April 24, 2022 - The first edition of the sun-kissed and stunning Selected Festival will take place at the oldest club on Croatia's world-famous Zrće beach this June, featuring crossover dance music acts such as Flashmob, Endor, and many more. 

Namely, Club Euphoria has recently had a complete renovation and will open its doors for the first time from June 16th - 19th 2022, when Flashmob, Endor, Reblok, Dea Tosh, Groove Masters, Yakka, Full Ferry, Mony, and more will all play. 

Euphoria has been completely overhauled and will open its all-new doors in the summer of 2022. It will offer the most modern open-air dance floor on Zrće beach and will allow you to dance without stopping for three full days with internationally known headliners, right by the Adriatic sea. Next to the world-class music, you can enjoy plenty of local culture and cuisines and enjoy relaxing days on the beach, exploring water sports, jet skiing or all-day partying at one of the most famous party destinations in Croatia. 

The warm-up for the evening program is set every day from 4 pm - 10 pm at the official after beach location of Burra Beach House. Mingle with a cocktail in hand at a place that has become synonymous with good times while the finest house music is played to you by international DJs in a gorgeous setting. Selected Croatia comes to you from a young group of music lovers and promoters who have been creating unforgettable and unique experiences for some time, including the legendary Zadar Sunset Festival 2021. 

They host in beautiful locations along the Adriatic coast, and Selected Festival is the latest event waiting for you on the stunning island of Pag. Sun, sea, and good vibes are all included, so move fast to lock down one of the limited tickets from: https://www.entrio.com/event/selected-festival-2022-10827

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

March 19, 2022 - The countdown to the biggest BSH Island 2022 begins as the first wave of headliners is announced.

Playing the world-renowned Noa Beach Club on Croatia’s Zrce Beach from June 29th to July 3rd will feature Archie Hamilton, Ben Sterling, Blackchild, Dennis Cruz, Paco Osuna, and wAFF with many more to come.

BSH Island is one of the jewels in the Croatian festival crown and has been leading the way in the local scene in recent years. Its first edition in 2020 brought something new to the region, and the follow-up in 2021 made a mark on the international stage and now it returns to the Island of Pag for the bigger than ever third edition. This follows two much-talked-about festivals on Zrce Beach - BSH Island, which included a legendary party in the breathtaking 17th-century Fortress overlooking the sea hosted by Amnesia Ibiza, and the epic Amnesia takeover Croatia festival. It was a truly unique experience that offered something completely fresh away from the clubs on Zrce beach, and when you add in the fact that accommodation came in the form of a beautiful yacht docked at Noa Beach Club, it's no wonder BSH Island has made such a special impact. 

All this magic goes down at Noa Beach Club, one of the best in the region, right on the edge of the glistening Adriatic. As well as those amazing views, the dancing decks are all tastefully designed with lush palm trees and a killer sound system that makes it something like Croatia's answer to Ushuaia in Ibiza. It is once again set to be the scene of some steamy afternoon dancing, sunset sessions, and plenty of late-night mischiefs. 

Providing the scintillating sounds will be Spanish techno titan and long-time pioneer Paco Osuna and Cocoon's always up for it wAFF, who always lays down big rolling grooves. Then comes cutting-edge tech house from UK stars Archie Hamilton and Ben Sterling, Italian Hot Creations associate Blackchild, assured Spanish hit-making machine Dennis Cruz and a host of local support. This is just phase one, with much more to come.​​

As well as this first wave of names, you can expect off-site events like boat sessions, and secret pop-up parties that add another dimension to the festival this year. Move quickly to secure your ticket as they will sell out.​​

Tickets: https://www.noa-zrce.com/en/events/bsh-island-2022

Location: Noa Beach Club, Zrce Beach, Croatia

Date: 29th June - 3rd July 2022

For more, check out our lifestyle section 

February the 4th, 2022 - Adriatic festivals up and down the Croatian coast are set to make a return, albeit with higher prices included, following two years of painful stagnation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and its accompanying restrictions on gatherings.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, although they still have some reservations about the continuation of the global coronavirus pandemic and the issue of limits being placed on things such as international travel, and there are even more worries about inflation, the organisers of music festivals in Croatia seem to be relieved after two seasons of pure stagnation.

Adriatic festivals are set to return, and the famous Zrce already has a record booking with the return of some old and some new projects, Ultra is preparing for this year in Split and on the Dalmatian islands, Sibenik's Martinska, which last year showed impressive resilience to dire circumstances, is preparing for the summer and some new cooperation, and some Garden Resort festivals are already sold out.

Although only time will tell if the party business will return to the tracks off which the pandemic forced it back in 2020, optimism is currently high when it comes to Adriatic festivals in 2022.

Ivan Busljeta, the owner of the Papaya club on Zrce, is making no attempt to hide his sense of optimism. The most famous location of the entertainment industry in the entire country has been alive for the last two years with guests from across Croatia and the country's immediate region, without the usual international audience and the festivals that used to put this place firmly and at the very top of the Adriatic festival map.

