Wednesday, 17 March 2021

Croatian Basketball Federation Finalizing Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Split

March 17, 2021 - Croatia basketball will compete at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Split, to be held at Spaladium Arena from June 29 to July 4, 2021. 

As part of organizing the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which takes place from June 29 to July 4 at the Spaladium Arena in Split, the Croatian Basketball Federation (HKS) delegation consisting of President Stojko Vranković, Vice President Nikola Rukavina, and Secretary-General Josip Vranković held meetings in Split-Dalmatia County and the City of Split. Prefect Blaženko Boban, accompanied by the county head for social activities, sports, and culture Tomislav Đonlić, made all county resources available to organize it.

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Ivica Čavka/HKS

"From Split to Tokyo, let that be the motto of our meeting. This is a demanding project, the biggest sporting event this year, and we are happy that it is being held in Split," said Boban.

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Ivica Čavka/HKS

HKS President Stojko Vranković added: “Thank you for the hospitality of the County, thank you to the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Prime Minister Plenković for their support in organizing this tournament. We at HKS believe that a real Croatian basketball festival will take place in Split.”

Mayor Andre Krstulović-Opara is also happy that the Croatia national team will play in Split.

“I support the organization of the tournament with great passion and participation. When the tournament takes place, there will be another mayor, but the size of this event is significant for the City of Split and Croatia. I regret that there will probably be no fans; I’m sure the atmosphere would be fiery. The arrival of the national team in our city is a great thing. You can see from our KK Split that basketball is taking big steps forward, that is, returning to where it was," said Krstulović-Opara, who received the HKS delegation together with the head of social activities Mato Omazić, head of the sports service Igor Maretić and president of the Supervisory Board of BC Split Domagoj Maroević.

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Ivica Čavka/HKS

HKS Secretary Josip Vranković presented several ideas to present Croatia basketball during the tournament.

"There will be a lot of accompanying content, which will also depend on epidemiological measures, and as an overture to this great event, we will organize the preparations of the women's national team for the European Championship and the tournament to be played at Gripe," said Vranković.

Source: HKS

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Sunday, 28 February 2021

Spaladium Arena Prepared as Mass Vaccination Site in Split

February 28, 2021 - Preparations are coming to an end at the Spaladium Arena, soon opening as a mass vaccination site in Split. 

"Since last Monday, members of the Split-Dalmatia County Red Cross have been working on setting up the Spaladium Arena so that when larger quantities of vaccines arrive, it can be ready to welcome the start of large-scale vaccination. We have arranged 20 cubicles in which people will be vaccinated, which are needed to have a little privacy when getting vaccinated. As far as we are concerned, everything will be prepared by the end of this week at the latest," said Joško Metličić, the new director of the Split-Dalmatia County Red Cross, for Slobodna Dalmacija.

Only those who have been scheduled for vaccination will be able to come to the Spaladium Arena.

"At a specific hour, a certain number of people will be scheduled, who will be called and released to the Arena, where they will sit in prepared places and wait their turn for vaccination. Those who, say, are scheduled at 11 am will not be vaccinated at 9 if they come to the vaccination site two hours earlier. So, the order will have to be respected according to the list and according to the schedule," says Metličić.

Željka Karin, director of the Institute of Public Health of the Split-Dalmatia County, said we could start with large-scale vaccination as early as next week.

"We still don't know how much and which vaccine we will get next week. We received about six thousand doses of PfizerBiontech and AstraZeneca vaccines this week, and Moderna did not come, although it was announced. We distributed all the obtained vaccines to family doctors and special duty points, where people are also vaccinated. How many people have been vaccinated with those six thousand doses so far? We don't know yet. However, I think that next week we should not receive less than six thousand doses," says Dr. Karin.

Interest in vaccination is high.

"People are calling; they want to get vaccinated. If we had sufficient quantities of vaccines, we in Split-Dalmatia County would quickly vaccinate the population. We would have a satisfactory number of vaccinated by June this year at the latest. But for now, unfortunately, the vaccine is not in sufficient quantities. Next week we could put Spaladium Arena into operation to see if everything will work well and so that we can, if there are any shortcomings, fix those shortcomings so that it is ready for the real mass vaccination, which I expect in mid-March," explains Dr. Karin.

The number of cases in Split-Dalmatia County started to grow, connected with several events where groups of people were noticed (family celebrations, socializing in apartments).

