April 5, 2022 - Despite multiple cancellations and postponements in previous years due to COVID-19, 2022 promises the return of musical events in a big way. If rock music, both old and new, is your thing, here are some concerts in Croatia you won't want to miss.

After a couple of years where the latest about concerts in Croatia was bad news, such as cancellations and postponements, it seems that we have finally reached a promising year for the music scene, and especially for rock lovers in Croatia. Superbands at the Arena Pula, a festival with a luxury lineup at the Jarun, farewell tours of legendary bands, a journey through time with iconic rock bands, a mix of nostalgia and future, it seems that 2022 will bring a lot of joy for all Croatian rockers out there.

Grab your calendar and your wallet, and pay attention to these upcoming concerts in Croatia.

Franz Ferdinand (April 25th @ Dom Sportova, Zagreb)

Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand is coming to the Dom Sportova, Zagreb on Monday, April 25, 2022, on a tour that includes the greatest hits from their nearly two-decade-long career.

The Hits To The Head tour is accompanied by the release of a collection of the 20 greatest hits that the band has conquered the world, with the released new single "Billy Goodbye", and will be presented live in the spring. Franz Ferdinand is coming to one of the biggest foreign tours in Zagreb next year for his first solo performance, and they are also bringing their own equipment and production, which is why the band's first greatest hits tour will be the one to remember.

Franz Ferdinand is without a doubt one of the greatest rock bands of recent times and a music institution that has spawned some of the biggest hits in his now long career. They marked a kind of renaissance of island bands, brought euphoria to the dance floor and guitar riffs with memorable lyrics, and marked an entire generation with their music. The band has released a whole series of studio releases and timeless hits that have secured them a horde of fans around the world and without which it is hard to imagine a program on any radio station, a good party, or dancing in a club.

At the first solo meeting with Zagreb, alongside Alex Kapranos (vocals, guitar) will be longtime collaborators Bob Hardy (bass), Dino Bardot (guitar), Julian Corrie (guitar, keyboards), and new drummer Audrey Tait.

Tickets cost 200 kn until April 24, and 230 kn on the day of the concert.

Buy your tickets for Franz Ferdinand HERE.

The Smile (May 16th @ Hala, Zagreb)

The Smile, a new band featuring Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead and Tom Skinner from Sons of Kemet, opens its premiere European tour with a concert at Hala in Zagreb on May 16, 2022.

Croatia will thus become the starting point of the tour with over 30 concerts, which has already attracted a lot of attention with its first singles and performances. Their upcoming album has already been declared the ‘most anticipated release of the year’.

Yorke and Greenwood are the creative backbone of Radiohead, one of today’s most influential bands. They brought on Tom Skinner, drummer of the band Sons of Kemet, whose 2021 album “Black To The Future” was high on the Best Albums list of the year. 

The Croatian audience has long been waiting for Radiohead to play at home. However, The Smile, which critics describe as a “more relaxed and open Radiohead”, with the band calling it “Radiohead in power trio format”, gives the Croatian public a unique opportunity to experience Yorke and Greenwood live.

Tickets for this unique concert at a price of 379 kuna.

Buy your tickets for The Smile HERE.

Iron Maiden (May 22nd @ Arena Zagreb, Zagreb)

The legendary British heavy metal band will perform on Sunday, May 22nd at Arena Zagreb. Iron Maiden in Croatia was originally planned for 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic. Now, as part of their Legacy of the Beast tour, the concert will be a reality. The Legacy of the Beast tour adds to a long list of Iron Maiden tours, festivals, and concerts for over forty years. To date, the heavy metal band has toured 59 countries and played more than 2,000 concerts. The tour that will include Zagreb in 2022 has 136 confirmed dates around the world.

On December 1st, 2022, they announced on their official Facebook page that six European cities would be included. The Croatian capital of Zagreb will not only now be part of the Legacy of the Beast tour, but it will also be the first date of the English band's tour in Europe, which will feature its historic lineup: Steve Harris, on bass, guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, and drummer Nicko McBrain. Additionally, the metal band Lord of the Lost will be a special guest.

Iron Maiden, founded by Harris in 1975, also confirmed the European capitals Belgrade (Serbia), Bucharest (Romania), Kyiv (Ukraine), Sofia (Bulgaria), and Athens (Greece) within the list of cities that will be part of the tour.

Prices for the tickets are: Lodge (790 kn), Standing A (550 kn), Lower tribune 1 (450 kn), Lower tribune 2 (395 kn), Tribune upstairs (395 kn), Upper tribune (295 kn), Upper tribune 2 (270 kn), Salon (SOLD OUT), and Standing B (SOLD OUT).

Buy your tickets for Iron Maiden HERE.