Everyone missed the British market in the first place, which is crucial for the entire festival scene whether it be regarding guests or business partners, and the opening policy for travel now announced from the United Kingdom for the coming summer is an important stimulus.

"All of the old festivals are returning to Zrce this year, we start on May the 15th and the season will last until September the 15th. We'll start with the Zrce Spring Break festival, which brings 5,000 people to Novalja, the English festival Hideout with 15,000 visitors, then Sonus, the largest techno festival with 15,000 guests. At the end of June, the Fresh Island will return, and we have new partners from England who will also bring us several thousand people.

So, the numbers are phenomenal at the moment and I hope that the current narrative will be maintained, that all of the epidemiological measures will cease in the spring and that the novel coronavirus will be treated as a cold or flu and we will live a normal life again,'' Ivan Busljeta hopes.

In that light, Ryanair’s announcements are good, and reservations continue to be record-breaking for the low cost Irish airline. At the same time, enterprises working on Zrce are happy with Novalja's plans to invest more cash in local infrastructure, from a new marina and reception port to more roads, which is the basis for further investments in other facilities.

"There are new investments in 4 and 5 star accommodation, camps, a lot of private villas are being announced and realised, which could encourage the development of new segments of tourism on the island of Pag, for which there is a lot of potential. Just as Zrce still has a lot of potential for development, in which we have great support from the local community, the whole destination has the potential for the development of sports, adrenaline, gastronomy and even family tourism,'' said Busljeta.

What is worrying is the situation surrounding inflation and the rising prices of just about everything, which will spill over into the prices charged for varying services in all segments of tourism, from accommodation to catering and hospitality to basics like transport.

Although ticket sales are currently in the early bird phase, final festival ticket prices as well as other ancillary services are likely to rise, in order to maintain the viability of the business, especially after two years of stagnation.

Vedran Meniga, the co-owner and director of the company Positive Rhythm, one of the pioneers of the festival business in Croatia, is still looking forward to the next season and for Adriatic festivals to hopefully make at least a semi-normal return.

In addition to the famed Martinska location in Sibenik, Positive Rhythm, in partnership with Garden Resort, organises festivals in Tisno, and this year important anniversaries of their events are being prepared. The current state of reservations looks good, but Meniga also cautiously remembers last year's relaxation just before the summer.

“Although we strive to maintain the same standard at this early stage of ticket sales, we're part of the rest of the world as well and it's logical that we;ll have to adjust to prices as time goes on. We're also continuing to work in uncertain circumstances, although at the moment the situation looks better than it did last year. Still, let's remember that at the beginning of last summer there was an optimistic announcement from the British market, and later that all changed. In addition, the policy of adopting anti-pandemic measures in Croatia last summer worked against event organisers, we had to cope with the adoption of measures overnight, there were double standards, which is why last year was more stressful for event organisation than 2020.

Due to all of the above, we still have valid reservations, because we're aware that for sustainability, in addition to the local audience, we need foreign guests,who buy tickets in advance and plan a full trip. That said, we're currently working on Plan A, as if everything was normal, but we're ready for Plan B, depending on the situation as it unfolds,'' explained Vedran Meniga.

It's worth noting that Positive Rhythm was declared a possible world record holder in the number of festival and club events held in the two pandemic years behind us, with more than 10 thousand visitors in 2020 alone.

All six Adriatic festivals will be held on Martinska again this year at about 50 percent of the capacity from back in pre-pandemic, record 2019, with the 20th edition of their festival Seasplash and the tenth edition of Regius set to take place. The Slurp Festival will host a small overseas collaboration, for which the campaign will start in a couple of weeks, in addition to which the punk festival Kanal Fest, Membrain and Blast Fest are expected.

On top of the above, the Garden Resort in Tisno will be hosting the Outlook Festival, for which the first performing names have been announced this week, with tickets starting to be sold this Friday, while Dimensions is due to take place as ''normal'' in September.

Due to cost-effectiveness, Brexit and even the coronavirus pandemic, these Adriatic festivals eventually transformed into smaller ones, but apart from the local audience and the expected return of the British tourists and business partners, guests from distant, non-European markets such as America and Canada also showed interest.

For more on Adriatic festivals up and down Croatia, check out our travel section.

January 26, 2022 – Following one cancelled year and a hesitant 2021, Croatian Music Festivals in 2022 look to return to normal operations. Even before the end of January 2022, two favourite events in Tisno, Dalmatia – Defected Croatia and Dekmantel Selectors – have this week sold out all tickets!

For a whole new generation of young dreamers and visitors, Croatia is on their annual wish list because of its music festivals. Set by pristine waters and beaches, in the guaranteed sunshine of a Dalmatian summer, photos of Croatia's music festivals have travelled across the world and brought international acclaim.

