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Soundwave Croatia Boat Parties and New Acts!

One of Croatia’s top summer music festivals, Soundwave (Thursday 4th to Monday 8th August 2016), recently announced exciting details of new names that have been added to their line-up…as well as info about the all important Soundwave Croatia boat parties!

Soundwave Croatia

Already bursting with top names on the bill for the festival’s eighth edition – see our post on the latest artists added to the Soundwave bill – the three new acts to be added to the line-up are LTJ Bukem, Congo Natty and Jazzanova. They’ll join acts performing at Soundwave such as Pharoahe Monch, Calibre, Craig Charles, Gentlemen’s Dub Club, Channel One Sound System and many, many more.

Soundwave Croatia - LTJ Bukem
LTJ Bukem

Drum and bass pioneer LTJ Bukem is one of the UK’s most iconic names, with his Good Looking label embracing the jazzier, more atmospheric side of the scene. And leading the Jungle Revolution is the amazing Congo Natty; the lauded Rebel MC blends African-inspired rhythms and heavy urban beats in his rousing sets. And the revered eclectic collective from Berlin, Jazzanova, have been busy producing, composing, arranging, remixing and DJing for many years, continuing to create magic in clubs, the airwaves, their studio and live on stage, with their label Sonar Kollektiv one of Europe’s most respected.

Soundwave Croatia Boat Parties

But what about the boat parties, you say? As ever, these will all take place on the legendary vessel The Argonaughty and are a core part of the festival – what’s better than partying it up on the Adriatic waters? With sun-kissed frivolity by day and star-speckled mayhem at night, make sure you snap up www.soundwavecroatia.com for one (or more!) or these parties quick!

Thursday 4th August

BOAT 1. DUB TO JUNGLE
Plates Records & Circles.
13:00 – 18:00

BOAT 2. THE DISCO BOAT
Bedmo Disco, Origins & Harvey Sutherland.
19:30 – 23:00

Friday 5th August

BOAT 1. THE CRAIG CHARLES FUNK & SOUL BOAT
Craig Charles, Bitesize DJs & Jack Tyson Charles
13:00-16:00

BOAT 2. THE SUNSHINE REGGAE BOAT
Channel One Sound System & Lively Up
16:30-19:30

BOAT 3. TUCKSHOP SUNSET BOAT
Jazzanova / Manu & Ando / Russ Ryan / Tappa / Mentú
20:00-23:00

Soundwave Croatia Boat Parties

Saturday 6th August

BOAT 1. SFSC & GOODLIFE PRESENT THE HIPHOP BOAT
Josey Rebelle / Menendez Brothers / TwoGood / Dj Mylz / Bloxed Beats
13:00-16:00

BOAT 2. EGLO RECORDS BOAT
Alexander Nut, Fatima & Noah
16:30-19:30

BOAT 3. THE SOUNDCRASH BOAT
Special Guest TBA, Bamboomann, Mo Fingaz & Bobafatt
20:00-23:00

Sunday 7th August

BOAT 1. TRU-THOUGHTS VS. FIRST WORD RECORDS
With J-Felix, Harleighblu, Gilla

BOAT 2. THE SOUL BOAT (HOW x STFD)
With Dan Shake, Flo Real & Jordan Rakai
16:30-19:30

BOAT 3. DUB TO DRUM&BASS BOAT
DRS / Eva Lazarus / GDC Sound System / Rich Reason (LVLZ)
20:00-23:00

Monday 8th August

BOAT 1. RIOT JAZZ BRASS BAND ON A BOAT
Riot Jazz, Taste The Diff’erence, Chunky & Rich Reason
15:00 – 18:30

BOAT 2. CLOSING BOAT
Staff, friends & family, Dan Shake & Harleighblu
19:30 – 23:00

More on Soundwave

Take a look at our guide to Soundwave, or check out the official www.soundwavecroatia.com where you can find all the info you need. And look them up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest festival news!

Soundwave Croatia Dan Medhurst
Credit: Dan Medhurst
Soundwave Croatia 2016

Win tickets to Soundwave Croatia 2016!

The eighth edition of Soundwave (4th – 8th August 2016) returns to the wonderful location of The Garden Tisno with a fantastic line-up – and here’s your chance to win tickets to Soundwave, plus tickets to a boat party and entry to the legendary on-site nightclub, Barbarella’s!

