June 26, 2021 - Ultra Europe 2021 has officially been canceled, the organizers announced on Facebook on Saturday.

Ultra Europe, one of the world's largest electronic music festivals, will not be held this year either, the organizers finally confirmed.

The popular festival was supposed to take place from July 9 to 11 at the Youth Park (Park Mladeži) in Split, but Ultra fans will be denied the summer spectacle in Split this year as well.

The new date of Ultra is July 8-10, 2022.

Ultra Europe has been held in Split for the last eight years, bringing more than 40,000 daily visitors and a total of 120,000 from 143 countries to the Dalmatian capital for three days of electronic music. The 2019 edition was the first held at Park Mladeži in Split, while the festival was held at Poljud Stadium in the years before. 

Record figures, and the millionth visitor at the new location, marked the seventh year of Ultra in Split in 2019. The 8th edition was meant to take place at Park Mladeži from July 10-12, 2020, but was also canceled last year. 

"It is with a heavy heart that, due to the ongoing pandemic stemming from COVID-19, the 8th edition of Ultra Europe originally scheduled for 10-12 July 2020 at Park Mladeẑi is being rescheduled to 9-11 July 2021.

The current health crisis is an unprecedented situation, and there is no higher priority for us than the health, safety and well-being of all our fans, as well as all those involved with the production of the event.

Tickets will remain valid and will be honored for use at the rescheduled festival. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend, you have the option to seek a refund. All purchasers will be contacted via email with more information on how to make their choice.

As we continue to monitor the ongoing health crisis together with authorities, we encourage our fans to stay home, wash their hands, practice social distancing and be good to one another. We look forward to reuniting next year in beautiful Croatia for Ultra Europe 2021!" the organizers wrote last May. 

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March 16, 2021 - Organizer Joe Bašić is hopeful that Ultra Europe 2021 will be held this summer, as the electronic music festival in Split is still four months away. 

Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the growing speculation about the upcoming festival season, which starts in May. European countries are opting for various tactics: from COVID passports and mass vaccination of citizens to fast and accessible antigen tests, which could save events on the coast. Especially the ones organized by the UK.

Some of the world's largest music festivals have already written off 2021, but festivals in Croatia are not yet giving up. 

In Croatia, the outdoor festival season lasts from May to September, and since it came to Split, Ultra Europe is certainly the most popular event on the Adriatic. A three-day mass party with mainstream electronic stars brings tens of thousands of tourists and significant income to the city, and during the week of Ultra, Split garages, sheds, balconies, and yards are even rented. Festivalgoers sleep outdoors; some do not sleep at all. They come from all over the world, and they are there to have a good time.

Some locals are bothered by the crowds and noise, others by the garbage and clutter that is inevitably left behind after thousands of party-goers are in the city, but no one can deny the economic impact it has on Split. Will thousands of international party people march through Split with the flags of their countries again?

24 Sata reports that Ultra Europe organizer Joe Bašić hopes so. Still, the news from Miami, published just a few days ago, isn't too optimistic. Recall, Ultra in Florida has been canceled again, and the culprit is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is too early for any conclusions about Ultra in Split. There are four more months until then. We monitor the situation, and it changes from day to day. We are cooperating with the city, we respect the measures of the Headquarters, and we can only hope that everything will be fine by July," Bašić said.

Security restrictions are there for a reason, but there would be equal bans for caterers. Is it worth organizing the festival at all if it turns out that Ultra can only have 20% or 30% capacity and that guests must adhere to strict measures?

"We will have to sit down and see what can be done in such a hypothetical case and what cannot. I can't tell you anything more detailed so far; it's hard to be really smart at the moment," Bašić admits.

There is a lot of talk about 'COVID passports.' Spain will test the model in Ibiza, the celebrated mecca of partygoers, as early as May. If this proves to be a good enough protection model, they will implement it nationally in the summer season. Bašić says that nothing concrete has been said about it so far, but he will consider all the options that can help this year's festival in Split see the light of day. If the worst-case scenario comes true, Ultra will be transparent with its audience.

"We will refund the ticket money to those who request a refund, and for those who choose to keep the ticket, it will be valid next year. Our policy was the same last year," Bašić announces.

Just a week before Ultra, the Dimensions Festival is a treat for slightly different electronic music fans. This summer, it is moving from Istria to Tisno and Šibenik to St. Michael's Fortress, and despite the pandemic, the organizers announced that the music event is scheduled for July 1-5. For now, they expect that we will be able to have fun by some 'old standards.' It should not be forgotten that last summer, after the first wave of the virus subsided, a music festival experiment on Martinska succeeded. It was one of the few locations in Europe where several smaller festivals and concerts were held, and where no increase in the number of cases was recorded.

Outlook and Seasplash festivals have already been announced, and additional information about Membrain, Blast, Regius, Kanal Fest, Slurp! will be released soon.

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

March 8, 2021 – Considering the fact that it was canceled in Miami for the second consecutive year due to the coronavirus pandemic, will the Ultra Europe Festival be held in Split this year?

As Slobodna Dalmacija reports, the dial on the official website of Ultra Europe is still counting down the days until the Split edition of this famous electronic music festival. Precisely 123 days remain until the first of three evenings at Youth Park on July 9. The remaining two are scheduled for July 10 and 11, 2021.

The question is, however, whether Ultra Europe will be held in Split this year. Judging by the fact that it was canceled in Miami for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is increasingly likely that such a scenario awaits the city of Split, too.

Ultra was scheduled to take place in Miami on March 26, 27, and 28 but has now been moved to the same period next year.

"Given the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerning mass gatherings and public health considerations, we're deeply saddened to be forced to reschedule Ultra Music Festival to 2022. We understand the disappointment and frustration that comes with reading this, as we feel and share it as well. We eagerly await the opportunity to safely produce what will certainly be the most memorable Ultra in our 22-year history. We miss you all tremendously and can't wait to reunite on the dance floor to create more unforgettable memories with you," reads the statement on the festival's official Facebook page.

An identical thing happened last year, when, due to the fear of spreading the coronavirus, Ultra in Miami was first canceled. And then, in mid-May, an official announcement arrived that Ultra was being postponed in Split.

Despite the pandemic, some significant events such as the Eurovision Song Contest, the European Football Championship, and the Olympic Games are planned to take place this year, and various scenarios regarding the audience have been prepared. It seems that Ultra does not have such scenarios, considering that it is almost impossible to maintain a safe distance among so many people. Hence, vaccination is the most viable solution and one of the preconditions for holding this famous festival again.

At the beginning of February, the Ultra Festival organizer Joe Bašić said for Enter Zagreb that it would be possible to assess better the circumstances related to COVID and the possibilities of organizing the festival in 60 days.

"As responsible organizers, we monitor events and work closely with the authorities, as well as all those responsible for making decisions for visitors' safety and the festival. Internationally, we work with several groups of people to find a solution for the festival's future, from COVID passports to quick tests. I've participated in more of these conversations, trying to find a solution, but, unfortunately, it's hard to be smart. Every day something changes, and we, as serious and responsible organizers, cannot confirm anything. We also cannot make decisions without an official decision from the state and the city," said Bašić.

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