"In the last two days, we have a slight decline, and I want to believe that there will continue to be a decline in the number of new infections. But when the terraces of catering facilities open, if the numbers start to go wild again, they will need to think about a possible closure again because it won’t make sense. I believe that it is in everyone's interest to have a tourist season, and I believe that it is in the interest of all private individuals who have restaurants and cafes to work over the summer. Therefore, I ask everyone and call on everyone to take responsibility and to respect all epidemiological measures, so that they would not be surprised and so that sometime in April they would not be forced to close catering facilities again," concluded Željka Karin.

To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Friday, 28 August 2020

Split Confirmed to Host 35th European Water Polo Championships in August 2022

August 28, 2020 - The 35th European Water Polo Championships will take place in Split from August 27 to September 10, 2022, LEN announced today.

The Championships will be held at the 10,000-seater Spaladium Arena in Split, which was confirmed as the host city in October 2018.

Originally planned for the middle of summer, the European Championships will be held at the end of August since the World Championships have been moved from 2021 to May 13 – 29, 2022. LEN said they wanted to ensure the players had enough time to recover between competitions. 

A statement from LEN on Friday:

“To have our top water polo event in July 2022 would mean unbearable load for our great water polo players who will need to enjoy a substantial recovery period after an unprecedentedly busy spring. Athletes’ welfare has always been in the core of LEN’s policies and we shall never move away from our principles. The Croatian Water Polo Federation and the local organisers were all very supportive to hold the championships at the end of the summer," LEN President Paolo Barelli said. 

“Though the event is still two years away, Croatia, the city of Split and the local water polo community are all already excited to welcome back the European Water Polo Championships to our country. International water polo events always enjoy a fantastic atmosphere here in Croatia and we expect nothing less this time. On behalf of the organisers and the city, we can promise to deliver another outstanding championships in 2022,"  Croatian Water Polo Federation President Mladen Drnasin added.

The event returns to Croatia 12 years after the competition was successfully held in Zagreb 2010. Russia, France, and Malta competed against Croatia for a chance to host the championship in 2022, but Croatia, with the support of the Government, the City of Split, the County, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, and SDUŠ, was convincingly chosen as the winner. 

Source: Total Waterpolo

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Monday, 2 March 2020

Split GAST Fair Welcomed Record 25,000 Visitors, 800 Brands and Exhibitors from 8 Countries

March 2, 2020 - The Split Gast Fair was held from February 26 to 29, 2020, with a record number of visitors registered for the Jubilee 25th edition. 

Dalmatinski Portal reports that the Jubilee, 25th Split GAST Fair, which brought together almost 800 brands, exhibitors and co-exhibitors from eight countries, surpassed last year by all economic and statistical indicators, and once again, by the quality of its exhibits and rich professional program, confirmed the status of the leading regional fair that brings together all the best of gastronomy, winemaking and tourism, as well as catering and tourism companies.

GAST 2020 was held at Split's Spaladium arena from February 26 to 29, 2020 and a record 25,000 visitors locally and abroad were recorded during all four fair days to experience the professional and entertaining program dedicated to the 25th birthday. At the same time, the fair offered innumerable business opportunities, a large number of jobs completed, 12 professional programs and workshops, as well as numerous tastings and presentations. All this, as well as the interest in the professional fair program and the many accompanying events within the GAST 2020 show, in support of another successful upcoming tourist season.

The offer of white and red wines, as well as spirits, was extremely rich and high quality, and within the educational program, five different wine workshops were held to popularize autochthonous, Croatian wine varieties.

GAST was sponsored by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Split-Dalmatia County, City of Split, Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and Split Tourist Board.

The general sponsors of GAST 2020 were Rotodinamic, Premis, Samsara and Petason. Virovitica-Podravina County was a partner county, and Čistoća Split an ecological partner.

You can see the photo gallery of the event here.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Wednesday, 26 February 2020

Croatian Tourist Offer at Center of 25th International GAST Fair in Split

February 26, 2020 - Before the start of another tourist season, the Croatian tourist offer will have the chance shine at the 25th International GAST Fair - the central gathering place for the target audience, such as restaurant owners, hotels and family hotels, small renters and catering establishments from all over Dalmatia. GAST 2020 takes place from February 26 to 29, 2020, at the Spaladium Arena in Split.

