It’s the coast with the most and the liveliest party destination in Europe! Croatia has it all – amazing locations, top DJs and a natural predilection to push the boat out.
This year, along with regular favourites Sonus, Hideout, Outlook and Love International, look out for Gates of Agartha at an Ancient Roman quarry outside Pula, the spiritual get-together of the Mystic Mountain Festival in Rudopolje and the tenth year of the unsung but simply wonderful Goulash Disko in Komiža on Vis.
Note that tickets for many events may have already sold out but look out for resales and day passes and you might just be in luck. For all festivals, websites and locations are provided. Get involved!
JUNE
Mystic Mountain Festival
A world away from the headline DJs and mass partying on the coast, Croatia’s most unique boutique festival returns in June, at a location near the Plitvice Lakes, for a gathering of no more than 700 visitors. The Mystic Mountain Festival involves music, dance, workshops, seminars, lectures, group meditations, creative art and guided hiking tours. See our interview with festival founder and manager, Darko Pribeg, here.
Mystic Mountain Festival, Rudopolje. June 19-25.
Gates of Agartha
Hacked away by the Romans, the carved rock of the Cave Romane outside Pula provides the backdrop for DJs such as BBC Radio 1’s legendary Joseph Capriati, Italian house titan Marco Carola, new-school Dutch house star Chris Stussy, Spanish hitmaker Dennis Cruz and Greek mainstay Echonomist.
At the same time, a bespoke projection mapping show will unfurl a visual fusion of history and innovation across the towering walls of the quarry, in collaboration with cutting edge media collective OUCHHH.
This two-day odyssey of Gates of Agartha was conceived by the same team behind the Echoes from Agartha experience in Cappadocia, Turkey, who named it after the mythical kingdom on the Earth’s inner surface, celebrated by occultists a century ago. Pula is the first of their offshoot productions where art, culture, mystery and history collide.
Gates of Agartha, Cave Romane, Vinkuranska cesta 2, 52100 Vinkuran. From 8pm Friday June 23 to 7am Sunday June 25. Tickets available here.
Hideout Festival
After a record tenth, post-pandemic edition in 2022, Hideout returns for five days and nights partying at five open-air venues on Zrće beach on Pag. Among the scores of music masters will be Andy C, Chase & Status, Dan Shake, Eliza Rose, Jayda G, Joy Orbison, Patrick Topping and Sonny Fodera. The UK’s Hannah Wants returns to Hideout on June 25. Look out, too, for the crew from UK label CruCast, Darkzy, Kanine, Lazcru, MC AD, Skepsis, Window Kid and Zero, plus international house talent Gorgon City, and garage innovator and UK chart topper Interplanetary Criminal.
Boat and beach parties keep the mood kicking, with water sports, quads and bungee jumping if you need to shake off the night before.
Hideout Festival, Zrće beach, Novalja, Pag. June 25-29.
JULY
Drop Zone Fest
Another Pag party kicks off July at Zrće beach, this one the Drop Zone Fest, a ‘holiday for hardstyle fanatics’ at two of the main outdoor venues there, Kalypso and Noa Beach Club. Colchester’s own Darren Styles, Scotland’s Joey Riot and Aussie DJ Code Black feature in the huge line-up, DZF essentially four days of outdoor pool parties, boat raves and main-stage antics, with events tagged on before and after.
Drop Zone Fest, Zrće beach, Novalja, Pag. July 3-6 with extra events on July 2 & 7.
Hospitality on the Beach
This week-long event comes back to its original Garden site of Tisno after an Albanian adventure in Dhërmi, promising drum & bass on four stages, boat parties and after parties. Festivalgoers are encouraged to explore the attractions outside the self-contained site – the fishing community of Tisno itself, the unique waterborne national park of Kornati, the historic city of Šibenik – making HotB more holiday than out-and-out hedonism. Yoga and massage treatments accentuate the fact that this is one of Croatia’s more grown-up celebrations, and all the better for it.
Hospitality on the Beach, Petrića Glava 34, Tisno. July 4-11.
Ultra Europe
Big names return to the Park Mladeži in Split for three days of EDM, the likes of Carl Cox, Charlotte de Witte and Martin Garrix accompanied by top-notch lighting effects and a truly up-for-it crowd. A location close to the centre of Croatia’s second city, Split, also allows the many international visitors to take advantage of the country’s best bar crawl around the Diocletian’s Palace and urban beach of Bačvice in the run-up to the opening day.
Ultra Europe, Park Mladeži, Split. July 7-9.
Love International Festival
Impeccably curated by The Garden crew, Love International is a moveable feast, taking some of the more outré DJs and producers around – Bears In Space, Iggy Dope, Norway’s mysterious Telephones – to a sandy beach near Tisno, Barbarella’s Discotheque, and the Argonaughty and Astral boats.