In 2020, all of these music festivals (except veteran domestic events at Martinska, Šibenik) were cancelled. Even in 2021, neither full confidence nor the full schedule had returned – Ultra Europe (Split) and Love International (Tisno) remained absent.

However, if early indications are anything to go by, trust in the summertime spectaculars seems to have completely returned for Croatian Music festivals in 2022. In fact, even before the end of January 2022, two favourite events in Tisno, Dalmatia – Defected Croatia and Dekmantel Selectors – have this week announced they've sold out.

News revealed exclusively to Total Croatia News informs that the rest of the summer music festivals held at The Garden Resort, Tisno are not far behind - almost all are within sight of completely selling out all tickets.

How the lineup looks for Croatian Music Festivals in 2022 and where to buy tickets

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Love International, Tisno

In every corner of the country, you can find Croatian Music festivals in 2022. Some of these might have traditional folk music and dance, others might offer favourite local rock and pop acts who mostly sing in Croatian.

But, for international visitors looking for Croatian Music Festivals in 2022, there are an identifiable number of festival locations and events. By and large, these are the events that young people travel to Croatia specifically to attend.

Ultra Europe in Split: 8 July 2022 – 10 July 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Ultra Europe in Split

A 3-day event in Split with the world's top EDM DJs, incredible stage design and production with a definite wow factor. DJs confirmed so far include Adam Beyer, Afrojack, Alesso, Armin van Buuren, Joseph Capriati, Martin Garrix, Nina Kraviz, Oliver Heldens, Richie Hawtin, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet and Vini Vici.

This 8th Ultra Europe in Split will - for the first time - be followed by an extension of the party on several Croatian islands. The main festival takes place at Youth Park in Split from 8 July 2022 – 10 July 2022.

On 11 July 2022, Ultra Brač will visit Brač island's 585 Club. On 12 July 2022, there will be an afternoon beach party on the Pakleni islands, near Hvar island. Later that day, a nighttime event Resistance Hvar will take place at Carpe Diem Beach Club, Hvar island.

The Resistance Closing Party Vis is the last event and will take place on 13 July at the old Fort George (Fortica) on Vis island.

Tickets for Ultra Europe in Split can be purchased here. Up-to-date line-up details and entry requirements for Ultra Europe in Split can be seen here.

The Garden, Tisno 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Defected Croatia at The Garden Resort, Tisno

With the relatively recent addition of Defected Croatia, Outlook Origins and Dimensions to the 10+ year reputation of the Garden Resort roster, this festival site can now truly claim to be the epicentre of underground electronic dance music in Croatia.

Across its summer-long run, some of the world's best underground DJs visit this place, its beach and boat parties, plus the incredible open-air Barbarellas nightclub in nearby Pirovac. Each event lasts several days and is limited to between 5000 – 7000 people.

Up-to-date details of entry requirements for The Garden Resort, Tisno 2022 can be seen here. Here's the calendar of events for The Garden, Tisno in summer 2022...

Love International: 13 July 2022 – 19 July 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Love International

With a renowned reputation as one of the most welcoming and easy-going of all Croatia's festivals, the adored Love International returns after two years in 2022. It has been much missed. House, disco, techno and Balearic music in the main will this year come from the likes of Ben UFO, Craig Richards, Eliza Rose, Shanti Celeste, Saoirse, Moxie, Horse Meat Disco, Antal, Hunee, Palms Trax and Midland.

Tickets for Love International 2022 can be purchased here. Up-to-date line-up details for Love International 2022 can be seen here.

Suncebeat: 21 July 2022 – 28 July 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Suncebeat in Tisno

The longest-running festival associated with The Garden resort, Suncebeat traces its love affair with Croatia back to Petrcane, near Zadar, over 12 years ago. Actually, Suncebeat's heritage is even older – it's a spin-off event of the UK's 30+-year-old Southport Weekender. It, therefore, draws a slightly older crowd of house, disco and soul music aficionados.

The first wave of artists released for this 13th Suncebeat includes The Blessed Madonna, Kerri Chandler, Kenny Dope, Dave Lee ZR, Dam Swindle, Miguel Migs, Mark Farina, Horse Meat Disco, Natasha Diggs, Mike Dunn, John Morales, DJ Spen, DJ Spinna, Sadar Bahar, Terry Hunter, Children Of Zeus (live), Lukas Setto (Live), Djeff, Dan Shake, Ash Lauryn, Hyenah, Marina Trench, Lakuti, Elkka, Rich Medina, Boo Williams, Mafalda and CinCity.

Tickets for Suncebeat 2022 can be purchased here. Up-to-date line-up details for Suncebeat 2022 can be seen here.

Outlook Origins: 28 July 2022 – 8 August 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Outlook Origins in Tisno

A scaled-down version of the original Outlook, which used to take place in Pula. The event earned a reputation as being one of the most significant annual events for UK bass music and its soundsystem culture – covering music styles like reggae, dub, grime, drum n' bass, garage, dubstep, jungle, hip hop and more.

