Time Out Croatia news

The capital’s most dedicated rock venue offers two days of high-energy tribute acts celebrating four iconic bands. Hard Place is known for its uncompromising devotion to heavy rock, living proof that the genre is alive and well and living in Zagreb. This year’s Rock Massacre festival, begins tonight, February 7, and continues on Saturday evening. Friday sees performances by Sucker Train Blues and Old Flame entertaining crowds with hits from Guns N’ Roses and Thin Lizzy, while Saturday brings covers of perennial hits from Metallica and Motörhead as imagined by Inciter and Legacy Of. For both nights, the cost of entry is €10 on the door or €14 for a two-day pass, both also available online here. Doors open at 8pm with live sounds from around 10pm. Where: Ulica Hrvatske bratske zajednice 4When: February 7-8, from 8pmAdmission: €10 on the door; €14 for 2-day pass

Eco-friendly trams for Zagreb’s extensive public transport network have just been unveiled in the Croatian capital. Due to come into force in the spring of 2026, possibly sooner, the low-floor NT2400, adapted for prams and wheelchairs, and equipped with USB ports and video surveillance, has been developed by Croatia’s most talked-about company, KONČAR. Specialising in electric vehicles, this award-winning Zagreb manufacturer actually dates back over a century, spending its early decades making generators and motors. It is now leading the way in the region for the roll-out of trams and locomotives as the world switches from fossil fuels to green energy. The new model showcased in Zagreb is more than 20 metres long and can accommodate (and count) 115 passengers. It runs on a combination of overhead electricity and battery power, thanks to a recharging system which kicks into action as the tram brakes.

Linking the Dalmatian port of Ploče with the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo by train, the line that weaves through the beautiful landscape of Herzegovina will soon be reopening for passenger traffic. The news follows several positive developments in the railway infrastructure of Croatia and surroundings, in line with recent investments across Europe to attract travellers back on board, and ditch cars and planes. In the summer of 2024, an affordable service between Trieste and Rijeka proved hugely popular while the night train trekking from Budapest to Split had to be extended until later in the season, such was the demand. While Ploče as a destination may not be on a par with Split or Dubrovnik, located almost exactly between the two, it’s a convenient transport hub and the perfect departure point to reach Bosnia’s celebrated multicultural capital. The train also stops at equally alluring Mostar, main city of Herzegovina. Journey time between Ploče and Sarajevo is around four hours. Passenger services are scheduled to start up again from Monday, February 10, ten days after the successful testing of freight trains along the same route. For tickets and schedules, see Bosnian rail.

After a successful inaugural run last summer, the Melin Jazz Festival returns for five days of quality performances. Held at Zagreb’s revered Grof Melin bar, the event aims to unite audiences with top musicians from the region, in a casual atmosphere which rejects the idea that the genre can only be enjoyed in a stuffy high-brow context. Starting tonight, Tuesday, February 4, with the Sandra Halužan Quartet, the festival schedules one show a day, giving audiences the chance to experience a cross-section of Central Europe's modern jazz scene. After tonight’s curtain-raisers, acts from Croatia and Austria tread the boards, with doors opening at 8pm and musicians taking to the stage at 9pm. The price of admission differs, but the most a night of live music will cost guests will be €10. The final day will see a concert plus a closing party, admission €5, tickets on the door. For a full line-up and day-specific admission information, check the festival’s event page. Where: Grof Melin bar, Kožarska 19When: Feb 4-8. Doors open 8pm, concerts 9pmAdmission: €5-€10 (day-specific)

Recently knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours List, Sir Wayne McGregor is best known for his groundbreaking fusions of contemporary and classical dance, as demonstrated by his work with the Royal Ballet where he is resident choreographer. This month, for four nights, a performance of McGregor’s DYAD 1929 is being staged at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, starting this Saturday, February 8. The piece is inspired by the seminal Ballets Russes, a travelling company which broke artistic barriers around the world for three decades, between 1909 and 1929, when their artistic director Serge Diaghilev died in Venice. First performed by The Australian Ballet on the centenary of Diaghilev's Paris debut in 1909, DYAD 1929 features music by contemporary composer, Steve Reich. On the same bill is a piece by Massimiliano Volpini, an Italian choreographer and Ballet Director at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. Light Through the Fingers involves instinctive human reactions to situations arising from AI and everyday life. Macedonian composer Marjan Nečak provides the music. DYAD 1929/Light Through the Fingers, Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Trg Republike Hrvatske 15. February 8, 11, 21-22. Tickets and schedule here. Performances run for 80 minutes.