If you want to try your hand at competing, launch new products, show off the best you have, win new market space, find new partners and strengthen your relationships with existing ones, GAST 2020 offers quality exhibitors and a rich professional program of conferences and workshops, enabling you to be part of the most important, leading gastronomic and tourist event in Croatia, to realize your business potential and participate in a professionally managed media campaign.

GAST 2020 includes several specialized fairs:

25th International Nutrition Fair

25th International Beverage Fair

25th International Hotel and Catering Equipment Fair

25th Dionysian International Wine Fair

17th International Furniture Fair - Furnitura

15th International Coffee Fair

15. Tourism Fair - Saturn

5th International Ice Cream and Dessert Fair

GAST 2020, as in previous years, follows many interesting events:

Dionysian - 25th International Wine and Spirits Appraisal and Winemaking Ceremony - Leading Croatia!

9. Tourist network

Split gastro scene - gastro novelties for the tourist season

Everyday Show Cooking

Pastry workshops

Creating wine lists

Guided wine workshops

The Bartender Show

Chef's Charity Show: "Famous in the Kitchen

Dalmacija Danas reports that "Potentials, Perspectives and the Future" is the name of a panel conference to be held as part of the 9th Tourist Network at the GAST Fair, on February 26, from 12 to 2:30 pm at the Spaladium Arena Conference Hall. The co-organizer of the conference is the Croatian Chamber of Economy, County Chamber of Split.

The conference program includes three panels. The first panel is dedicated to the potential of cultural tourism and the presentation of the Mirabilia network. It will be attended by representatives of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce - County Chamber of Split, Tourist Board of Solin and Split, Virovitica-Podravina, Osijek-Baranja and Split-Dalmatia Counties.

Perspectives on adventure tourism are the topic of the second panel, which will be discussed by consultants and representatives of the Croatian Chamber of Economy - County Chamber of Split, Baranja Tourist Board and SDŽ, Nature Park Biokovo.

The future of plastic-free tourism, which is one of the main messages of this year's GAST 2020 fair and the topic of the third panel, will be discussed by representatives of the Tourism and Maritime Administration of the County Chamber of Commerce, CCE - Split County Chambers, Public Institutions of RERASDZ, EkoCortec, Institute for Organic Technology Chemical of the Faculty of Technology (Biocompack project) and the company Purity and Radisson Blu.

Tourism is one of the most propulsive industries both in the world and in Croatia. There are numerous examples of developmental and different challenges, and the need for new content that is year-round and sustainable has already launched many new activities and projects.

By organizing a panel conference, “Potentials, Perspectives and the Future,” awareness will be raised of the need to develop sustainable tourism throughout the year as an indispensable content of all forms of contemporary tourism.

Opening hours of the GAST fair are from 09.30 to 19.00. You can read more about the fair here.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

Thursday, 20 February 2020

Want to Catch Bogdanovic & Co. in Split? Croatia's Olympic Qualifying Games Announced

February 20, 2020 - Croatia will open its first game of the Olympic Qualifying Basketball Tournament in Split against Brazil, and play its second game a day later against Tunisia.

FIBA has announced the schedule and times for the final basketball qualifiers for the Olympic Games, which will be played in Croatia, Canada, Lithuania and Serbia from June 23 to 28. 

Croatia will thus play its first game in Group B on June 24 at 8 pm against Brazil, and the second game on June 25 against Tunisia at 8 pm. Germany, Russia and Mexico will play in Group a. If Croatia makes it to the semifinals, they will play against the national teams in Group A on the weekend of June 27.

The qualifiers are played in four different tournaments, each with six participants, and only the winners of the tournament will qualify for the Olympics. Argentina, Australia, France, Iran, Nigeria, Spain, the United States and Japan have already qualified for the 2020 Olympics.

In addition to Split, other cities hosting the qualifying tournament are Belgrade, Kaunas and Victoria. A total of 24 nations will compete in the tournaments, with only tournament winners going to the Olympics.

"The tournament in Split is one big event and promotion not only for basketball but for the whole of Croatia. We hope for a good atmosphere and once again thank the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Split and Split-Dalmatia County. We hope that the team will be complete and that everyone will be healthy and we can look forward to the Olympic Games. We are about to begin qualifying for the European Championships that await us in 2021. On Friday, we play against Sweden, after which we play with the Netherlands. These two games are extremely important for us. After that, we expect the HT Premier League championship finals, and then we are preparing for this tournament.”