Line-up to be announced.

Tickets for Outlook Origins 2022 can be purchased here. Up-to-date line-up details for Outlook Origins 2022 can be seen here.

Defected Croatia: 4 August 2022 – 9 August 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Defected Croatia

Days and nights filled with sunshine, smiles and house music from one of the most successful independent house music record labels in the world. The 2022 line-up includes Moodymann, Carl Craig, Danny Tenaglia, Bob Sinclar, Honey Dijon, Jayda G, KiNK, A-Trak, Boys Noize, Heller & Farley, Kenny Dope, Mark Farina and Spen

International tickets for Defected Croatia 2022 have sold out. The last few remaining domestic (ex-Yu) tickets for Defected Croatia 2022 can be purchased here. Up-to-date line-up details for Defected Croatia 2022 can be seen here.

Dekmantel Selectors: 25 August 2022 – 30 August 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Dekmantel Selectors

A deliberately intimate and scaled-down sister event to the mammoth underground European festival Dekmantel. With a line-up that you could well describe as the DJs' DJs of choice, this year the underground selections come from the likes of Hunee, Daniele Baldelli, Kode9, Shanti Celeste, John Talabot, FAUZIA, Eris Drew, Identified Patient, Vladimir Ivkovic & Young Marco, Carista.

International tickets for Dekmantel Selectors 2022 have sold out. Up-to-date line-up details for Dekmantel Selectors 2022 can be seen here.

Dimensions: 1 September 2022 – 5 September 2022

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Dimensions

Techno, electro, drum n' bass, house, hip hop, reggae and bass music on this 10th anniversary year come from the likes of Helena Hauff b2b DJ Stingray 313, Raresh, Blawan, Mala, Caliber, DVS1, Marcellus Pittmann, Tama Sumo, Peach, Saoirse, Laurine, Francesco Del Garda, Soichi Terada, Sherelle, Eris Drew & Octa Octa, Sonja Moonear, D. Tiffany & Rosa Terenzi, Gene On Earth b2b The Ghost, DJ Storm, Batu.

Tickets for Dimensions 2022 can be purchased here. Up-to-date line-up details for Dimensions 2022 can be seen here.

Šibenik Music Festivals 2022 – Martinska, Seasplash and Project Vojarna

Martinska

Located on a perfectly secluded seaside peninsula, just outside the city of Šibenik, the Martinska venue hosts a summer-long run of intimate music festivals within fantastic natural surroundings. Events range from punk music and live concerts to more modern electronic styles. Most famous internationally is the reggae and dub event Seasplash Festival which celebrates its 20th birthday between July 14th - 17th 2022.

Project Vojarna

Just over half a decade old, Project Vojarna is a dance music event born from the collaboration of Šibenik electronic music enthusiasts. In its current standing, the main event is a 10-hour open-air rave held at a former military barracks just outside Šibenik. Each year the event grows in fame and stature. This year's event will take place on 23 July.

Up-to-date line-up details, links for tickets and entry requirements for all events at Martinska, Šibenik can be seen here.

Up-to-date line-up details, links for tickets and entry requirements for Project Vojarna, Šibenik events can be seen here.

InMusic Festival Zagreb: 20 June 2022 – 23 June 2022

InMusic Festival, Zagreb

The largest and most prestigious event for rock music and alternative in Croatia, InMusic has certainly put the country – and Zagreb – firmly on the international rock festival map. Taking place around Zagreb's Lake Jarun, the festival site welcomes campers from all over Europe for its four-day run.

2022's incredible line-up includes The Killers, Kasabian, Deftones, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Royal Blood, White Lies, Gogol Bordello, IDLES, Amadou & Mariam, Sleaford Mods, Fontaines D.C. Hinds, The Comet Is Coming, Dry Cleaning, Tamikrest and Nick Mason.

Tickets for InMusic Zagreb 2022 can be purchased here. Up-to-date line-up details and entry requirements for InMusic Zagreb 2022 can be seen here.

Solardo Presents Higher Dubrovnik

After two years of unforgettable sell out shows in Dubrovnik, mighty Manchester duo Solardo aim for a hat trick in 2022. In conjunction with Pollen Presents, Solardo announce their largest festival to date from September 23-27th: The pair curate their biggest ever line up with international tastemakers, showcasing some of the world's top house and techno talent, a testament to the Manchester duo’s musical depth. The first wave of names include Marco Carola, FJAAK, Nicole Moudaber, Mall Grab, Maya Jane Coles, Vintage Culture, Nic Fanciulli, Lee Foss and many more. After multiple sell out shows at WHP, Circus Liverpool & London, Higher is now set to grow into a multi venue event across this historic city

Lineup: Solardo, Marco Carola, Mall Grab, FJAAK, Nicole Moudaber, Maya Jane Coles, Vintage Culture, Nic Fanciulli, Lee Foss + more

