June 2, 2022 - This summer, Croatia will host the world-famous DJ Calvin Harris in Split as part of the first HARD Summer EUROPE festival on Žnjan beach on August 6.

The HARD Summer festival, which has been successfully organized in the USA for years, will get its European version this year! The leading North American festival will be presented to thousands of Croatian and foreign visitors on August 6, 2022, with a spectacular performance by superstar DJ Calvin Harris. An exciting concert by one of the world's leading music performers will take place in front of thousands of visitors at the popular Žnjan beach in Split. With an idyllic blend of sun, sea, and dance music, this event will be one of the best beach parties in Europe this year. 

HARD Summer Europe will be marked by a performer who has racked up music charts worldwide with countless hits, collecting over 27 top 10 singles in the UK alone. He has over 35 billion combined audio and video streams, making him one of the most-watched artists on YouTube and one of Sony Music’s greatest streaming artists. Calvin has collaborated with several international artists, including Frank Ocean, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, The Weeknd, and Travis Scott. He has won several top music awards and nominations throughout his successful career, including 14 nominations for the MTV MMA, two wins, and five Grammy nominations. He won the Grammy Award in 2013 in the category of the best music video for the song "We Found Love".

Visitors to HARD Summer can expect to hear all the most popular songs that will form part of his indispensable set during this special event. And not only that, the organizers of the event - ALDA and Insomniac, will make sure to provide world-class production to ensure visitors an unforgettable performance of one of the world's most popular musicians.

HARD Summer has been a significant component of the California festival scene since its inaugural release back in 2007. Although this festival enjoys a globally recognized reputation as one of the most significant music events in the United States, the brand has recently decided to make a breakthrough by expanding internationally. HARD now aims to expand its diverse and numerous fan base to Europe to celebrate electronic music on Croatian soil.

Tickets are on sale at www.hardsummer.eu.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

June 1, 2022 - Organizers MPG Live announced the premiere edition of the Fusion World Music Festival. The new world music event will bring together more than 20 of the most sought-after musical names from Croatia and the region on the largest stage in Europe - 75 meters long and 16 meters high!

For the first time, such an event will be followed only by the best that world production has to offer at the moment, reports Dalmatinski Portal. 

"For the first time, the audience will be able to see their favorite performers in the conditions in which Beyonce or Celine Dion perform. Moreover, they will perform on one of the biggest stages in Europe - the Ultra Europe festival, which only confirms that this summer the performances of Fusion stars will rise to an unprecedented level," said festival spokesman Gordan Vasilj and added that based on the audience's reactions, they hit the spot. 

"After we announced the first lineup with seven names, the demand for tickets started immediately. We unveiled the complete program a week later, and everything boiled over, which is expected because they are the most popular performers with millions of fans. In two days, we expect a little more than 50 thousand people; it will be a world event, world productions, and Split will be the music hotspot of Europe. We estimate that Fusion will result in more than 70,000 overnight stays, and guests will, according to previous experience, stay in Split and the county for an average of four days. The value of the investment in the next five years is 150 million kuna," said Vasilj, who on behalf of the organizers thanked the City of Split and Split-Dalmatia County, which supported the project.

"We have to be a city and a county of high ambitions, and the Fusion Festival brings just that. However, we need to be even more ambitious and even better. This city loves content; in the 21st-century, people are looking for as much content as possible; tourism is not just about the sun and the sea. This content is very much needed by our tourists and all the citizens of Split," said the Deputy Prefect of the Split-Dalmatia County, Stipe Čogelja, and the director of the County Tourist Board, Joško Stella, agreed.

"Such festivals significantly contribute to the branding of Dalmatia. We are a region generally known for music, so it will be a pleasure to have renowned Croatian and performers from the region who will make a phenomenal introduction to one of the best tourist seasons ever. Not only do we need this, but this must be a part of each of our tourist seasons because our guests and we deserve it. Culture, music, and song are part of our tradition and tourism and should always remain so.

Dalmatino, Doris Dragović, Jelena Rozga, Gibonni, Nina Badrić, Petar Grašo, Tonči Huljić, and Madre Badessa, Prljavo kazalište, Aco Pejović, Aleksandra Prijović, Gazda Paja, Hurricane, Sara Jo, Saša Matić, Voyage & Nucci and Željko Samardžić are the performers featured in the first edition of the event. Each of them will have a minimum of 45 minutes to perform, and the party will last until 5 am on both days.

"I have always been wonderfully welcomed in Split, and I can promise that this will be something to remember, not only from our side but also from the side of Split. We are people of goodwill, and we will lend a hand to each other; love has united us, and only love can sustain us," said Samardžić.

Tonči Huljić said that in his career, he has never performed at the Youth Park, where the Fusion Festival will be held from July 22 and 23, 2022.

"I performed at Poljud with Magazin, but I ran in elementary school at the Youth Park. So that's how I performed," he joked and revealed what attracted him to join this story.