All fans looking to cheer on Croatia in Split can purchase tickets from February 26 through system.hr.

“The Split tournament is, in my opinion, the most important event in Croatian sport in 2020, and the importance and weight are in the opponents, system and organization. FIBA has risen to a higher level of quality since EuroBasket in 2015. We recognized this tournament as a top event that has the opportunity to be played in Croatia. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister and the Government of the Republic of Croatia for recognizing this. What awaits us in Split is the ultimate spectacle for all sports fans, especially basketball. Until the tournament, we will work on the animation and promotion of basketball and take this opportunity to raise basketball to another level,” said the Secretary-General of the Croatian Basketball Federation, Josip Vranković.

Qualifying for the Olympic Games and representing their country is a dream of all athletes, which guarantees that exciting basketball awaits us in Split. The Croatia national team will have a slight advantage as they will have support from the Split stands.

‘’I hope we can show a good game in front of our home crowd on Friday and win. We expect that the Drazen Petrovic hall will be packed to the last place and that together with our fans, we will have a positive atmosphere before this last Euro qualifier against the Netherlands and before the Olympic tournament in Split in June.

When we finish these games, we will start preparing for the Split tournament, talk to all the players to get ready for the summer,” said Croatian basketball team coach Veljko Mrsic.

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 24 to August 9. The Croatia basketball team has qualified for the Olympic Games four times, with the highest success being the silver medal in 1992. At the last Rio Olympics, Croatia took 5th place. The tournament in Split is an opportunity for all basketball lovers and fans to accompany their national teams on the road to the Olympics, but also to enjoy top-notch basketball. In addition to Split, other host cities are Belgrade, Kaunas and Victoria. A total of 24 teams will compete in the tournaments, with only the tournament winners going to the Olympics.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Wednesday, 19 February 2020

Olympic Qualifying Basketball Tournament in Split Officially Presented

February 19, 2020 - The Olympic qualifying tournament in Split is the last chance to fight for a spot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Croatia national team has a slight advantage, as they will be playing in front of a home crowd.

HKS reports that one of the four Olympic qualifying basketball tournaments will be played in Split from June 23 to 28 at the Spaladium Arena. Croatia will fight against the national teams of Germany, Russia, Tunisia, Mexico and Brazil for a spot in Tokyo.

"The tournament in Split is one big event and promotion not only for basketball but for the whole of Croatia. We hope for a good atmosphere and once again thank the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Split and Split-Dalmatia County. We hope that the team will be complete and that everyone will be healthy and we can look forward to the Olympic Games. We are about to begin qualifying for the European Championships that await us in 2021. On Friday, we play against Sweden, after which we play with the Netherlands. These two games are extremely important for us. After that, we expect the HT Premier League championship finals, and then we are preparing for this tournament.”

All fans looking to cheer on Croatia in Split can purchase tickets from February 26 through system.hr.

“The Split tournament is, in my opinion, the most important event in Croatian sport in 2020, and the importance and weight are in the opponents, system and organization. FIBA has risen to a higher level of quality since EuroBasket in 2015. We recognized this tournament as a top event that has the opportunity to be played in Croatia. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister and the Government of the Republic of Croatia for recognizing this. What awaits us in Split is the ultimate spectacle for all sports fans, especially basketball. Until the tournament, we will work on the animation and promotion of basketball and take this opportunity to raise basketball to another level,” said the Secretary-General of the Croatian Basketball Federation, Josip Vranković.

Qualifying for the Olympic Games and representing their country is a dream of all athletes, which guarantees that exciting basketball awaits us in Split. The Croatia national team will have a slight advantage as they will have support from the Split stands.

‘’I hope we can show a good game in front of our home crowd on Friday and win. We expect that the Drazen Petrovic hall will be packed to the last place and that together with our fans, we will have a positive atmosphere before this last Euro qualifier against the Netherlands and before the Olympic tournament in Split in June.

When we finish these games, we will start preparing for the Split tournament, talk to all the players to get ready for the summer,” said Croatian basketball team coach Veljko Mrsic.