Dream Theater (May 27th @ Dom Sportova, Zagreb)

Prog rock titans Dream Theater, one of the most important bands of the genre, are returning to Zagreb as part of the big Top Of The World tour, on Friday, May 27, 2022 in the Small Hall of the Sports Hall. According to many pioneers of progressive metal, Dream Theater is one of the big three bands that are responsible for the development and popularization of the genre. True virtuosos are known for their great instrumentalizations and unforgettable live performances.

In more than 30 years of career, the band has sold 15 million albums and two Grammy nominations. Their “Images & Words” Rolling Stone listed the 100 best metal albums of all time. Readers voted “Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory ”as the best prog-rock album of all time, and Classic Rock magazine ranked it among the best conceptual. The band is on the Billboard Top 200 with the album "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", and is also listed in the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

Dream Theater has announced a new studio album "A View From The Top Of The World" which will be released on October 22, and the release is accompanied by a major world tour. In the fifteenth release, the band continues to explore their limits but also remains true to the sound that has brought them millions of fans around the world in a career spanning more than three decades. The new album will feature seven songs and was produced by guitarist and band founder John Petrucci, also one of the most notable and innovative heavy metal guitarists of today.

Ticket prices are 260 kn for Parter (standing), and 290 kn for Tribune (free sitting).

Buy your tickets for Dream Theater HERE.

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets (May 31st @ Zagreb Fair, Zagreb)

Legendary Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason, arrives in Croatia on May 31 for a unique show on Pavilion 9 of the Zagreb Fair with his band Saucerful of Secrets, to offer his Croatian fans a trip to the past through the first albums and songs of the historic English band, during the Syd Barrett's years as a frontman. The band was scheduled to be part of the lineup for the 2021 INMusic Festival, which had already postponed its 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, last year's edition had to be postponed as well, and therefore we couldn't see Nick Mason in Croatia. This year, however, the only member of Pink Floyd who was part of all the band's albums, demonstrated his commitment to his Croatian fans and, despite not being part of the 2022 INmusic lineup due to calendar issues, will arrive a few weeks earlier to take a psychedelic trip back to the 1960s and early 1970s.

Tickets for this concert cost 283 kn.

Buy your tickets for Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets HERE.

INmusic Festival (June 20 - 23rd @ Jarun Lake, Zagreb)

Arguably the most important alternative music festival in the country, INmusic will finally take place after two years of postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers of INmusic have done a great job of keeping both hope and excitement alive among their attendees. The festival will take place from June 20 to 23 at Lake Jarun in Zagreb, and for now includes a luxury lineup for its 15th edition: The Killers, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Deftones, Kasabian, Royal Blood, IDLES, White Lies, Fontaines D.C., and many other artists.

It takes place on the beautiful isles of lake Jarun: Isle of Youth, Trešnjevka Island, and Univerzijada Island, two of which are reserved for festival campers for a guaranteed unforgettable experience. Croatia's biggest open-air rock festival was founded in 2006 and has been growing stronger ever since. INmusic is hailed by NME as "the best-kept festival secret", while Huffington Post dubbed it the "Woodstock of the 21st century". The green oasis of the city of Zagreb proves to be the perfect setting for the indie-rock mellow get-together.

Price for the 4-day tickets cost 84 euros (635 kn).

Buy your tickets for the 15th INmusic Festival HERE.

Simple Minds (June 30th @ ŠRC Šalata, Zagreb)

Simple Minds brings their big world tour "40 Years Of Hits" to the Šalata Stadium on June 30, 2022. Six years after they sold out the Small Hall of the Dom Sportova, Scottish rock greats are returning to Zagreb to mark four decades of work with a concert that will contain absolutely all the most important songs from the rich opus.

"We're going to play two long sets," explains frontman Jim Kerr. "The tour has to be special, so we prepared very well. You will hear all the classics and all the great songs, and for hardcore fans, we will perform things we haven't played in a long time". The celebration of 40 years of Simple Minds will be marked by a huge world tour, the European part of which has just been discovered. It will include more than 53 arenas and open-air concerts in 16 countries, and the culmination is expected at performances at SSE Hydra in Glasgow and, as far as the local audience is concerned, at Zagreb's Salata, which will be the only date the band dedicated to our region.

Ticket prices are 240 kn for free standing or sitting, and 390 kn for VIP tickets.

Buy your tickets for Simple Minds HERE.

Whitesnake (July 2nd @ ŠRC Šalata, Zagreb)

David Coverdale will take the legendary hard rock band Whitesnake on a big world farewell tour throughout 2022, and Zagreb will have the opportunity to see them for the last time on Saturday, July 2 at the Šalata Stadium. Steel Panther will join them as guests.

