December 31, 2018 - The fourth and final video from Gong.hr's satirical look at Madvent in Zagreb, taking a closer look behind the scenes of Europe's best Christmas market.

It has been another record year for Advent in Zagreb, up 12% on last year, and the December boost for tourism in Croatia is more than welcome. 

But is everything as shiny as it seems? Renowned satirists Borna Sor and Domagoj Zovak teamed up with Gong.hr to produce their own Advent calendar. They called in Madvent in Zagreb, and each Sunday they took a look at a different issue regarding the popular Christmas market. 

A look at some of the issues which do not make the tourist brochures were presented with typical humour and biting satire. You can check out the various videos below, and they are presented in reverse chronological order.

The final video, which was published on December 30, looks at the cost of some of the vanity projects of the Mayor of Zagreb, and where the money could have been better spent. 

Such a huge event brings its own waste management issues. Taking a closer look at Zagreb's waste mountain, the fastest-growing in Croatia (from December 23). 

There are plenty of shiny Christmas lights illuminating the Croatian capital during this season of festive cheer. But who is providing them, and at what cost (from December 16)? 

The Madvent in Zagreb series kicked off on December 9 with the first video looking at the economics behind the lucrative Christmas stalls, which provide the backbone of the Advent offer. Who got the stands, what was the process, and how did the official pricing compare to what the end user was charged in the end?

To learn more about Advent in Zagreb, visit the official website. 

To follow events in the capital, check out our dedicated Total Zagreb portal.

December 16, 2018 - Madvent in Zagreb. Taking a closer look at Europe's most popular Christmas market. This week, Borna and Domagoj take a look at the Christmas lights.

Advent in Zagreb is in full swing, and so too is the satire of the stories they don't tell the tourists. 

Last week, Newsbar legends Borna Sor and Domagoj Zovak teamed up with Gong.hr to bring an Advent Sunday series with a difference. Madvent in Zagreb takes a look at some of the issues surrounding the event which are not often discussed. Here is the first episode last week, which was focused on the alleged wide margin between the price the popular stalls are being charged by the city, and the amount that vendors are forced to pay to get one.

This week's episode concerns the plentiful Christmas lights, and do look out for the cameo role of Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric right at the end. 

In many ways, the story of the Christmas lights at Advent in Zagreb tells the tale of the modern Croatia. 

Many years ago, one young Nikola Tesla offered to build an electricity grid for Zagreb, according to the video below, but his suggestions was waved away.

Just one genius from Lika, who ended up moving to the United States and global stardom. 

But if the chance to light up the city is offered by a company whose contracts are allegedly declared illegal, what better way to proceed than to renew the contract, year after year. 

Who cares about the cost? 

It is Christmas after all. 

There are two more videos in the series, which will appear on the next two Sundays - a perfect Advent gift. 

Borna Sor, of course, is a TCN contributor and runs our podcast, which will be bursting into life in the new year once more. You can follow his TCN writing here.