Tickets: https://pollen.co/x/solardo-dubrovnik-2022-1

Date: 23rd - 27th September

Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia

BSH Island

BSH Island is one of the jewels in the Croatian festival crown and has been leading the way in the local scene in recent years. Its first edition in 2020 brought something new to the region, and the follow up in 2021 made a mark on the international stage and now it returns to Island of Pag for the bigger than ever third edition. This follows two much talked about festivals on Zrce Beach - BSH Island, which included a legendary party in the breathtaking 17th century Fortress overlooking the sea hosted by Amnesia Ibiza, and the epic Amnesia takeover Croatia festival. It was a truly unique experience that offered something completely fresh away from the clubs on Zrce beach, and when you add in the fact that accommodation came in the form of a beautiful yacht docked at Noa Beach Club, it's no wonder BSH Island has made such a special impact. 

Lineup: Archie Hamilton, Ben Sterling, Blackchild, Dennis Cruz, Paco Osuna, wAFF + more

Tickets: https://www.noa-zrce.com/en/events/bsh-island-2022

Date: 29th June - 3rd July

Location: Noa Beach Club, Zrce Beach, Croatia

Zrće beach on Pag island

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Hideout Festival, Zrce beach, Pag island

The summer-long run of parties on Zrće beach on Pag island continued last year. Although, in 2022 you should expect a return to pre-pandemic levels of attendance and hedonism. Along with that, the bigger named DJs will likely be returning in force during 2022.

Croatian Music Festivals in 2022: Hideout Festival

Taking place from Sunday 3rd July - Thursday 7th July, Hideout Festival 2022 is representative of this return to form. DJs like Andy C, Jamie Jones, Eats Everything, Camelphat, Jayda G, Hot Since 82, Sam Divine, Solardo, Shy FX, Richy Ahmed, Sonny Fodera, Skream, Gorgon City, Mike Skinner, Paul Woolford, John Summit, Alan Fitzpatrick, Darius Syrossian, DJ Seinfeld, Maya Jane Coles, Denis Sulta and Chelina Manuhutu will play house, techno, drum n' bass and UK bass music sounds to a crowd of 13, 000+

The sixth edition of Sonus Festival (here) takes place at Zrce between 20 August and 26 August 2022 with DJs like Adriatique, Âme, Amelie Lens, Andrea Oliva, Ben Klock, Chris Liebing, Dax J, Dixon, Hot Since 82, I Hate Models, Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, KiNK [live], Loco Dice, Maceo Plex, Monika Kruse, Pan-Pot, Patrick Topping, Ricardo Villa, lobos B2B Zip, Richie Hawtin, Richy Ahmed, Rødhåd, Seth Troxler, Sonja Moonear, Stephan Bodzin [live], Sven Väth, Black Coffee, Carl Cox, Denis Sulta, Desiree

Information about events in the summer season on Zrće beach, Pag island can be seen here.

Tickets for Hideout Festival, Zrće beach, Pag island can be bought here

December 16, 2021 - The clock is ticking for the much-anticipated return of Croatia's revered underground Sonus Festival.

Black Coffee, Carl Cox, Deborah de Luca, Denis Sulta, FJAAK DJ, and William Djoko plus many more have been added to the line up which already counted more than 40 international headliners. It all goes down across three celebrated open-air clubs on Zrce Beach from August 21 - 25, 2022.

Because of the ongoing uncertainty around the Coronavirus pandemic, Sonus wants to put customers at ease. As such, if you book with Sonus you are safe: even if the event gets cancelled the festival will refund tickets. There is also the option to do booking protection when you book your tickets so you can even get money back in case you fall ill. Also, there are payment plans available.

A lot more flights are set to be added to Croatia from all over Europe in the first part of 2022 so getting there will be easier than ever. Booking your accommodation through Sonus Festival and the official partner Festicket is the only way to guarantee that you won’t lose out in the event of an unforeseen cancellation.

Of course, once you arrive, you will bask in the natural beauty of the region with its stunning sweeping beaches, glistening ocean, and three world-famous coastal clubs Aquarius, Kalypso, and Papaya all providing the locations. The music will play non-stop from dusk till dawn for five days and nights. There are also plenty of quiet spots and secluded bays to explore as well as a wealth of sun loungers and meandering coastal walks to enjoy. 

Chief amongst the newly added names are South African house kingpin Black Coffee, plus the enduring UK techno icon that is Carl Cox, Italian selector Deborah de Luca, the always party-starting Scot Denis Sulta, a DJ set from the raw and rugged FJAAK DJ, and William Djoko and classy techno from Enrico Sangiuliano, Anfisa Letyago, Ann Clue and Desiree amongst much more. 

These latest names come on top of the likes of Ricardo Villalobos b2b Zip, KiNK (live), FISHER, Paula Temple, Amelie Lens, Reinier Zonneveld live, Sven Väth, Boris Brejcha, Rødhåd, Richie Hawtin, Dixon, and tens more, which makes Sonus 2022 the most mouthwatering edition yet.  