Love International also publishes its own vinyl records, limited-edition posters and fan-zin covering the history of this quirky yet significant event. Accommodation ranges from an apartment village overlooking Tisno bay, mobile homes, glamping, camping amid olive and fig trees, and sleek, retro airstream caravans.
Love International Festival, Petrića Glava 34, Tisno. July 12-18.
Seasplash
Now turning 21, the stalwart Seasplash celebrates the occasion at Cape Martinska across from the main centre of Šibenik with the usual mash-up of reggae, dub, ska and many things Caribbean on several stages.
Seasplash is one of Croatia’s oldest, continuously running music festivals. It is the country’s first festival dedicated to reggae and sub-genres. In previous years, the festival used various locations around Pula, becoming strongly associated with the site at Fort Punta Christo, which it shared with Outlook and Dimensions.
Moving to Šibenik in 2019, Seasplash kept its core audience, this year treated to a Zero Day on July 19.
The line-up for the main four days includes globetrotting Kiwi duo Pitch Black, London’s Channel One and its legendary sound system, and the long-established Zion Train, with more than 30 years of notable live performances behind them.
Camping is available along the seafront or you can plot up in Šibenik over the water and combine a city break with a day’s easy skanking.
Seasplash, Martinska, Šibenik. July 20 to 23 (Zero Day on July 19).
SuncéBeat
The lovechild of the UK’s legendary Southport Weekenders, SuncéBeat first set up in 2010, bringing a carnival atmosphere and savvy programming to the Dalmatian coast.
As always, the line-up for this week-long festival at The Garden’s Tisno site is an impressive one, with LA’s David Montoya, Chicago’s Wayne Williams and New York’s Danny Krivit gracing the stage. Williams also appears as part of the Chicago Chosen Few boat party on the Tuesday, with sailings taking place every day throughout the week.
The rest is given over to house, disco, techno, soul, funk and R&B, the pillars upon which this boutique fest has been built.
SuncéBeat, Petrića Glava 34, Tisno. July 20-27.
Day & Night
The four locales that make Zrće beach Zrće beach – Aquarius, Kalypso, Nomad and Papaya – share hosting rights for the four-day fest that lives up to its name.
This year’s names include popular Italo boxheads DJs from Mars, pin-up Dutch DJ Mike Williams and Danish house troubadour Marten Hørger. Throw boat parties into the mix and you can see why Italians flock here in serious numbers.
Day & Night, Zrće beach, Novalja, Pag. July 24-27.
Outlook Origins
Suitably named Outlook Origins this summer, this stalwart of Croatia’s festival scene goes back to its roots, returning to the bosom of The Garden family, where it all started at Petrčane outside Zadar. While Outlook was then keeping it real in Pula, The Garden moved out to Tisno, where Outlook brings a host of revered names, Goldie and LTJ Bukem among them.
It’s not all old hands – MOBO-winning DJ/producer Nia Archives comes fresh from a successful appearance at this year’s Coachella to headline the whole thing, which kicks off at the Barbarella’s Discotheque at Pirovac on opening night, July 27, then gyrates to the stunning Tisno beach site and legendary boat parties as July melts into August.
Outlook Origins, Petrića Glava 34, Tisno. July 27-August 1.
AUGUST
Membrain
Small and self-run, Membrain has been actively celebrating underground bass culture since 2016, discovering then taking over this site at Martinska, the green getaway destination of choice for generations of Šibenik locals.
Without losing touch with the old-school ethos underpinning the event, the Membrainers are always seeking to showcase the most interesting up-and-coming artists and labels in the genre.
This might be Vienna-based, Austro-Congolese drum & bass merchant and award-winning filmmaker Kimyan Law, promising Osijek DJ Minimalist or the rolling grooves of Łódź raver-cum-DJ, Bambi Uzi.
In between, you’ll find Japanese dubstep legend Goth-Trad and Eno-inspired multiinstrumentalist, Phaeleh. The setting is idyllic and close to one of Croatia’s most unsung destinations, Šibenik, the food is locally sourced and the overall vibe inclusive.
Membrain, Martinska, Šibenik. August 3-6.
Defected Croatia
The numbers say it all. Six days, four stages, 24 boat parties, 100+ artists and 5,000 househeads, all coming together at The Garden’s Tisno site, Barbarella’s Discotheque and on the Adriatic.
The line-up is suitably impressive, Roger Sanchez, Jellybean Benitez and Carl Craig among those due to appear, alongside Jamie 3:26, Honey Dijon and Derrick Carter, also linked in with Chicago.
Originally based in Pula, Defected followed Outlook’s lead by drifting south to this perfect festival setting a short walk from Tisno. Yoga and meditation sessions go with the territory.
Croatia Defected, Petrića Glava 34, Tisno. August 3-8.