Soundwave Croatia 2016

Soundwave Croatia

Known for the eclectic range of acts on its bill, Soundwave brings together a mix of broken beat, reggae, afro, acid jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, drum and bass and more to the Adriatic coast – but also sets itself aside from some of the other festivals in the region with a more edifying and spiritually enriching experience for festival-goers.

Soundwave Croatia 2016
Credit: Dan Medhurst

Soundwave is held at The Garden Tisno – and anyone who’s been there before can attest that it’s one of the most idyllic places in the world for a festival! With beautifully clear waters, a private sandy beach and endless hours of sunshine by day and star-lit skies by night, nature really plays its part. And with the incredible water-side beach bar, stages built around their surroundings (including the Olive Grove stage, nestled under a canopy of trees) and the open-air night-club Barbarella’s, you’ll have an amazing time practically any time, day or night.

Soundwave 2016 Line-Up

The headline act at this year’s Soundwave is Pharoahe Monch, formerly a member of New York City duo Organized Konfusion. Having developed a reputation as one of underground hip-hop’s preeminent lyricists, Pharoahe Monch is also an incisive political and social commentator, using hip-hop as a platform for political engagement. Calibre will also be headlining; with his distinctive sound that takes on elements of jazz, funk, dub and techno, Calibre is responsible for some of the most beautiful and sublime tracks in drum and bass.

Soundwave 2016 - Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch

But that’s just the start of things when it comes to the line-up! Digital Mystikz’s Mala will be returning, as will funk and soul DJ and one of 6 Music’s lead presenters, Craig CharlesFatima & The Eglo Band will be performing live, and Gentleman’s Dub Club will also bring their energetic and exhilarating live show to Tisno. Channel One Sound System will also be at Soundwave – they’ve been regulars at the Notting Hill Carnival for over 30 years and are the UK’s most prominent and respected reggae crew; the Red Bull Culture Clash winners will bring their ground-shaking bass to the festival.

The Riot Jazz Brass Band will swoop in with their peace-lovin’ aggro jazz, hip-hop samples, funked-up favourites and re-interpreted dubstep too, dropping drum and bass and dancefloor bangers that always have everyone dancing. Romare blends Afrocentric beats and global inspirations, as encapsulated in his brilliant Projections album. The incredible voice of Harleighblu – one of the UK’s brightest new names – will enchant the Soundwave crowds. Italian producer C. Crisci’s Clap! Clap! project samples African tribes, bands and singers, creating tribal rhythms through drum machines and synths. And BAFTA and MOBO award winning artist Akala is a rapper with heart, soul and steel, a historian who brings a touch of lyrical grace and edge to Soundwave.

Soundwave Croatia 2016 - Gentleman's Dub Club
Gentleman’s Dub Club

But that’s not all! Other names on the bill include Rinse FM presenter and DJ Josey Rebelle, Eglo Record’s boss Alexander NutHenry Wu  from 22a Records, Dan Shake, Jordan Rakei, Harvey Sutherland, Flo Real (Mahogani Music), Chunky, Werkha, Eva Lazarus, Bambooman, Sarah Williams White, Bobbafat, Gilla, DJ Mylz, Tehbis, Normanton Street, Chiminyo, CC Disco, Taste The Difference, So Fresh So Clean, Plates and Tuckshop.

Win tickets to Soundwave Croatia!

If all of the above is whetting your appetite, here’s a wonderful opportunity to win a pair of tickets to this year’s Soundwave Festival. And that’s not all – included as part of the prize will be two tickets to the boat party of your choice, plus entry for two to Barbarella’s every night of the festival!

To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer this question:

What is the name of the festival site in Tisno, Croatia, where Soundwave takes place? 

a) The Field
b) The Park
c) The Garden

To enter, email us on webmaster@visit-croatia.co.uk with the answer, as well as your name and country of residence.

Only one entry per person. The competition will close at 12pm (midday) on Friday, 27th May 2016. The winner will be notified by email soon after this date.

More on Soundwave

If you’re not lucky enough to win tickets to this year’s awesome Soundwave, you can snap up a festival pass at www.soundwavecroatia.com for £125 for 5 days (club and boat parties extra).

Or if you’ve already snapped up tickets and want to know more about getting to Soundwave, check our our guide to the festival.

Be sure to also look up Soundwave on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

A unique, fun and sexy event – Allure Music Festival, 21st – 23rd July on Zrce Beach, Pag

Another new festival event for Croatia this summer – the Allure Music Festival, which takes place from 21st to 23rd July on the island of Pag!

