New Year celebrations in Croatia attracting some expensive acts.
Severina at Stradun in Dubrovnik, TBF and Psihomodo Pop in Split, Prljavo Kazalište in Šibenik, Bajaga in Hvar... Dalmatians that choose to welcome the New Year on city squares will be able to see performances by these well-known musicians, paid for by the city authorities, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on November 19, 2015.
Croatian musicians are not the only ones who collect high fees for performances on New Year’s Eve in neighbouring countries. The best example is Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga – a popular musician from Serbia who will welcome the New Year in Hvar. Hvar city authorities will pay him and his group 50,000 euros to perform at the New Year’s Eve concert.
The Belgrade musician recently gathered about 6,000 visitors at Spaladium Arena in Split as part of his tour. Together with his band, he will entertain audience in Hvar where the city authorities will organize a special concert at St. Stephen’s Square. Bajaga will come to Hvar thanks to Star Produkcija agency from Zagreb, which will organize his concert which will begin after 11 pm on New Year’s Eve and during which he will perform his greatest hits. “The cost of Bajaga’s concert is 380,000 kuna. We do not see it as a cost, but as an investment”, Mayor of Hvar Rino Budrović said.
However, Hvar’s investment in the New Year's party is not the most expensive one, since the top position in Dalmatia is reserved for Dubrovnik. The organizer of traditional multi-day entertainment program is Zagreb-based "Scardona" company, whose offer was accepted by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board which will together with the City spend 500,000 kuna for New Year celebrations. The entertainment program will start on Wednesday, 30 December, with a concert on Stradun by the local groups Valetudo and DaRiva. The main star of the New Year's Eve celebrations, Severina, will host Children's New Year's Eve at noon, and in the evening she will be joined at Stradun by Silente and DJ Kameny. For residents and their guests, the Tourist Board on 1 January organizes a New Year's concert by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra at Stradun, with concerts by signing groups Šufit and Cambi in the evening.
In late July, the City of Split announced a list of musicians who will entertain the residents on the New Year’s Eve. Sara Renar, Psihomodo Pop and local band TBF will be the stars on the Riva. The Split Tourist Board, together with the City, will secure funds in the amount of 450,000 kuna for the New Year's party.
Citizens of Šibenik and their guests will enter the New Year entertained by Prljavo Kazalište. “The organization of Šibenik's New Year's Eve party will cost 322,200 kuna, which includes performers, sound, stage, fireworks and security. Much of the total cost, about 200,000 kuna, will be covered by our sponsors”, Ana Gojanović-Rakić, head of the Office of the Mayor of Šibenik, said.
On the other hand, Zadar has a completely different approach to New Year’s Eve festivities. “We do not spend a lot of money. The city authorities will not spend more than 150,000 kuna”, director of the Tourist Board Zvonko Šupe said, referring to the Zadar tradition of relying on local forces instead of expensive musicians. “We would rather hire local musicians and organize entertainment at several locations. The citizens have embraced this form of entertainment. We do not think that bringing in some famous performers would be a very smart policy”, Zvonko Šupe explained.