Exactly three years after the sold-out Whitesnake concert at the same location, the band is returning to their favorite city space. Coverdale, the great frontman of these rock giants, will be joined this time by the talented Dino Jelusick, a new member of the Whitesnake touring line-up. Dino thus achieved huge success by being a member of the legendary hard rock band and one of the greatest of all time in the genre.

Tireless British rock masters in more than four decades of work, 13 studio albums, and multi-platinum releases remain one of the most recognizable bands of today. Whitesnake was founded in 1978 by David Coverdale, one of the greatest rock vocalists in history, shortly after leaving the band Deep Purple, and to this day holds the position of frontman.

Hits from a rich career such as "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love", "Still Of The Night", as well as "Give Me All Your Love", "Crying In The Rain" or "Slow An 'Easy" and many others who have entered them in a rock anthology, the band will bring to Salat.

Another big bonus of this rock celebration is the fact that Steel Panther, glam metal legends from Los Angeles, who were chosen by Coverdale to open this concert, will perform as special guests.

Ticket prices are 260 kn for free standing or sitting, and 390 kn for VIP tickets.

Buy your tickets for Whitesnake and Steel Panther HERE.

KISS (July 9th @ Arena Zagreb, Pula)

After an epic and well-documented 45-year-long career, which ushered in the era of rock and roll, the band KISS in 2019 began their last tour. The world tour of the band KISS in 2019 was their biggest tour in their career - more tickets were wanted, and the interest was so great that additional concerts were arranged. Unfortunately, many concerts arranged across Europe for 2020 could not be held and had to be postponed for some new dates. For this reason, the band is pleased to announce new dates for 2022, including a completely new date: a concert at the Zagreb Arena on July 9, 2022!

Known for their masks and special costumes that have become their trademark, KISS has been proving for decades why they are considered the creators of the best rock and roll shows and spectacles. Members of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, who have sold more than 100 million copies of the album worldwide, said they are dedicating this tour to millions of KISS fans who have supported them for more than 40 years.

Prices for the tickets are: VIP Lodge (899 kn), Fan pit (649 kn), Lower tribune 1 (569 kn), Lower tribune 2 (529 kn), Lower tribune 3 (469 kn), Parter (449 kn), Upper tribune 1 (349 kn), Upper tribune 2 (299 kn), Upper tribune 3 (249 kn), and VIP Salon (SOLD OUT).

Buy your tickets for KISS HERE.

Arctic Monkeys (August 16th @ Arena Pula, Pula)

Arctic Monkeys, one of the world's most influential indie rock bands, will perform on one of the world's most unique outdoor stages next summer - the Pula Arena. The golden four from Sheffield will take the stage on August 16, 2022. Arctic Monkeys are planning several selected concerts in the middle of summer next year, in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Pula thus made the cut for the list of chosen destinations.

Arctic Monkeys are an English garage rock/indie rock band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. Founded in 2002, the current band members are Alex Turner (vocals, guitar), Jamie Cook (guitar), Matt Helders (drums, backing vocals), and Nick O'Malley (bass guitar). The Arctic Monkeys achieved great success with their first single, I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. Their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, released on January 23, 2006, was the fastest-selling debut album in British music history. The Arctic Monkeys became famous through demos made by their fans and were remembered as one of the first bands to become popular online.

Tickets to see Arctic Monkeys at Arena Pula are, unfortunately, sold out.

Tame Impala (August 17th @ Arena Pula, Pula)

For the first time in Croatia, the Australian band Tame Impala, which revolutionized rock with its new sound, will perform at the Pula Arena on August 17, 2022. “The Slow Rush” is Tama Impale’s fourth studio album. The album continues a series of great releases from the 2010 debuts “Innerspeaker,” “Lonerism” in 2012, and “Currents” in 2015. Released in February 2020, it has already collected over 1.3 billion streams.

Tame Impala is a psychedelic music project by Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In his studio, Parker writes, records, performs and produces all the music for the Tame Impala project. On tour, Tame Impala consists of Parker (guitar, vocals), Dominic Simper (guitar, synthesizer), Jay Watson (synthesizer, vocals, guitar), Cam Avery (bass guitar, vocals), and Julien Barbagallo (drums, vocals).

Ticket prices are 550 HRK for premium seats, 500 HRK for parter, 480 HRK for tribunes, and 300 HRK for a lawn stand. Tickets will be personalized and the ticket limit is 4 per order.

Buy your tickets for Tame Impala HERE.

Pixies (August 27th @ Zagreb Fair, Zagreb)

Pixies, like Nick Mason, was scheduled to be part of the official INmusic lineup in Zagreb in 2020, but due to the COVID pandemic, it could not take place. Due to the ongoing global health situation, Pixies decided to postpone their European summer 2021 tour, including their concert at the Zagreb fair scheduled for August 30th, 2021. The new date for their Zagreb show will be August 27th, 2022. The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts. Until 2013, the band comprised Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, backing vocals) and David Lovering (drums). The band disbanded acrimoniously in 1993 but reunited in 2004.

