A new festival for Croatia in 2017 - Beats, Beer and Boogaloo!

There’s a brand new festival in Croatia for 2017, and one with an exciting twist! The very intriguingly named Beats Beer and Boogaloo will take place at the epic Garden Tisno from Thursday 13th to Monday 17th July and just this week they have announced the first wave of artists that will be appearing at the event.

Craig Charles’ Funk and Soul Club and Nick and Charlotte Colgan from The Garden Festival and The Garden Brewery have teamed up to establish this unique festival on the Dalmatian coast. As well as live artists and DJs providing a funked-up soundtrack, a whole host of craft beers from around the world will be available to enjoy.

Beats Beer and Boogaloo Croatia - artists and breweries

Artists performing at Beats, Beer and Boogaloo

Headliners at Beats, Beer and Boogaloo include Hot 8 Brass Band, a New Orleans brass band that blend hip-hop, jazz and funk styles with traditional New Orleans sounds to an incredible crowd-rousing effect; and iconic American R&B singer Geno Washington And The Ram Jam Band who together released 5 albums in the 1960s.

Hot 8 Brass Band

Also on the bill is the Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band (plus special guest) which was created when Craig asked his show’s listeners who would be in their favourite funk band; since 2007 the band’s various members have performed at festivals around the world. Detroit-based Amp Fiddler is a celebrated soul/funk musician who has shared stages and studios with everyone from Prince and George Clinton to Primal Scream and underground Detroit producer Moodyman. Craig Charles himself will be DJ-ing at the festival; one of the UK’s foremost funk and soul spinners, his encyclopaedic knowledge is at the fore each time he gets behind the decks. Guts (solo/MPC) is sublime hip-hop disciple of immense repute, whilst Kon is the last of an increasingly rare breed of dedicated crate diggers, bringing his deep knowledge of obscure goodies to clubs and festivals worldwide.

Amp Fiddler

Other acts on the festival line-up include Smoove and Turrell, The Haggis Horns, The Reflex, The Allergies, Lack of Afro joins, Al Kent, Rayko, Pablo Contraband (Disco Deviant), Shaka Loves You, Eddie, Piller, Jackson Tyson Charles, Big Danny Kane, Dean Sunshine Smith, Madnice and Darryl Marsden (Ghetto Child).

A collective of Croatia’s leading DJs and crate diggers will also be appearing including The Funk Delegation Croatia, Bocca Sofistifunk, Borovich, Chill, D-Gree, Dr. Smedi Secer, Jopa, Pips, Slipmat, Soul Bader, Tomo Ricov, Umbo, Venom and Werft. Further Croatian support comes from Mate Kokic, Nick & Pepi, Nikola Smiljanic Trio and Rolin Humes.

But what about the beer side of things? The Garden Brewery will be showcasing their full range of products at Beats, Beer and Boogaloo. Rated as Croatia’s best new craft brewery in the country for 2016 by RateBeer.com, their presence is sure to delight many of festival’s crowd. Several other craft breweries have also been announced, each a pioneer from their respective nation offering their delicious beers to savour. From London there’s Gipsy Hill, Five Points, Four Pure and Magic Rock; Dogma from Serbia; Bevog from Austria; and three from Croatia: Nova Runda, LAB and Zmajska. Each brewery will bring two types of beer to feature on a long tap bar, and everyone will be able to sample more than 30 beers during the festival – more breweries will be announced soon from across Europe.

Whilst Beats, Bear and Boogaloo is keen to offer up something different for the Croatian festival scene, there will also be much that will feel familiar. Will new unique festival elements such as street food, tutored drinks tastings, and a carnival procession through the streets of Tisno, there’s also festival favourites such as boat parties and club nights at legendary Barbarella’s.

2014, The Garden Festival, Tisno, Croatia, Summer, beach, party, Festival

The Garden Festival 2014

The Garden Festival – which finished on its 10th anniversary in 2015 – originally catalysed the whole festival scene in this part of Croatia, with visionary founders including Nick and Charlotte Colgan instigating what has become one of the world’s most talked about dance music destinations. Post Garden Festival, Nick and Charlotte then launched their most ambitious project to date – building from scratch The Garden Brewery in Zagreb, which has produced 17 different beers shipping to 25 EU countries. They have further plans for expansion in 2017 and beyond as well as a dynamic programme of music too.

The Garden Brewery (credit: Antun Cerovecki)

Tickets for Beats, Beer and Boogaloo

Limited early bird tickets cost £80 for the whole weekend, which also includes two nights at Barbarella’s! Tickets can be purchased here: beatsbeerandboogaloo.com/tickets/.