Tickets, Accommodation & Information:

www.sonus-festival.com

LINE UP ADDITIONS

Anfisa Letyago

Ann Clue

Black Coffee

Carl Cox

Deborah de Luca

Denis Sulta

Desiree

Enrico Sangiuliano

FJAAK DJ

William Djoko

FIRST WAVE NAMES

999999999

Adriatique

Âme

Amelie Lens

andhim

Andrea Oliva

ANNA

Ben Klock

Boris Brejcha

Chris Liebing

Dax J

Dixon

FISHER

Giorgia Angiuli live

Hot Since 82

I Hate Models

IMOGEN

Jamie Jones

Joseph Capriati

Joyhauser

KiNK live

Kobosil

Kölsch

Loco Dice

Luigi Madonna

Maceo Plex

Michael Bibi

Monika Kruse

PAN-POT

Patrick Topping

Paula Temple

Reinier Zonneveld live

Ricardo Villalobos b2b Zip

Richie Hawtin

Richy Ahmed

Rødhåd

Seth Troxler

SHDW & Obscure Shape

Sonja Moonear

Stephan Bodzin live

Sven Väth

Trikk

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August the 21st, 2021 - The world famous Croatian Zrce beach has been involved in a study carried out by the Croatian Institute of Public Health on the effects of clubbing in regard to the spread of the novel coronavirus.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, vaccination against the novel coronavirus, a liberal approach in the form of anti-epidemic measures against the spread of the pandemic and an indestructible desire for fun, with the good organisation of testing points, all saw Zrce beach get some significantly better results this season than expected.

Moreover, due to extremely good epidemiological results despite high traffic, the Croatian Institute of Public Health selected Zrce beach in their preparation of a study of the relationship between clubbing and the spread of the infection, which should provide many answers about this segment in the coming period.

The traffic at the end of the summer on Zrce beach will be taken care of by the closing festival brought to Croatia by Amnesia, one of the most famous clubs in the world from Ibiza. Clubs on Zrce beach entered the summer season ready for another year of improvisations, organising smaller festivals, and understanding that every day the risk of infection posed the potential closure of the beach.

Club Noa on Zrce beach had even better traffic in July and the previous part of August than in the same period in pre-pandemic, record 2019.

"Of course, we weren't allowed to work in June and this will be reflected in the annual results, as will the fact that there were no big festivals, but the rest of the summer was very successful, thanks to our guests who acted very responsibly and respected the order of things, I have every praise for them. Zrce beach was chosen as the location for testing because it is the location that has the largest sample of the population of at least 1500 to 2000 people a day, or between 500 and 700 people per club,'' revealed Zlatko Balasko, the owner of Club Noa.

Namely, Club Noa has become a partner of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, which, in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health Zadar, will prepare a study that should provide answers on the connection between clubbing and the spread of this particular infection, as well as the safety aspects of the industry, given all of the measures conducted on site.

Despite tension between the clubbing industry and  thedecision-makers on measures to protect the population from infection on the eve of the summer, Zrce beach praised the good cooperation with national and local civil protection directorates.

"Apart from proving that our industry is resilient, as well as the natural desire of young people to have fun, it has been shown that the liberal model of managing this crisis is justified, to which the state agreed and enabled us to work as much as possible. It's true, this year there were no big festivals such as Hideout, Sonus, Fresh Island, but, the traffic has been much better than we expected.

We put a lot of effort into it, the festivals were transformed into lower budget ones to reduce the overall risk, we developed new brands, several old brands used vouchers for tickets that couldn't be used last year, it's all part of the flexible business model we had to adopt,'' explained Boris Suljic, the owner of the Kalypso club, who this year brought the new brand Tattva to Zrce beach, a combination of a beach club and a restaurant whose development he expects to continue over the coming years.

By the end of the year, Kalypso is preparing three more smaller festivals, and the final “Ibiza Takeover Croatia”, which will be the result of the very important cooperation of all Zrce beach clubs with the Amnesia club from Ibiza and the company BSH Events.

We're told that this cooperation is really a big deal in this business, and a great recognition for the strongest Croatian party destination, although it must be admitted that this happened due to the fact that the coronavirus pandemic kept all clubs in Ibiza closed this summer.

Amnesia from Ibiza is one of the world's most famous clubs, which has been named the best global club four times at the IDMA Awards in Miami. Amnesia opened back in 1976 as a gathering place for hippie culture and bands. Numerous world-famous programmes were held at the club, and almost all the world's leading DJs have performed there.

The arrival of Amnesia in Croatia and the Ibiza Takeover Croatia festival is therefore a great recognition for Zrce beach, as well as an opportunity to promote Croatia and the island of Pag at the global level. Balasko pointed out that this could be the basis for future cooperation of these locations and with clubs from Ibiza.