The Pixies are associated with the 1990s alternative rock boom, and draw on elements including punk rock and surf rock. Their music is known for its dynamic "loud-quiet-loud" shifts and song structures. They achieved modest popularity in the US but were more successful in Europe.

Ticket prices are 265 kn.

Buy your tickets for Pixies HERE.

The Cure (October 27th @ Arena Zagreb, Zagreb)

Giants of the alternative rock scene - The Cure will hold their first solo concert in Croatia on October 27, 2022, in Arena Zagreb. The huge base of domestic fans of this cult band will finally see the first and long-awaited solo performance of The Cure in Croatia. The Zagreb concert is part of the just-announced European tour The Cure Tour 22, where The Cure will hold 44 concerts in 22 countries, all as part of an announcement of a new album that will bring another 67 minutes of The Cure sound.

The Cure was formed in 1978 in Crawley, England, and since its first concert that same year, The Cure has played over 1,500 concerts. The Cure Euro 2022 tour will be the first since concerts in 2019, the year in which they celebrated 40 years of existence, and 30 years since the release of the cult album "Disintegration" in 1989, which secured the title of one of the best British bands in the last 50 years. That same year, after a three-month festival tour, they held an epic three-hour concert in Mexico City. In Arena Zagreb, 135 full minutes of pure The Cure concert energy and enthusiasm await us, and joining them will be the band The Twilight Sad.

Ticket prices are Fan pit (550 kn), Parter (350 kn), Lower tribune 1 (550 kn), Lower tribune 2 (450 kn), Lower tribune 3 (400 kn), Upper tribune 1 (325 kn), Upper tribune 2 (250 kn), Upper tribune 3 (175 kn), Loggia VIP (650 kn), and Salon VIP (650 kn)

Buy your tickets for The Cure HERE.

Sting (TBA)

Due to the current restrictions caused by the pandemic, Sting's concert at Zagreb Arena, which was supposed to take place this spring, has been postponed until autumn. Sting was scheduled to perform at the Arena Zagreb on March 21, as part of his acclaimed My Songs tour, where he performs his favorite songs, written during the 17-time Grammy winner's glorious career, both with The Police and as a solo artist. The new concert date will be announced soon, and all tickets purchased so far will be valid for the new concert date. Furthermore, a refund for everyone unable to attend the concert in autumn will be possible up to 30 days after announcing the new date.

Tickets: TBA

There are plenty of reasons to believe that this year will be one of the best for rock lovers, and we have already shown you the evidence. Hopefully, new concerts will be confirmed, and we will update this article as they are announced.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

On Thursday, April 25th, in the Biggest Little Rock Club in Zagreb (officially called Hard Place, located in a building right in frot of the building of Croatian National and University Library in Zagreb at Hrvatske bratske zajednice street in Zagreb) the sixth edition of the Biggest Little Rock Festival will start!

This year, just like all the previous years, the festival will host 9 amazing rock bands in a very friendly environment, with loads of supporting events.

On Thursday night the headliners will be a band from Rijeka called the Blagdan Band. While that name does not have a lot of recognition, the band members most certainly do: they come from the greatest bands in Rijeka (Laufer, Let 3 and En Face)! Blagdan band mostly does covers of the songs by some of the rock greats, such as T Rex, Clash, Pink Floyd or Pro Arte! In addition to them, on Thursday you will be able to hear a band from Zagreb called Terminator, and a garage rock band called Thee Melomen, who have recently had their songs appear on recent compilations sold worldwide. 

On Friday evening, the main event will be the performance by Neno Belan and his band Fiumens, and they will be performing all of the biggest hits originally recorded by Belan's former band, Đavoli. It will be a very nostalgic concert, as they will try and become the band from the late eighties, which tried to sound as if they were from the sixties! One of the signature sounds of Đavoli was the saxophone, and of course, Jakša Kriletić - Jordes on his sax will be joining the Fiumens for this performance. In addition to them, a band from Zagreb called Mačke will perform, and their biggest hit Crvena Kristina will certainly be heard, as well as the Sunnyriders.

On Saturday, Atomsko sklonište, a band that's celebrating 42 years of active career will be performing for the Zagreb crowd. Bruno Langer, the band's frontman, says that their audience these days covers three generations - a grandmother, a mother and a daughter can all enjoy their concerts. And if Atomsko sklonište is not enough for you, there will be two other bands performing on Saturday: Side Effects and a young band Magnar.

If you want to get to know Zagreb and Croatia rock scene, the Biggest Little Rock Festival is not to be missed!