June 26, 2020 - We are a little more than two weeks away from the Jubilee 60th Split Festival at Prokurative, which began its story back in 1960.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that over a time that includes the Homeland War, as well as many other social turbulences, the festival has spawned more than two thousand songs and many great hits ("Nima Splita do Splita", "Moj galebe", "Picaferaj", "Skalinada", "Ne diraj moju ljubav", etc). It seems that, as things stand now, not even the coronavirus pandemic will not stop the cult festival.

Director Tomislav Mrduljaš says that everything is ready for July 11 and 12, when a retro evening with hits that marked the past decades of the festival should be held, interpreted by the best performers from the Croatian stage, and finally an evening of new songs.

Twenty-two songs have been selected, some of which were written during the recent quarantine in March and April. Some of the musicians you'll be able to see at Prokurative are Neno Belan, Jole, Goran Karan, Ibrica Jusić, Mladen Grdović, Klapa "Rišpet", Alen Nižetić, Teddy Spalato, Giuliano, Petar Dragojevic, Marko Tolja, and Frajle from Serbia. 

HRT will broadcast everything live, starting at 9:30 pm, as it has in previous years. However, given the re-emergence of the coronavirus, the question is whether there will be any changes, which Mrduljaš is aware of. All of his plans, unfortunately, are still up in the air.

"We regularly monitor the entire situation, measures and instructions of our National Headquarters and we will act in accordance with them. So far, there are no changes, the production is going according to plan and we are not thinking about postponing the date, but we are very organized. Of course, I'm not happy about everything that is happening with the corona again, but I can guarantee that we will hold the festival in safe conditions and that no one will be endangered," Mrduljaš points out and adds that the festival orchestra of 30 to 35 people will be on the spectacular stage, as well as four backing vocals.

"All of them will be separated from each other as prescribed by the measures. There are no stands this year, and we decided to put round tables with chairs. In total, we will be able to accommodate up to 500 spectators, and we have also organized this in a way that respects the spacing. It may happen that the operation of catering facilities will be banned again, so it is possible that this won't happen, but it is difficult at this moment to predict what will happen," says Mrduljaš.

In that case, it is easily possible for the Split Festival to be held without an audience, or a scene of visitors with protective masks on their faces awaits us, but everything will be clearer in the days ahead.

"We listen to the news day by day, the performers call me, some of them are worried, but we hope that everything will be fine, there is no reason to panic... I repeat, we will behave as we are told. The plan was to symbolically mark the beginning of some kind of tourist season in Split, for our local people to come, even those outside Split. Let them be convinced that they can spend their summers in our beautiful Dalmatia in safe conditions," concluded Tomislav Mrduljaš.

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An exclusive concert featuring Petar Grašo will kick off the 59th Splitski Festival at Prokurative on July 4, reports Dalmatinski Portal on May 23, 2019. 

One of Croatia’s best musicians, award-winning singers and songwriters will create an intimate spectacle in which, he believes, everyone will enjoy.

“For the Splitski Festival, I’m bound by my musical origins. As a child, I performed in the mid-90s, and these songs certainly mean a lot to me. I'm delighted to have a concert within the Festival, and I guarantee a wonderful evening, a warm atmosphere, and a good party,” said Petar Grašo.

From the time he appeared on the stage of the Splitski Festival, the favorite singer has stolen the hearts of the Croatian audience, and, quite frankly, there are never enough tickets to his shows. 

Grašo expressed his feelings of how the festival has progressed from when he first performed to now. 

“It's a different feeling, something pulls you in, and whether it's better or worse, that cannot be compared. The fact is that the festival has been modernized, I like it, and I think it had to be done,” Grašo said. 

Since the Splitski Festival changed its concept, it hosted top concerts featuring Oliver Dragojević and Stjepan Hauser, Parni Valjak, Josipa Lisac, Gibonni and Massimo, all enhancing the already unique amphitheater stage at Prokurative.

The songs and performers of the 59th Splitski Festival, which will be held on July 4, 5, and 6, were announced last month. The festival thus opens with the exclusive Grašo concert, the second day of the program is a retrospective, while the last is reserved for the ‘Evening of New Songs’.

On the final day, the Splitski Festival will entertain, as usual, with some of the greatest names of the Croatian music scene. 

Thus, Alka Vuica will return to Prokurative, who will sing a duet with Neno Belan, Goran Karan and Tedi Spalato will sing together accompanied by the ensemble of St. Juraj HRM, Tomislav Bralić and Klapa Intrade will take the stage, as will the unique Hari, Giuliano, and Domenica who won over the audience last year for a duet with Damir Kedzo, Ivana Kovač and Mladen Grdović. The Frajle will present their new album, there will be a rare performance by Boba and Saša Antić, and the young star Lorena will debut.

You can find the list of songs that will be performed at the Splitski Festival below:

1. Dok imam tebe (Ivica Cukrov) IGOR CUKROV

2. Dosta (Ines Prajo-Arijana Kunštek) IVO PERKUŠIĆ

3. Ja samo za te živim (Pero Kozomara-Robert Pilepić) KLAPA RIŠPET

4. Ja se živciran (Stipe Jakovčević-Stipe Jakovčević/Siniša Garbin) MJESNI ODBOR

5. Kad vidim Boga uživo (Raay-Nenad Ninčević) LUKA BASI

6. Kao da te oduvijek znam (Žarko Tičinović) PETAR DRAGOJEVIĆ

7. Ko se može s Dalmacijom mirit (Želimir Škarpona/Dalibor Musap-Nedo Zuban) BRANKO MEDAK

8. Krila galeba (Branimir Mihaljević-Nenad Ninčević) GIULIANO

9. Kuća naše pisme (Goran Karan) GORAN KARAN & TEDI SPALATO I KLAPA SV. JURAJ HRM

10. Lipa si mi srićo (Darko Bakić-Darko Bakić/Luca) GRUPA 'ROCKATANSKY'

11. Luka ti i ja (Tonći Huljić-Vjekoslava Huljić) DOMENICA

12. Meni fali sve (Helena Papić) TOMISLAV BRALIĆ & KLAPA INTRADE

13. Moje suze govore (Ante Gudelj/Helena Gudelj-Ante Gudelj) HELENA GUDELJ

14. Na kušinu dite plače (Robert Pilepić) IBRICA

15. Noćas si moje vino (Branimir Mihaljević-Nenad Ninčević) THE FRAJLE

16. Olujne zore (Tonći Huljić-Vjekoslava Huljić) LORENA

17. Opet ću ti doć (Hari Rončević) HARI RONČEVIĆ & KLAPA CAMBI

18. Ostani tu (Vinko Barčot) MLADEN GRDOVIĆ

19. Samo ljubav (Igor Ivanović/Marko Vojvodić) MARKO KUTLIĆ

20. Sva blaga ovog svijeta (Vjekoslav Dimter/Mia Dimšić/Damir Bačić) MIA & MARKO TOLJA

21. Ti (Fedor Boić-Nenad Ninčević) IVANA KOVAČ

22. Uvelo misto(Bobo Knežević-Bobo Knežević/Saša Antić) BOBO & SAŠA ANTIĆ

23. Voli me kakvu me znaš (Ante Pecotić) ANTONIA DORA PLEŠKO

24. Vrijeme za nas (Zoran Šerbedžija) ALKA & NENO BELAN

Tickets for the 59th Splitski Festival can be purchased at all Adriaticketa sites.

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

The upcoming Split Festival will be held at Prokurative on July 8, 2017.