Allure Music Festival

Set in Zrce Beach’s Kalypso Club – one of the hottest destinations for summer partying in Croatia – Allure Music Festival has a unique twist and something that sets it apart from all other dance music events taking place this summer in the country. Women will be at the centre of the Allure experience, as all DJs, dancers, hostesses and promoters at the event will be female. Allure will truly be a celebration of women!

Allure Music Festival

DJs that will be performing at Allure include DJ Mari Ferrari, DJ Sherezade, DJ Dea, DJ Gila and DJ Lady Dee with more ladies to be announced very soon.

Allure Music Festival is sure to be one of the sexiest events of the summer, as great music will combine with a unique vibe of spirituality, sensuality and seduction.

The Festival will be taking place at Kalypso Club in Zrce Beach on the island of Pag, the top party destination in Croatia that’s on an island that attracts more than 2 million visitors each year. Kalypso Club has a huge open air dance floor, go go platforms, lots of different levels, and plenty of bars so there’s everything you could possibly need for a fantastic night out.

Early bird tickets for Allure Music Festival are currently available, priced at €25 – making the festival not just a sexy and unique event, but excellent value for money! Tickets can be purchased online here.

For full details on Allure and to find out more line-up details, check out the official website at allure-music-festival.com. Do also follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the latest Allure Music Festival goings on!

Allure Music Festival
21st – 23rd July 2015
Kalypso Club
Zrce Beach
island of Pag

Kalypso - Color Sensation

The 2015 party season at Zrce Beach’s Kalypso club, including brand new Stereo Forest Festival

Novalja’s Kalypso Club – the very first beach club in southeast Europe that now has nearly thirty years of clubbing experience – has announced a very exciting party season for 2015! Alongside a number of exciting festivals – including the first edition of Croatia Rocks, little sister to Ibiza Rocks, Kalypso will be hosting its own festival for the first time this year. Named Stereo Forest, the festival will held on the dance floors, stages and party pools of Kalypso from 2nd to 6th August 2015, bringing together some of the best names from the electronic dance music scene.

Another special announcement for 2015 is that every Monday Kalypso will also host Garden of Art, a spectacular cirque performance art experience that will mix top DJs and live acts with talented dancers in extravagant costumes, amazing artistry and fire shows – everything to delight both your eyes and ears. Catch the spectacle as you chill at Kalypso by day, or dance away to EDM beats by night. Garden of Art will be rounded off for the summer by a BIG closing party on the 22nd August.

Kalypso - Stereo Forest

Stereo Forest Festival

Not just a festival…but a whole festival event! Top name DJs are guaranteed, as are party events day and night…you’ll barely have enough time to catch your breath!

Garden of Art will also be held during the Stereo Forest Festival (on Monday 3rd August), whilst the following day (4th August) will see a Color Sensation party. This Indian-style colour celebration will see the sky turned pink, yellow and blue as colourful ‘paint’ rains down – and with the glimmering Adriatic sea behind you and the sun or stars above, you’ll get lost in an immense party vibe. (The Color Sensation party is included in the price of a Stereo Forest ticket, although you can also purchase tickets just for the party itself.)

The first line-up announcements for Stereo Forest include R3HAB – Holland’s hottest artist, who’s been catapulted into the limelight with a string of successful original material and remixes – and Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman, two young and very promising producers from Sweden that have received a great deal of attention for their remix of Coldplay’s The Scientist, plus their new single Roll The Dice.

Kalypso - Color Sensation

Watch out for more line-up announcements plus Stereo Forest ticket news at kalypso-zrce.com.

About Kalypso

The first ever club to open on Novalja’s (and Croatia’s!) famed Zrce Beach almost thirty years ago, club Kalypso is now a world renowned party and festival destination. With a huge open-air dance floor, go go platforms, plenty of different levels and numerous bar areas, there’s something to delight everyone and plenty of space for you all! Kalypso is of course also open by day – you can lounge by the pool sipping cocktails and relaxing in the sun whilst you gear up for the party night ahead!

Kalypso Club

Kalypso has been home to some of the best festivals in Croatia for a number of years now, with Hideout, Sonus, Barrakud and Fresh Island Festival all also taking place this summer as well.

As mentioned above, this year Kalypso will host its own festival for the first time; Stereo Forest will merge the brand new visual identity of the club with its lush natural surroundings, alongside an art sculpted stage and the club’s party pools.