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 24 to August 9. The Croatia basketball team has qualified for the Olympic Games four times, with the highest success being the silver medal in 1992. At the last Rio Olympics, Croatia took 5th place. The tournament in Split is an opportunity for all basketball lovers and fans to accompany their national teams on the road to the Olympics, but also to enjoy top-notch basketball. In addition to Split, other host cities are Belgrade, Kaunas and Victoria. A total of 24 teams will compete in the tournaments, with only the tournament winners going to the Olympics.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

Adriatic Gastro Show Returns to Split to Develop Preseason Tourism

February 4, 2020 - The sixth Adriatic Gastro Show begins on Wednesday at the Spaladium Arena, featuring an entire tourist and catering range of products and services through 12,000 square meters of attractive exhibition space. 

Dalmatinski Portal writes that this year's Adriatic Gastro Show brings together over 1000 exhibitors at 200 exhibitions. The director of the fair, Stipe Šamija, has announced the arrival of exhibitors from 20 countries around the world, even from America, Africa, and some from Asia.

“This year's peculiarity is that we again managed to gather the largest number of exhibitors. I would also like to single out a large number of conferences and gatherings, while on the other hand, we have a rich accompanying program for both professionals and visitors,” said Šamija.

Visitors will enjoy the women’s bartending competition '5. Split - Lady's Cup' organized by the Croatian Bar Association on Thursday from 3 pm. In addition, at the fair, which brings together the most famous names in the field of gastronomy, winemaking and tourism, there will be a cooking show, organized visits to hotel chains, and expert lectures. In particular, there will be an attractive raffle, where Prima Furniture will donate a kitchen worth 20,000 kuna. One ticket is only 30 kuna.

Within the fair, the 5th Regional Family Tourism Forum, organized by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, will also be held. This year, on Thursday and Friday from 10:30 am, several interested private accommodation renters will learn the new trends in tourism, possibilities of financing from EU funds, legislation, cooperation with travel agencies, marketing, and more.

“What we need to work on is the quality of the accommodation, and our education supports this. A lot of applications have already been sent to us, which means that people are hungry for knowledge and want to move forward in business,” said Natasa Busic of the HGK Split County Chamber. She added that Split and Split-Dalmatia County could offer everything regarding private accommodation.

Along with several major exhibitor companies such as Metro, Alca, Stanic, Velpro, Apfel, Tekstilpromet, the importance of the Adriatic Gastro Show and its impact on the economic processes of small and medium-sized businesses in Dalmatia, especially in the tourism segment, were recognized and sponsored by President Kolinda. Grabar-Kitarović, the Ministry of Agriculture, Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, Split-Dalmatia County, the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, and the Split Tourist Board.

The director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, Josko Stella, highlighted the importance and contribution of the fair to the development of tourism in the pre-season. It is precisely during the pre-season and post-season that the growth of this important industry is focused, as we are limited by infrastructure in July and August.

“It comes at an ideal time, compliments to the organizer and exhibitors for helping with overall tourism,” Stella said.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Sunday, 15 December 2019

KUD Jedinstvo: One of Croatia's Oldest, Most Successful Cultural Arts Societies Celebrates 100 Years

December 15, 2019 - KUD Jedinstvo, one of the oldest, most successful and most celebrated Croatian Cultural Arts Societies, celebrated its 100th birthday with a two-hour music and dance spectacle at the Spaladium Arena in Split on Saturday night. 

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that the jubilee celebration took place 100 years after KUD Jedinstvo’s first concert on the stage of the Split National Theater back in 1919, almost exactly to the day.

KUD Jedinstvo and the Split audience of all ages, young and old, who helped celebrate this incredible milestone of traditional culture and Croatian historical heritage, applauded the folklore ensemble, mandolin and tamburitza orchestra, and legendary instrumental and vocal sections.

The audience found themselves in a kind of time machine with over 250 performers from all generations on stage. The repertoire included works by the greats of Croatian music such as Josip Hatze and Ivo Tijardović, to name a few.

Years flew by on the screen above the stage at the beginning of the concert, from 1919 to 2019, while the songs and dances were magnified by photographs and newspaper clippings as witnesses to the rich history of KUD Jedinstvo.