"It's great that the world's strongest club from Ibiza has included us in its programme. These closing parties are very popular in Ibiza and it's great that we'll be able to end this season like that. The season has so far been a pleasant surprise, compared to what we expected at the beginning of the summer, with daily traffic of between 500 and 1000 people. We can also thank the National Civil Protection Directorate for that, as they've enabled us to reach the end of the season with strict controls and without incidents,'' said Ivan Busljeta, the owner of the Papaya and Nomad clubs.

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August 8, 2021 - Zrće COVID-19 testing is producing better results than expected. Out of almost 2,000 daily tests, only 2-3 return positive. 

The party island of Pag, and especially Zrće, remembers better days. Although up to five thousand people are there at night, it cannot be compared to 2019, when up to 13 thousand young people danced until the early morning hours. But tourism officials say the season is still better than last year. There are 4 testing points on the beach. More than 90 percent of the guests are foreigners, reports HRT.

Marsha came from Germany and broke her foot on the first day of her vacation in Novalja. She was so drunk that she didn't even notice, she told HRT. She added that ‘it doesn’t matter, mainly that she is negative for coronavirus.’

And to enter the beach after 9 pm, a negative test result or a Covid confirmation is required, along with the obligatory identification, so that there is no cheating. And then it all needs to be shown again in front of the club.

"We test an average of about 1,500 to 2,000 people a day at all points on the beach. On average, two to three of them are positive per day. One day there were eight of them," said Darko Božićev, a representative of the beach concessionaire.

They are being tested, among others, by Hilmo Demirović - a young medic who likes what he does on Zrće, even though he is there until 4 am. In case of a positive result, he explained, that person is automatically isolated through the passage, sent home, and is contacted by the epidemiologist immediately.

Then, if there is a possibility of repatriation or own transport - that person immediately returns to their place of residence, said Ivan Peranić, Chief of the Novalja Civil Protection Headquarters. 

Hassan from Germany and Alexander from France hope that they won't suffer that fate. They were vaccinated and said they had to come to Zrće. Alexander's mother was born in Split.

"Unfortunately, there is a lot of resistance in our country for vaccination - especially among young people. Unlike these young guests who are vaccinated in 90 percent of cases. That is fantastic," said Šime Oštarić, director of the Zrće beach concessionaire.

When it comes to the number of guests, the situation on Zrće is better than last year. But they are hoping for even bigger numbers soon. 

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July 31, 2021 - The Austrian Embassy in Zagreb has claimed that 250 positive COVID-19 cases in Austria are connected to the Austria Goes Zrće event in Novalja. 

"According to the information provided to the Embassy by the Austrian authorities, the festival "Austria goes Zrće" held in Novalja is likely the cause of the spread of coronavirus infection among the participants in that event. As of today, 250 festival visitors have tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Austria."

This is the answer from the Austrian Embassy in Zagreb to Novi List's question about how the Austrian media pointed out that in Croatia, at the festival in Novalja from 17 to 24 July, as many as 94 Austrians became infected with the coronavirus.

This caused a great deal of shock, and the competent services in Novalja reacted immediately to refute everything. According to their medically-based data, not a single Austrian left Novalja infected. Moreover, in Novalja, there are secured accommodation facilities in which all infected, if they wish, can spend an epidemiologically defined period before returning to their countries healthy.

The Austrian embassy wisely emphasizes the category of "probable," which, of course, gives the story a different light. Therefore, there is no definite claim because in Novalja, as in all other Croatian tourist centers, rigorous measures of testing and protection of tourists are implemented. After all, stringent police measures are in place to control the implementation of prominent epidemiological measures.

Given the seriousness of the situation and the severity of the claim, inquiries about the implementation of measures to clarify the situation were sent from Novi List to the Croatian Embassy in Austria, which in turn redirected them to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Still, neither they nor the Ministry of Interior responded to Novi List. 

More than 19,000 people came to the festival from Austria, most of them in their own cars or buses, according to Austrian media.

Judging by the statement of the Austrian embassy, ​​they diplomatically distanced themselves from the categorical claims of the Austrian media, claiming that the festival was a 'probable cause'.

The Novalja Civil Protection Headquarters and the local Tourist Board on Thursday refuted the articles according to which the "Austria goes Zrce" Festival was a breeding ground for at least 94 Austrians suffering from Covid-19. They pointed out then that there were 12 coronavirus positives in their quarantine and that there were no Austrians among them.

The head of the Novalja headquarters, Ivan Peranić, sharply denied the reports that there were 19,000 Austrian tourists at the festival and that there was a mass infection among them. He pointed out that in a week, from July 17 to 24, 12,151 tests were performed. Some people, he added, have been tested several times. 16 coronavirus positives were detected, but none of them were from Austria.

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July 28, 2021 - The new ECDC map, which places the Croatian coast in an orange zone, has alerted all localities and tourism boards in the region. Some destinations, such as Zrće beach on the island of Pag, have adopted their own measures and requirements to combat the pandemic effectively and save tourism.