Kalypso Club

Latest Kalypso news

  • Kalypso has been named in the top three of Beatport’s 13 Mind-Blowing Festival Destinations from around the world! Check out details here.
  • Croatia Rocks recently unveiled the second phase of their festival line-up, which now includes names such as Clean Bandit, The Vaccines, Kate Tempest, Rudimental, Gorgon City, Zane Lowe and special guest Fatboy Slim. More details at www.croatiarocks.com.

Stereo Forest Festival
2nd – 6th August 2015
Kalypso Club
Zrce Beach, Novalja, Pag, Croatia
kalypso-zrce.com

Stop Making Sense 2015

Win festival and boat party tickets to Stop Making Sense!

Update: The competition is now closed! Thanks very much to all those who entered. We will be in touch with the winners very soon!

Here’s an exciting bit of news for all keen festival goers…a competition to win festival tickets and boat party tickets to one of the most popular festivals in Croatia, Stop Making Sense!

About Stop Making Sense

Held in Tisno from the 16th to 19th July 2015, Stop Making Sense brings together all the elements that make up a perfect festival – an idyllic setting; a top-notch line-up; lush beaches and the twinkling Adriatic sea; a chilled, family-friendly vibe; and the opportunity to party under the sun by day and under the stars at night.

This year’s event will see headliners Skream, Jackmaster, Anja Schneider, Martyn, Nick Höppner, Sebo K and Anthony Naples all perform, with other acts such as Jasper James, Miss Jools, Tessellate, Twinkat Soul and Mullen also on the bill…and there’s still many more names to be announced. (Watch this space!)

Stop Making Sense 2015

A big part of any Croatian festival are the boat parties – and Stop Making Sense is no exception! Their legendary boat parties will set sail twice a day and will be hosted by a variety of crews and artists. And don’t forget the Beach Bar for day time amusement and the famous Barabarella’s Discotheque for partying away until the early hours – there’s absolutely plenty to fun practically round the clock at Stop Making Sense!

The competition

Two lucky winners will each win a pair of festival tickets and a pair of boat party tickets – so start thinking about which of your lucky friends will be joining you if you win!

It couldn’t be simpler to enter the competition – just email webmaster@visit-croatia.co.uk with your name, country of residence and the answer to this question:

Where is Stop Making Sense held?

a) Tisno
b) Split
c) Zagreb

We’re sure you know all about Stop Making Sense, but if you want to be reminded of the latest news about the festival, check our our recent blog post: Stop Making Sense 2015 back in Tisno – but now in July! and our guide to the festival. And to get yourself in the proper Stop Making Sense spirit, here’s a video of last year’s event:

Stop Making Sense 2014 @ The Garden, Tisno from Anomalous Visuals on Vimeo.

Competition rules:

1. The competition is open to those resident in Europe only.
2. Only one entry allowed per person.
3. There will be two winners to the competition – each winner will receive a pair of festival tickets and a pair of boat party tickets.
4. The competition will run until 12pm (GMT), 11th April 2015. Winners will be notified by email shortly after the closing date.

Soundwave Croatia 2015

Latest artists added to the bill for Soundwave Festival 2015 – get all the details!

This year’s Soundwave Festival – which is already in its seventh year – recently revealed the latest acts to be appearing at the event in Tisno this August. This builds on plenty of exciting news about new elements of the festival, as well as the announcement of the ‘Run to the Sun’ tours that will be held in Europe in the week leading up to the festival.

Names such as Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village; British producer and DJ Mr Scruff; one of the UK’s finest voices, Andreya Triana; and 6 Music’s Craig Charles, who’ll be playing the best in funk and soul, have all recently been added to the line-up of this year’s Soundwave Festival. That’s in addition to acts such as Alice Russell & Fatima; LTJ Bukem and DJ Marky; Channel One Soundsystem; Alexander Nut; and Mala that are already on the bill.

Soundwave Croatia 2015

This year’s Soundwave also has a number of exciting additional elements to it – including an art programme and film scrennings. Street artists, mural artists and illustrators from across Croatia and the rest of Europe will be on hand to transform the walls of apartments and buildings in the festival site, turning them into living and evolving pieces of art. Point273 from independent art collective BestJoinedUp and Sri McKinnon (an affiliate of The Institute of Contemporary Arts and the The Hayward and Tate Britain Galleries) are two of the artists that will be working their magic during the run of Soundwave.

