From The Garden in Croatia to The Alps - A Winter Garden!

Croatia festival devotees will, of course, know all about The Garden in Croatia. You’ll know about The Garden being one of the original dedicated festival sites, started in Petrcane in 2004, to The Garden Festival itself (founded in 2006) to the current The Garden Tisno site that’s home to so many of the best festivals in Croatia. The impressive duo behind all of these ventures, Nick and Charlotte Colgan, haven’t even stopped there! They also run The Garden Brewery in Zagreb and The Garden Lounge in Zadar, and are involved in many a festival with The Garden Productions. Now, twenty years since The Garden first came into being, they are launching a brand new event – A Winter Garden, taking place in the renowned ski destination of Obertauern from the 8th to 12th December 2025.

The Winter Garden, Obertauern, 8th - 12th December 2025

About A Winter Garden

An exclusive and intimate festival for 350 guests, with the potential to expand in 2026, A Winter Garden will be a truly boutique event offering pristine snow, great skiing and awesome wellness experiences. Many of the rooms and suites at [PLACES] Obertauern by Valamar, which will be the focal point for much of the indoor action, have been booked up with only 75 packages remaining.

Plenty of fun will be had during the four nights of music from Gerd Janson, Shanti, Olive F, Dave Harvey, Chez Damier, Ellie Stokes, Ilija Rudman, Guru Logic (Live), Mark Broadbent, Pepi Jogarde and more.

A Winter Garden offers guests 11 specially designed packages which including accommodation, breakfast, dinner, wellness access, and the music programming – a unique experience which heralds a fresh chapter for Nick and Charlotte and their team.

The concept for A Winter Garden has existed for quite some time. During last winter’s visit to Obertauern, Charlotte and I found everything aligned perfectly – the stunning hotel, top-tier infrastructure, exceptional cuisine, expansive ski slopes, and unspoiled nature. We knew we’d discovered an ideal setting for a multi-year story very much rooted in the spirit of The Garden Festival. Also, 2025 is a pivotal year for us and we yearned for a new project which captures the essence of what we started in Croatia – only this time, instead of sun there’s lots of snow!

We’re curating a wonderful and enriching experience with everyone under one roof, sharing every moment, day and night. That’s what creates genuine magic – something that cannot be planned, but only felt by being a part of it.
Nick Colgan, founder of The Garden

For all fans of The Garden Festival or festivals in Croatia in general, this is a chance to be a part of something new and unique in a stunning location – and in a year that The Garden Festival team are celebrating their 20th anniversary in Croatia. Be one of the founding members of a story that’s sure to flourish in the coming years!

The Garden Resort in Croatia at nighttime - credit Khris Cowley — The Garden Resort in Croatia (Credit: Khris Cowley)

A Winter Garden Timetable

Each day will begin with sumptuous breakfast for all before enjoying one of the alpine activities! Skiing is of course the top draw, with more than 100 kilometres of prime slopes available right on your doorstep. You could also chose to undertake a scenic hikes through beautiful landscapes. Whatever way you work up a sweat, you’ll need to enjoy a spot of après-ski with gatherings hosted by Hohcajt from Zagreb. If there’s ever a day when you don’t fancy some outdoor fun, enjoy instead some relaxation time in the on-site spa and swimming pool.

All of this leads into the amazing evening entertainment! South African virtuoso Guru Logic will enchant guests with a pre dinner live performance by the fireplace in the hotel lounge, whilst vibrant nights will be had by all on the top floor of the hotel. Why? Well, The Garden’s legendary Croatian night club, Barbarella’s, will be hosting a pop-up edition bringing A Winter Garden fully to life each night with special guests that are linked to The Garden Festival.

These include core Garden residents, celebrated international DJs and top regional talent who have all contributed to the scene alongside The Garden team for years. Croatian collectives from Zagreb including Planet Srijeda, Dobar House, and Late Check Out will take the helm for three nights, whilst long term partners Love International from the UK will round off the closing celebrations.

Our aim is to deliver renowned international acts alongside exceptional local talent, Music remains central to all we do, including bringing Barbarella’s to the Alps. Our son Ben is now head of events at The Garden and our latest project Mali Barbarella’s (Little Barbarella’s) is a pop-up version of its big sister is in full swing in Zagreb, so it’s very much a family affair for us which is our whole philosophy. Our mission is to unite people through shared experiences, which at A Winter Garden is from morning skiing to fireside conversations and late-night dancing. It’s about blending music, nature and connection and that’s where the magic of A Winter Garden lies; ski, dance, recharge and repeat.
Nick Colgan

Getting to the Festival

The host resort of Obertauern in Austria is super-easy to get to from all over Europe! It’s just a four-hour drive from Zagreb and only two hours from Ljubljana, whilst from Trieste it takes just two hours and 40 minutes. Even Munich in Germany or Graz in Austria are just two hour and a half hours’ drive away.

For those of you travelling from the UK, the nearest airport to Obertauern is Salzburg. There are many, many direct flights to here from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Southend, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and Edinburgh and flight times can be as short as two hours.