"I’m turning to some other musical directions, more classical and crossover. I am always interested in this sociological picture - why do those performers who never appear on radio stations and television in Croatia have the largest number of visitors. This means that music finds its way, and preferences are a matter of choice, not imposing and adapting to a particular taste. I wonder how it will work in one place, how the audience will react, and whether those who like one type of music will be bothered by performers who don’t listen, whether they will whistle or applaud. I'm interested in that interaction. I don't accept performances with Madre Badess so often unless it's a challenge for me, and Fusion is it," said the musician. 

"We had a vision of raising production to a higher level; after we presented it to the performers, it was not difficult to persuade them to be part of a story like this. They deserve it, they are worldly, and I believe they will be satisfied and want to return to the festival. Today we announced all the performers with Prljavo kazalište; I think we have designed a diverse program so that each of the audience can find something. The World music inscription stands in the name because we have big plans for the next releases; we want to extend the festival for another day and bring performers from the rest of the world. We will follow the path of the Mediterranean, by which I mean Italy, Spain, and other countries," said the artistic director of the festival Ivan Huljić.

A one-day ticket costs 250 kuna, a two-day 450 kuna, and a VIP for one day 499 kuna. More info can be found here.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

May 1, 2022 - The 2022 Ultra Europe music festival will be the biggest yet. Organizer Joe Bašić reveals what we can expect this summer in Split.

Ahead of the 8th Ultra Europe music festival, Slobodna Dalmacija spoke with Joe Bašić, the official organizer of the festival and owner of MPG Live, who revealed what awaits us for the festival's return.

After a two-year break, the festival returns to Split. How are ticket sales going?

"We are thrilled that the ULTRA Europe festival is back, after two years without festival organizations around the world due to the Covid pandemic. People are very excited and eager to re-experience everything that makes festivals special and get together and celebrate music and life. The return of our festival was perceived positively not only in Croatia but also in the world. We are delighted because this is the first major international event that will allow us to go back to when close meetings and mass gatherings were normal.

It is crucial that people feel people again. Still, we are also aware that Covid has not disappeared and will continue to be among us, so we will continue to monitor the situation closely and do everything necessary to make the festival safe for its visitors. Croatia is a safe country and one of the leading tourist destinations globally, and this is confirmed by the interest in our festival, which has never been greater. Based on current sales trends and numerous inquiries from our fans, we can expect the festival's eighth edition to be our biggest edition to date. Tickets have already traveled to over 90 countries around the world. According to our expectations, Split and other festival destinations will be visited by more than 140,000 people from July 7 to 14, which we can confirm with certainty - ULTRA Europe is back!"

You recently returned from Miami, where the Ultra Music Festival took place. What are your impressions, and can you compare the Croatian and American editions?

"ULTRA Miami is back, sensational! Given that this was the first international event to be canceled in March 2020 due to Covid, a lot was expected from the return to Bayfront Park in March. However, with more than 200,000 visitors, a massive lineup of performers, and crazy production, many claim that ULTRA Miami 2022 was the best-organized event ever.

It was the perfect message for the whole world that the time of great festivals is back and that it is possible to organize them safely. Therefore, I would say that millions of fans worldwide have regained their confidence that they can start planning to go to their favorite music festivals worldwide, including ULTRA Europe.

Memorable moments in Miami were undoubtedly the guest appearance of 50 Cent with Kygo and the unforgettable sets of Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Martin Garrix, and the return of Hardwell.

Comparing the Miami ULTRA Music Festival and our release, we can conclude that Miami is undoubtedly a larger event with more than ten stages, a massive list of performers, and a fantastic production in which significant funds have been invested. On the other hand, ULTRA Europe offers a smaller number of stages with high-quality production and a more intimate feeling, compensating for the difference in the size of the event with incredible fans from 100+ countries who create an exceptional level of energy and experience.

All the performers who come to us always agree that ULTRA Europe has fan energy and that the vibe of the whole event is unique and incomparable to any other event in the world. That is why our edition is visited by fans from so many different countries who come back for even more, and I think we are stronger and more unique than the American edition.

ULTRA Europe is currently the second-largest event in the large ULTRA family and is projected to become the largest in the years to come. Therefore, I am very excited about the future of ULTRA Europe and ULTRA Worldwide in the years to come."

You have also provided regional tickets for domestic visitors. How are sales going, and what is the interest of local visitors in relation to international guests?

"We recorded much better and greater interest in regional tickets than in previous years. We sold out the first contingent of three-day tickets at the lowest price in the festival's history, which amounted to 700 kuna, or less than 235 kuna per day. Croatians are very excited about the return of ULTRA and can't wait to re-experience the energy of a major international festival, especially considering the pandemic, earthquake, and everything that happened over two long and difficult years. We expect more than 30,000 visitors from Croatia during the seven days of the festival, which makes us especially happy."