The festival will also be home to an open air cinema that will show a programme of independent and Croatian cinema over the five days. This means there’s absolutely plenty to do day and night at this year’s Soundwave, besides enjoying the main line-up of acts, the club nights at the legendary open-air Barbarellas Discotheque, the boat parties, beaches and all the usual fun!

Soundwave Croatia 2015

And just in case you’re after something a little ‘kitsch ‘n’ Croatian’ – the annual and long-running Tisno International Donkey Racing Championships take place in town on the same weekend as Soundwave. Why not pop along and cheer along the entries at this global competition?!

Even more than that, in the week leading up to the Festival the five route ‘Run to the Sun’ party tours will take place. They follow five specific routes in Europe… all ending at the festival itself, of course. The routes include:

Route 1 – London (3rd August) > Amsterdam (4th August) > Munich (5th August) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 2 – London (3rd) > Paris (4th) > Milan (5th) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 3 – Berlin (4th) > Prague (5th) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 4 – Krakow (4th) > Budapest (5th) > Soundwave (6th)
Route 5 – Zagreb (4th) > Zadar (5th) > Soundwave (6th)

The parties are a great way of fully getting into the Soundwave mood; what better way of cranking up the festival spirit than by starting your holiday early and tracing a party route down to Croatia? Full details of the events taking place on each day of each route can be found at www.soundwavecroatia.com/travel-accommodation/the-run-to-the-sun.

Soundwave Croatia 2015

Soundwave also takes slightly later this year – in early August – which means the summer holidays will have well and truly started by then. That’s great news for revellers you and old!

Tickets for Soundwave Festival 2015 cost £125/€165 (sorry – early bird tickets have sold out!); you can also buy group tickets (5 tickets for the price of four) or packages that include entry and accommodation. See the festival’s tickets page for full details: www.soundwavecroatia.com.

There’s a range of accommodation available – from camping to apartments to airstream trailers, Shikar tents and wooden yachts – with something for all tastes and budgets. And Soundwave’s incredibly easy  to get to as well, as Tisno is located roughly halfway between Zadar and Split which are both linked to the UK and the rest of Europe with a whole heap of flights.

What have others said about Soundwave?

“One of the highlights of the Festival season” FACT
“A beach party with incredible music” GRAZIA
“Soundwave is rapidly emerging as one of the finest boutique festivals that Europe has to offer.” CLASH
“One of Europe’s biggest parties.” DAZED & CONFUSED
“More than just a festival, Soundwave is a great way to go and experience a beautiful part of the world. ” STYLIST
“One of Europe’s hottest festivals.” GQ
“You will not want to miss this extended weekend of hedonism’ TIME OUT

Do also check out our guide to Soundwave for more info on reaching the festival.

Otherwise, get all the latest Soundwave news on soundwavecroatia.com, or on Twitter and Facebook!

Soundwave Festival 2015
6th – 10th August 2015
Tisno
soundwavecroatia.com

Sonus Festival 2015

Sonus Festival 2015 returns to Novalja with a stunning line-up!

Techo festival Sonus will be returning to the island of Pag this August, with an exciting line-up for its third edition! Names such as Apollonia, Chris Liebing, Dixon, Joseph Capriati, Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, Sven Väth and others have already been unveiled, with plenty more to come!

Taking place from the 16th to the 20th August in Croatia’s prime party spot – Zrce Beach in Novalja – 10,000 people will be partying the day and night away to some of the most respected artists from the international house and techno scenes.

Sonus Festival 2015

Sonus Festival 2015

There will be the minimal electronica of Barac; the deep-tech of Parisian super-group Apollonia and the incredible mixing skills of Berlin mystery man Binh. Hot talent Dan Andrei, who draws on influences that range from hip-hop, soul and funk will be playing, as will worldwide favourite Dixon, FUSE head-honcho Enzo Siragusa, eclectic duo Hold Youth and emotive masetro Guti.

Founding father Sven Väth will be providing dark blends, with innovator Ricardo Villalobos and driving force Richie Hawtin both also providing immense techno sets; Chris Liebing also returns for 2015 after last year’s incredible appearance. Pan-Pot and Loco Dice will both also be on board, whilst there’s also even more global artists appearing, including Cadenza frontman Luciano; climbing star Mariano Mateljan; Slovenian tech hero Valentino Kanzyani and DJ and Panaroma bar resident Zip.