BARRAKUD
Initially kicking off in 2012, BARRAKUD has brought some of the most popular names in techno to Zrće beach and this year is no exception. James Hype breaks into his busy summer – New York, Miami, Mysteryland – to make an appearance here, Marika Rossa honed her skills on the dancefloors of Ukraine, while top-selling Salmo is one of several Italians attracting plentiful traffic across the Adriatic to Croatia’s prime summer party spot.
BARRAKUD, Zrće beach, Novalja, Pag. August 6-10.
Mo:Dem Festival
Short for Momento Demento, the Mo:Dem Festival harks back to the halycon days of electronica get-togethers in Croatia when in-the-know locals would meet at designated spots in the Dalmatian hinterland. This week-long exploration of psychedelic sounds, cutting-edge visuals and experimental art takes place near a kayaking spot at Mjesto Primišlje, halfway between Ogulin and Slunj.
Rarely visited by Croatians let alone foreigners, this isolated site is accessible by Permansio transfer from major Croatian cities and Mo:Dem own shuttle service from Zagreb Airport. Once you’re here, you’re here, as they say. Camping is included in the ticket price.
Mo:Dem Festival, Donje Primišlje 11, Mjesto Primišlje. August 7-13.
Flamingo Republic
The four mainstay stages of Zrće beach host this unpretentious yet fun four-day bash, soon after the party balloons have been cleared away from BARRAKUD.
Everyone’s up for a good time, not least Swiss house DJ Antoine, Italian pair DJs from Mars and Israeli psytrance duo Vini Vici. Ideal for some light-hearted partying by the Adriatic.
Flamingo Republic, Zrće beach, Novalja, Pag. August 14-17.
Sonus Festival
The Sonus Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2023, with big names added to join Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, I Hate Models and many others at Zrće on Pag island. As outlined by co-founder, Dalibor Oliver Zjačić, in our recent interview, Sonus has kept ahead of the game by growing the brand internationally without ignoring the wishes of Croatians, working with a Germany-based booking agency to snaffle up some of the biggest names in the business well ahead of time.
For this birthday year, this means Kyiv duo ARTBAT, Manc pair Solardo, the cinematic bass sounds of Koven and Amsterdam’s Afro-influence Marrøn, among a cast of very many, cherry-picked from all corners of the house and techno spectrum, facilitated by a top-of-the-range sound system.
Keeping the music going on from dusk till dawn across the three stages provided by Aquarius, Kalypso and Papaya, with boat and pool parties a-plenty, Sonus also offers festivalgoers quiet spots, secluded bays and sun loungers for summer chilling.
Sonus Festival, Zrće beach, Novalja, Pag. August 20-24.
Dekmantel Selectors
This ‘Celebration of Sun, Music and Togetherness’ likes to keep its gatherings small despite the fact it could easily spread out and fill out the major festival site of The Garden Resort in Tisno.
Numbers are deliberately kept limited, with best use made of more secluded areas such as Magnolia and the Beach Bar, before after-dark festivities break out at the Voodoo. Party boats also come into play, of course, along with Barbarella’s Discotheque. Djrum, dreamcastmoe and Kikelomo are among those providing the sounds.
Dekmantel Selectors, Petrića Glava 34, Tisno. August 24-28.
Summer Peak
As college or work loom, Summer Peak allows you to forget about all that for one last week of seasonal partying to close out 2023 at Zrće beach. Cologne’s Tiefblau, vinyl aficionado 2elements and DJ Dey from Ljubljana keep the floor moving, with the option of catching the last of the summer rays from the throbbig vantage point of a party boat
Summer Peak, Zrće beach, Novalja, Pag. August 26-September 2.
Dimensions
Now in its third year at The Garden Resort in Tisno, this choice gathering of soulful electronic music masters and their followers ensure that the festival season goes out with a top-quality bang.
More than 120 artists delve into house, jazz and many things in between at this beachside location, at Barbarella’s Discotheque and on party boats negotiating the blissful waters in between. See September in with a sublime afterparty long after the break of dawn.
Dimensions Festival, Petrića Glava 34, Tisno. August 31-September 4.
SEPTEMBER
Goulash Disko
From the sublime to the Goulash Disko – a crowdfunded bash that goes where few music festivals have gone before, the more remote island of Vis. Stuck way out in the Adriatic, this more rough-and-ready destination was off-limits to visitors until relatively modern times and still feels a world away from the crowd-pleasing commerce of Split or Hvar, both connected to Vis by ferry or catamaran.
It was here, ten years ago, that the inaugural Goulash bash ‘connected the dots between the Balkan, Global and Tropical music scenes, and spread the love’.
This caucus of appealing performers – think Yodelling Sheep not Roger Sanchez – comes together seemingly on a whim, with beach parties equally capricious. It’s all bags of fun, of course, at a simply wonderful location where Hollywood A-listers can tuck into prime lobster without being papped.
Goulash Disko, Komiža, Vis island. September 13-17.