There are many ways to enjoy the natural beauty of Croatia, including cable-car rides, mountain hikes and sailing trips. But perhaps the most spectacular view comes courtesy of the Balon klub Zagreb, who give visitors the chance to take a romantic ride in the sky in a hot-air balloon. Usually taking off from the Jarunski or Krapinsko Zagorski airfield (depending on wind conditions), the flight takes guests over the gorgeous Zagorje region in northern Croatia, separated from Zagreb by the Medvednica mountains. A typical experience lasts three to four hours all told – an hour of flight followed by a glass of champagne on the ground during a balloon baptism ceremony when all participants gain a membership certificate. Private flights for two are also on offer, complete with a glass of bubbly at 1,000 metres up. The standard price is €250 per person for a ride in a four-to-six person balloon, reduced to €240 if you’re in a group of two or more. Children under 12 can board for €180 (as long as they’re above 120cm tall), while the exclusive flight for two package runs at €800. For booking information, check out the club’s website Croatian-language website for phone contact details or fill out this simple reservation form. 

The Istrian resort of Rovinj is laying on a number of special events for Night of the Museums this Friday, January 31, when attractions across Croatia will be open to the public for free. This will be 20th time that Rovinj has staged this cross-city, family-friendly celebration. Things start up at 6pm when the Rovinj City Museum (Trg maršala Tita 11) throws open its doors to offer a number of activities, allowing visitors to play the Roman game of tabula, along with lectures and exhibitions. You can find seafood specialities and local live music being laid on at the Spàcio Matika (Vladimira Švalba 35), integral to the Batana Museum (obala P Budicina 2) where the namesake traditional boat is in focus. Further round the seafront at Trg brodogradilišta 2, photos by Aldo Pokrajc showcase life in Rovinj feature in an open-air exhibition. Events wind down at 10pm. For more details, see the Croatian-language page, addresses and opening times reasonably easy to work out. For more about Night of the Museums in Dubrovnik, see our recent article.

The Lisinski, Zagreb’s famous concert hall, is hosting a benefit concert aimed at helping Ukrainian children forced to move to Croatia as a result of the ongoing conflict. The event will be headlined by the Ščedryk ensemble and backed by AnnaDel, a Ukrainian singer based in Zagreb, with further performances by representatives of contemporary dance school Ana Maletić, and students from the Elly Bašić music school rounding out the programme. The benefit is being organised by the Ukrainian Society of the City of Zagreb with support from the Ukrainian Embassy and the City of Zagreb. Tickets, with proceeds going to the aid of children, are available here for €20. Where: Lisinski Small Hall, Trg Stjepana Radića 4When: January 31, 7.30pmAdmission: €20

This Friday, January 31, Dubrovnik is holding its annual Night of the Museums, with free admission around town, entry until 1am and special events also laid on. The occasion dovetails with the run-up to the Feast of St Blaise celebrated on February 2-3, allowing some institutions to theme their activities, such as the interactive game at the Ethnographic Museum. While the evening programme of lectures scheduled at the Rector’s Palace is aimed at Croatian speakers, the Maritime Museum will be offering model-making and face-painting for children while adults can peruse exhibits related to Dubrovnik’s seafaring heritage. Other venues taking part include the Revelin Fortress and a carpentry workshop in Miha Pracata, just off Stradun. Visitors can also buy souvenirs and publications at all museums for a discount of up to 20 per cent. Events begin across town at 6pm. For details, see here.

A 13-minute feature depicting the tense build-up to a massacre during the Yugoslav war in 1993 has just been nominated for an Academy Award in the best Live Action Short Film category. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent was directed by Zagreb-born Nebojša Slijepčević and co-produced by Zaprešić-based Antitalent. It is the first Croatian film to be nominated for an Oscar. The ceremony takes place on March 2. “I'm overjoyed that we received the nomination, but it’s still a bit unreal,” said the 51-year-old director. “I'll probably only fully understand what we’ve done when we pack our bags for Los Angeles. Throughout this long Oscar campaign, the exceptional support of the entire film community has meant a lot to me. I especially want to thank all our filmmakers who cheered us on, talked about our film, shared clips and invited Academy voters to our screenings.” Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent focuses on a heroic officer who intervenes on behalf of a young Bosniak in his compartment as a train is stopped by paramilitaries. The retired soldier, an ethnic Croat, is then carted off to an unknown fate, along with 18 Bosniak civilians. The film explores themes of courage, compassion and brutality in a claustrophobic train corridor in a little-known corner of eastern Bosnia.