KUD Jedinstvo took the audience on a journey across Croatia, as its folklore repertoire includes dances, songs and music from all parts of the country and the Croatian nation beyond. In addition to a program composed of 16 music and dance acts by prominent experts in Croatian folklore, including choreographic classics such as Branko Šegović's "Vrličko kolo" or Zvonimir Ljevakovic's "Prigorski plesovi", the Split audience also saw the premiere of several completely new choreographies and performances for the occasion.

The performances were accompanied by notes to the audience of the years the acts were first introduced in the repertoire. For example, “from 1951, 1969, 2018” and so on.

The audience’s enthusiasm was aroused by classics such as the "Ličkog kola" and "Hercegovačkog linđa”, while the biggest round of applause was given to the opera "Ero s onoga svijeta".

You can see a video of the spectacular evening below. 

Make sure you follow our dedicated Made in Croatia page for much more.

Tuesday, 10 September 2019

Oliver Dragojevic to be Honored with Birthday Concert at Spaladium Arena

September 10, 2019 - Oliver Dragojevic will be honored with a concert at Spaladium Arena in Split for his birthday on December 7, 2019. 

His unique voice, musicality, and dedication to music led Oliver Dragojevic to a celebrated career that lasted half a century, and made him a unique phenomenon of Croatian music. He enjoyed a privileged place in the music scene, touching every fan and colleague with whom he collaborated. 

Thus, a unique meeting of his colleagues, friends, and fans will be prepared in honor of Oliver's birthday, on December 7, 2019. The people of Split long desired such spectacle, designed in Oliver's way, which, unfortunately, he was unable to pursue in front of his faithful followers. 

Dalmacija Danas reports that an evening of music awaits us all on December 7, 2019, at the Spaladium Arena, which is projected to be the concert of the year. The concept of the concert will be presented at a press conference by the organizers and his colleagues who will perform a tribute to the celebrated singer. 

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In the wake of the event, at City Center One, an exhibition of family photos and private moments of Oliver Dragojevic will be inaugurated on Friday morning through the lens of Fedja Klaric, which will last from 13.9. - 6.10.2019. Additionally, a mural dedicated to Oliver will be presented.

Recall, Oliver Dragojević was born on December 7, 1947, in Split, though he was originally from Vela Luka, where he also spent his childhood. Oliver was particularly connected with Split where he attended music school, and also made the first steps in his musical career. 

His first encounter with music was at the age of five when his father Marko gifted him an accordion. Oliver would entertain passersby on his street, and boat passengers on the regular Split-Vela Luka route. His first feature appearance was at the Split Children's Festival in 1961 with the popular song 'Baloni'.

Oliver’s festival debut was at the Split Festival in 1967. He attended at the invitation of Zdenko Runjic and played the song 'Picaferaj'. Though the song did not make it to the final festival night, it became one of his eternal hits.

Throughout his lifetime, Oliver’s voice and modesty delighted his fans at concerts all over the world, and it was not unlike him to perform at humanitarian concerts to help those most in need. It was at HNK Split where he took part in the concert "Believe in Love" organized by the County Cancer League for 50 years of dedicated work. The concert was held in October 2017.

However, no one knew that it would be the last public performance of the legendary Oliver Dragojevic, whose words after the concert certainly confirm why he was an audience favorite and someone whose songs will remain forever written in the souls of his fans not only in Split, but his admirers around the world. 

“Here’s something that works for the people, and that is helping anyone in need. That's the message - believe in love. Being a man is hard, and finding himself is even harder,” Oliver said at the end of the concert.

Oliver had planned to celebrate his 70th birthday with a great concert in Split, where he hoped to mark 50 years of his career, though his illness, unfortunately, prevented him from performing and the concert was finally canceled.

A few months later, in March 2018, Oliver addressed his fans at the Porin, where he was honored with the lifetime achievement award.

“I would like to mention a man who marked half my life, and that is Zdenko Runjic. There are a lot of good people around me, and this time, my disease has stopped me from being with you. As a child, I wanted to play and sing, and that dream was somehow interrupted. Hello to all the good people around me and those who have supported me in this crisis. I hope there is still time for me to sing and play, and if things get better, all will be good,” Oliver said via a video message. 

"What should I say to you - enjoy, people, because life will be a fantasy," Oliver said from his home for the last time, receiving tremendous applause.

Oliver was born December 7, 1947, and died on July 29, 2018. Oliver is buried in his beloved Vela Luka.

To read more about Oliver, follow TCN's dedicated page here.

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