Leskovac Grill Festival

The Leskovac Grill Festival, or Roštiljijada, is a five-day annual barbecue festival held in early September in Leskovac, Serbia. Famous for its grilled meats, bustling temporary restaurants, and vibrant concerts, it draws visitors from across Serbia and neighboring countries.

• Held annually in early September in Leskovac, Serbia
• Features around 200 grill stands and temporary restaurants
• Hosts a competition for the world's biggest pljeskavica
• Includes concerts and a carnival inspired by Oktoberfest
• Attracts visitors from Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece, and Romania

What it is

The Leskovac Grill Festival, known locally as Roštiljijada, is a vibrant celebration of Serbia’s rich barbecue tradition. For five days each year, the heart of Leskovac transforms into a bustling hub of grill stands, music, and festivities. The event is a source of pride for locals, showcasing their renowned skills in preparing pljeskavica and other grilled specialties. It is a time when the community comes together to share food, music, and hospitality with guests from near and far, making it one of Serbia’s most beloved gatherings.

Where it comes from

Roštiljijada has been held annually in Leskovac since 1989, growing from a local celebration into a major event that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Inspired in part by the festive spirit of Oktoberfest in Munich, the festival was created to highlight Leskovac’s reputation for exceptional grilled meats. Over the years, it has become a symbol of the city’s culinary heritage and a key event in Serbia’s cultural calendar.

How it is celebrated

During the festival, Leskovac’s main street is closed to traffic and lined with around 200 grill stands, each offering a variety of barbecued meats. Temporary open-air restaurants spring up, inviting visitors to sample local favorites such as pljeskavica, sausages, and kebabs. The atmosphere is lively, with music concerts and a carnival adding to the festive mood. One of the highlights is the competition to create the world’s biggest pljeskavica, a tradition that has set world records and draws crowds eager to witness the spectacle. The festival is as much about socializing and enjoying the city’s hospitality as it is about the food itself.

Joining in

If you visit Leskovac during Roštiljijada, expect a lively street scene filled with the aromas of grilling meat and the sounds of music. The main celebrations take place along the city’s central thoroughfare, where you can wander from stand to stand sampling different specialties. Concerts and carnival events add to the festive spirit, making it easy for newcomers to join in. Whether you come for the food, the music, or the atmosphere, you’ll find a warm welcome and a true taste of Serbian culture.

Sources and attribution

This page is Mela's own summary, written in new words. Its facts are drawn from the Wikipedia article Roštiljijada, whose text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Each photo is credited to its author beside it. For the full account, read the originals below.

Read more

• Roštiljijada on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data

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