After last week's session of the Government, when it was said that new measures apply to Dalmatian counties this week, which primarily emphasizes the control of the implementation of already introduced anti-pandemic measures, Večernji List interviewed Zrće beach concessionaires and Noa Beach Club owners to find out what this means for them.

The new measures came into force today, what do you plan to actually change compared to the previous measures? Will there be parties on Zrće beach?

"There will be entertainment and tourism, we are not giving up on the season or our business. The catering industry, as well as the organizers of concerts, festivals, and traditional events and musicians, are definitely among the most affected groups. We all struggle with the same problems. Precisely because we knew what all could await us this season, we were ready from day one. For a start, all our 400 employees were vaccinated with two doses of vaccine", says Josipa Žižić, spokesperson for the Noa group, and adds: "We were the last to go to the Noa Beach Club with the opening, to make sure everything was according to protocol. We have 100 people in the security of all entrance routes and 4 teams of medical staff for testing and verification''.

''We adhere to everything that the Headquarters and the Institute point us to. At the moment, we only let people into the facilities who have been vaccinated, have a PCR or Covid antigen test made when entering the Covid free zone. We use the CovidGO mobile application, which reads the correctness of EU digital COVID certificates, and which is impossible to bypass, and if all the conditions are not met, we do not allow entry. We go a step further, we plan to introduce even stricter measures - a quick test will no longer be valid for 48 hours, each entry will mean a new test and a spot check that the test is negative. I think that this direction is good, considering that we have not had any infected people yet and that everything is going according to plan without any complications."

Are there any plans to tighten more measures on Zrće beach, if possible, given that you are already adhering to all the prescribed measures?

"Every day, over 4,000 people enter through our three checkpoints. From 01.07.2021, we test over 1000-1200 people every day at a total of three entrances with over 20 wardens. At the same time, we control the entrance to the beach and the control of the entrance to the clubs, which would mean that each visitor goes through the checkpoints twice, all for the purpose of respecting the measures and quality control of our visitors and their safety. For each entry to the beach, in the Covid free zone, it is necessary to have a Covid passport proving vaccination, ie that they have overcome the disease in the previous 180 days, have a PCR or rapid test. All those who do not have a Covid passport issued for vaccination or overcoming the disease, will have to, according to the next stricter measures we plan to introduce, make a test that is valid only for that one entry", said Sime Oštarić, director of Nasa doo. We also asked what exactly these stricter measures mean: “With each entry, visitors will have to have a new test, so we will even leave the practice of 48 hours of the valid test. There are currently no infected people on Zrće beach, tourism has been taking place here for some time, and there are no hotspots, with these measures I do not know how it would be. Even the Hideout festival was canceled, which was usually attended by a lot of visitors from Great Britain", answers Oštarić.

"This is what we live on, it is in our least interest for anyone to leave Zrće beach infected. We plan to continue to follow the instructions and, I repeat, tighten the measures. If all guests are vaccinated, if they take a test on the spot and if we no longer allow even a 48-hour test, and later we only receive vaccinated on the model of Greece, which has already started to do so, then really the danger of hotspots should not and will not be. So far, we have controlled over 60,000 people and tested over 20,000, and statistics show that 90% of our guests are vaccinated mostly with two doses of the vaccine. Moreover, since the beginning of the season, in total with the city of Novalja, at 6 points, we have tested more visitors than the whole of Croatia", adds Žižić.

One of the suggestions was on-site vaccination?

"As we announced, we plan to soon introduce a measure according to which only vaccinated guests can enter, just as Greece has already done. Regarding vaccination on the spot, we discuss this with the competent institutions, we will be guided by their instructions, recommendations, and possibilities. But this is certainly another method that we are willing to implement and organize so that Zrće beach and Noa remain a safe place as before", Žižić answers.

If you want to know more about Zrće and the island of Pag, be sure to check the Total Croatia guide, where you will find everything you need to know from how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, and what to do on one of the most popular islands of Croatia. Now in your language!

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 26 July, 2021 - The Croatian Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by British national Douglas Cane, upholding a ruling sentencing him to 24 years in prison for murder and attempted murder at the Zrće beach on the northern Adriatic island of Pag in June 2018.

Without revealing the identity of the accused, the Supreme Court said that the sentence by the appellate court was appropriate given the accused's profile and the circumstances of the crime.

The Supreme Court said that the sentence was neither too harsh nor too lenient, recalling that Cane was sentenced to 17 years in prison for murder and to eight years for attempted murder and that he was given a combined sentence of 24 years.

The court cited his earlier convictions in the UK and his attempt to flee Croatia after the crime. He had shaved his head in an attempt to disguise his identity, police said at the time.

Early in the morning of 27 June 2018, after an argument with three persons, Cane attacked and stabbed Briton Ugo Wilson to death. The other victim, also a Briton, rushed to help Wilson but Cane stabbed him as well, using a sharp object resembling a knife. The man was rushed to the hospital and survived.

The media said at the time that it was most likely a showdown of drug dealing gangs.

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