What are the sales in overseas countries - the USA, Australia, Canada, and South America? And which countries are the most loyal when coming to Croatia?

"To date, we have sold tickets in more than 90 countries. We are delighted that our strongest countries before Covid are Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, France, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, and still strong markets for our festival, with double-digit growth from the USA, France, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. We expect even more international guests because we have increased the number of flights coming to Croatia, and there are more accommodation options in Split than in 2019."

Has the war in Ukraine thwarted plans?

"We have not noticed any changes in sales trends since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. On the contrary, sales have increased since March, following the Miami Festival and the announcement of Hardwell's arrival in Croatia, and lifted Covid measures."

How is the cooperation with the city going?

"We have always had the strong support of the City of Split, Split-Dalmatia County, and the Tourist Board. The ULTRA Europe Festival is of strategic importance to the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and the substantial economic benefits and global promotion of Split and Croatia generated by the festival are important reasons why the City of Split and all relevant state institutions have priority to support this event.

When we started our story ten years ago, we weren’t squandering the numbers of expected visitors, nor were we seeking the support of our partners promising miracles.

We believed in this project, and its potential, and we believed that it would be recognized by all state institutions based on facts and achieved results. But we believed equally that both Split and the Split people would recognize the opportunity and develop together with the festival.

Today, we can proudly point out that this is Croatia's largest international music event. We have more than 140,000 visitors from more than 140 countries during the seven days of the festival. We have generated immeasurable marketing results, and this is not the end.

We are proud to see that Split has become one of the most sought-after tourist destinations among the younger population and is recognizable worldwide for Hajduk, Diocletian's Palace, and the ULTRA Europe festival. We are sure that the festival will be one of the main postcards in the future."

The festival remains at Park Mladeži (Youth Park). How many stages will there be, and how many visitors do you expect per day?

"As announced in 2019, the Youth Park is the new home of the festival and a place that will enable further development and growth of this event.

The goal is to host more than 200,000 people in the coming years, and the Youth Park can follow this vision with its position and capacity. In 2022, we plan to have five stages with 200+ performers over three days and 13 stages over seven days. The Croatian edition lasts from July 7 to 14, in 5 cities and three islands.

This is a demanding production project, and we all still remember the impressive main stage. Will there be any news this year?

"We are focused on improving the overall fan experience at the entrances, in the toilets, and the offer of food and drinks. In addition, the production will feature the latest advances in technology, including a spectacular show never seen before in Croatia.

We tell all our fans that this year's edition should not be missed. We are all eagerly awaiting the day when we will finally open the doors, and I believe that will be one of the reasons why we will especially remember the eighth edition."

Who will be performing in Split?

"Above & Beyond, Adam Beyer, Afrojack, Alesso, Amelie Lens, Armin van Buuren, DJ Snake, Hardwell, Joseph Capriati, Marco Carola, Martin Garrix, Marshmello, Nicky Romero, Nina Kraviz, Oliver Heldens have confirmed their performance in Split so far. In addition, Richie Hawtin, Steve Aoki, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet, and Vini Vici will be joined by ACRAZE, Airod, ANNA, Frank Walker, Ilario Alicante, Krewella, Sam Feldt, and SOFI TUKKER."

Who else could perform?

"We have not yet announced the third phase of the line-up, which has over 30 names, and which we plan to announce at the end of May."

Who is this year’s biggest star?

"People are very excited about the return of Hardwell, who has been known as the best DJ in the world for many years and who will perform in Europe for the first time since 2018 at our festival. ULTRA Europe is one of his favorite festivals, and he is preparing a special show with a lot of new music in Split.

In addition, fan favorites include Marshmello, Martin Garrix, Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Adam Beyer, and Ritchie Hawtin. This year’s line-up is one of the best, and we are sure the experience will be unforgettable."

After Split, the festival moves to the islands. Who are you bringing in this year?

"ULTRA Europe is the leading destination music festival and is the only festival in the world organized in 4 different cities, on three islands, and more than 13 stages.

The beautiful Adriatic Sea, ideal sunny weather, food, and people from Croatia, make our destination events on the islands of Brač, Hvar, and Vis special, and the performers are always excited to be part of this unique story. In addition, our VIP guests increasingly recognize what we offer over seven days. We can already confirm that we are receiving eight megayachts, with exclusive guests worldwide.

In 2022, we have a few surprises that will only confirm how special such events are in the world, and more details will be announced in July."

This will be the eighth edition of the ULTRA Europe festival. Can you single out some of your favorite moments?

"There are several! In 2013 I first saw a picture of flags from all over the world in front of the main stage and witnessed the energy and pride of Croatian fans because music fans from all over the world hosted in their country.

Then the moment when Marshmello performed Srce Vatreno, before the Croatia-England match in Russia. I will never forget when Martin Garrix performed the single Animals for the first time, nor the feeling when Armin Van Buuren released This Is What It Feels Like, in front of a crowded stadium and spectacular fireworks."

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.