an Expressive Arts Lens, Jamie Marich & Irene M. Rodriguez
Artists and therapists guide us through expressive arts through mix of different art forms to connect with a flow of rest and resistance.
Palach, Kružna 8
18.00 – 19.00 Photo exhibition: Queer Moments in Lost Places, Barbara Essl(2)
An Austrian artist based in Italy brings queer bodies and identities not into centers of power, but into the abandoned, overlooked spaces of history. In empty industrial zones, the historic Emigrants Hotel, old train depots, and the once-innovative Torpedo factory, these sites become poetic stages for queer visibility. Dancers and actors engage in a silent dialogue with crumbling walls, rusted steel and suspended time — inscribing their stories against oblivion.
Circolo (2nd floor), Uljarska 1
22.00 – 3.00 Queer-UP! Party: LORI friends + DJ Luna
The evening of celebration kicks off with a few of LORI's choir friends (hint: Le Zbor etc.), and afterwards, there might be some surprise guests on stage. DJ Luna, known for her mashups and cross-genre blends, spins sets ranging from songs we all sing daily to tracks we’ve almost forgotten, fearlessly exploring different eras.
The Rock Pub (Slavka Krautzeka 12)
00.00 – 02.00 Drag show: Drag Kokošinjac
The joyful collective brings together young performers from across Croatia, and their cheeky shows bring sparkling drag full of fun, charm, and bold energy. The performance blends music, dance, fashion, comedy, circus, and vocals, showcases diverse drag styles and worldviews that challenge the norms around us.
The Rock Pub (Slavka Krautzeka 12)
↔ All festival events are free, while donations for the Queer-UP! Party and the Infinite Archive #1Unstoppable show can be given at the entrance.
Recommended donation for the performance is EUR 10.00 on the day of the show, and EUR 9.00 for the party.
ATTENTION, ATTENTION! For the performance you can get an EARLY BIRD ticket until Wednesday, October 8 with a donation of only 8.00 EUR
✨ EXTRA ATTENTION! For lovers of art and a good time, it is possible to get a “donor package” 🙂 where with a donation od 16,00 EUR dobijete ulaz i na predstavu Infinite Archive #1Unstoppable and to Queer-UP Party (!) :)))
For the EARLY BIRD ticket for the performance and/or the "donor package” , you can come to the LORI office (Janeza Trdine 7) every working day from 10:00 to 16:00, until Wednesday, October 8.
(¹) The activities are part of the project RiAct – Youth for Justice, funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.
(²) Organised in cooperation with Rijeka Italian Association // Organizzata in collaborazione con la Comunità degli Italiani di Fiume – Zajednica Talijana Rijeka
Supported by: Adria print / Austrian Cultural Forum Zagreb / Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice / Decathlon / IKEA / Palach
