Fifty years after their formation, Bijelo Dugme and Parni Valjak continue to draw audiences in the countries of the former Yugoslavia and among communities in Western Europe. The two bands marked their anniversaries with large-scale concert programs, but as of November 2026, their tours are at different stages: Bijelo Dugme’s main tour was planned for 2024–2025, while Parni Valjak temporarily halted its concerts in the autumn of 2026.
Bijelo Dugme began in Sarajevo
The band, founded in Sarajevo in 1974, named its anniversary tour “Doživjeti stotu” – a title that means “To live to be a hundred” in English. The first concert took place on May 11, 2024, at the Dom mladih venue in Sarajevo, where the band’s story began.
The initial plan called for 50 concerts over two years. Goran Bregović, Alen Islamović and Mladen Vojičić – Tifa took the stage for the anniversary performances. The program included songs from the band’s different periods, while the route passed through cities in the region, Europe and North America. Announced stops included Zagreb, Munich, Paris, Prague, Skopje, Toronto and Chicago.
The anniversary concerts brought Bijelo Dugme back to major halls and festival stages, including in Zagreb in March 2025. The program combined the band’s hard rock sound with Balkan folk motifs – a combination that made the group one of the most recognizable representatives of the Yugoslav rock scene.
Parni Valjak continues with a new vocalist
The Zagreb-based band was formed in 1975 and is marking its anniversary with the “50” tour. The series of concerts began on February 14, 2025, in Split, and that same year the band performed more than 20 concerts in the region. One of the key events was the sold-out concert at Arena Zagreb on November 29, 2025.
Following the death of frontman Aki Rahimovski in January 2022, Parni Valjak continued with Igor Drvenkar, who joined the band in 2023. Radio Television of Serbia reported that the singer had taken on the role with a great sense of responsibility and was part of the “50” anniversary program.
On May 16, 2026, Parni Valjak performed an anniversary concert at the Sava Centar in Belgrade. Venue representatives announced that the event had sold out, while Nova reported strong interest in the concert.
The continuation of the tour was subsequently changed. The band postponed its concerts in October and November 2026 after Drvenkar was scheduled to undergo vocal cord surgery. The performances scheduled for October 17 in Domžale and November 7 in Zurich have been postponed. “Igor’s health comes first,” the band said, adding that it hoped to return to the stage in December.
Meanwhile, Parni Valjak’s concert at the Sava Centar, planned for October 2026, has been moved to March 17, 2027. Thus, the anniversary tours of the two bands continue at different tempos, while retaining their common core – songs familiar to several generations of listeners.
Sources: nacional.hr, nova.rs, rts.rs