The first evening of Rab Film Festival 2026, on Saturday 22 August, will end with a concert by Elvis Stanić AIRes Collective at Trg slobode – the Rab square known as Pjaceta, which becomes the festival square during RAFF.
The concert is part of the RAFF Beat programme and will take place after the opening ceremony and the opening film at the Open-Air Cinema. It is expected to begin around 22:30, after the film ends, and entrance to Pjaceta will be free.
RAFF is a festival of investigative film, but music has been part of its rhythm since the very beginning. It extends the festival day, creates space for encounters and brings together the audience, guests and Rab. During the festival, Pjaceta is not just a town square, but a place where the film programme continues through conversation, gathering and music.
Elvis Stanić and AIRes Collective
Elvis Stanić is one of the most prominent figures on the Croatian jazz scene. A guitarist, accordionist, composer, arranger and producer, he has received 33 Porin Awards and numerous other recognitions for his musical work. In 2026, he also received the Croatian Musicians Union’s Status Award in the jazz category for accordion — an instrument that holds a special place in his new project.
AIRes Collective marks a new chapter in Stanić’s authorial work. The project brings together his recognisable jazz language with accordion, tango, samba, bossa nova and a Mediterranean sensibility. In this elegant and open musical fusion, Paris, Buenos Aires, Brazil and the Mediterranean meet through different rhythms, cities and emotions, all connected by the signature of a musician who has been pushing the boundaries of the Croatian jazz scene for decades.
Alongside Elvis Stanić, AIRes Collective features Goran Rukavina on bass, Leon Brenko on piano and Žiga Kožar on drums. These are musicians of rich experience and expressive interpretation, able to turn different genres into a dynamic, refined and emotional concert experience.
In 2026, Elvis Stanić AIRes Collective released the new album 2 for Tango, the first album after a four-year recording break. The album includes nine new original compositions, enriched by the sound of the United Strings Quartet and vocalist Alba Nacinovich, and was released by Croatia Records. Following the album release, the project began its concert promotion in concert halls and clubs.
At RAFF 2026, this project arrives at Pjaceta — a place that during the festival becomes an open stage, a festival square and a meeting point. After the opening ceremony and the opening film, the Elvis Stanić AIRes Collective concert will turn the first festival evening into a musical journey through jazz, tango, samba, accordion and a Mediterranean night.
The first evening of RAFF begins at the Open-Air Cinema and continues at Pjaceta – where film, music, audience and Rab become part of the same festival rhythm.
Concert in Brief
Who: Elvis Stanić AIRes Collective
When: Saturday, 22 August 2026, around 22:30
Where: Trg slobode / Pjaceta, Rab
Programme: RAFF Beat
Entrance: Free
Artist’s official website: https://www.elvis-stanic.hr/
Video: https://youtu.be/j2IJUEjKB8k