Sonus Festival 2015

The first two years of Sonus have delivered a top notch five day and five night event, with artists such as Luciano, Laurent Garnier, Richard Villalobos and Dixon all previously featuring on the bill. The festival is brough to you by Cosmopop – who are behind Time Warp – and the Croatia Sonus team; it’s an event that is carefully curated to provide a holiday and a full-blown party to discerning music followers.

Sonus Festival 2015 Boat Party

Sonus Festival 2015

To get a little preview of the festival, check out this video from last year’s event:

As early bird tickets have already sold out, first release tickets for the festival cost €149 (€169 for second release) with VIP tickets priced €229. Check out the Sonus website for more information and to buy.

There are also travel packages available which include a festival ticket, accommodation and transporation. Packages start at €279 – more information can be found on the Sonus website.

For some further details on the festival, including information on which airport to fly to and how best to reach the festival site, please see our Sonus Festival guide.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on the Sonus Festival on their website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter!

Sonus Festival 2015
16th – 20th August 2015
Zrce Beach, Novalja, island of Pag
www.sonus-festival.com

Sonus Festival 2015

Stop Making Sense 2015

Stop Making Sense 2015 back in Tisno – but now in July!

One of the most popular festivals in Croatia, Stop Making Sense, returns to its now usual home of Tisno this year – except the festival is now in an exciting mid-July slot, 16th to 19th July 2015. Perfect for those who can’t wait to get the party going in Croatia!

Stop Making Sense 2015In the idyllic setting of The Garden Tisno, Stop Making Sense will provide four days and four nights of dancing, feasting, lounging and partying in the sea and sun and under the stars. With a relaxed and free-spirited family vibe, this festival offers up a variety of eclectic underground tastes – from house to disco, techno to electro, soul and funk and much more.

Stop Making Sense 2015

Music will run through the festival site for 18 hours each day, with the on-site Beach Bar being the main setting for the revelry from day into night, with famed Barbarella’s Discotheque the spot for late-night partying until the early hours.

As ever, there’s also the legendary boat parties (an absolute must for any ‘proper’ Croatian festival) which will set sail twice daily, and will be hosted by a variety of crews and artists.

Promoters involved in this year’s Stop Making Sense include London favourite Corsica Studios, Scottish institution Sub Club, and deep-house upstarts Get Diverted, plus collectives Tessellate, Warm and more.

One of the best elements of Stop Making Sense is how truly affordable the festival is. There’s a variety of ticket packages available, whether you want the festival only option that costs just £80, or the DIY camping and festival ticket for £128 – these include access to all festival areas and Barbarella’s Discotheque. Fantastic prices for an amazing festival in an idyllic setting, with near-guaranteed sun – no need for wellies here! Do take a look at SMS’s Tickets page for information on all the available ticket packages.

There’s also plenty of different options for accommodation as well – whether you can only make the four days of the festival, or want to spend a week at the location, lapping up the sun and chilled vibes. Accommodation ranges from on-site camping to air-conditioned apartments, with more special options such as luxury Shikars, incredible airstream trailers or wooden yachts moored nearby all also available. Some accommodation is limited, so we advise booking very soon.

Stop Making Sense 2015

The full line-up of names performing at Stop Making Sense will be announced in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled on the official SMS website – as well as on Facebook – for all the latest news.

We’ve also got a little guide to Stop Making Sense on the Visit Croatia site with more details on all of the above, plus info on how best to reach the festival.

To really get a feel for the festival, take a look at this video of last year’s event:

Otherwise, see you in Tisno!

Stop Making Sense 2015
16th – 19th July 2015
Tisno, Croatia
stopmakingsense.eu

Electro Dance Madness

New festival for 2015 – Electro Dance Madness, part of Spring Break Croatia

Those looking to plan out their ‘Croatia party timetable’ for 2015 need to pay attention to this news! There’s a brand new festival for 2015, taking place in the party hotspot of Zrce Beach in Novalja, on the island of Pag – Electro Dance Madness, to be held from the 17th to the 21st June. This festival is part of an event called Spring Break Croatia which will also be held 3rd to 7th June and makes up ten days of revelry in one of the prime party destinations in Croatia.

Electro Dance Madness

What makes Electro Dance Madness rather unique is its ‘main party platform’ – which is set upon the surface of the Adriatic sea, no less! This means that while you party the night away on the platform – with its two stages – you’ve got an amazing view of the twinkling sea and can really live it up in style; this is also the first electro music festival to be hosted in this way, so it’s a really unique experience.

There’s plenty more to the festival than just the party platform – the main venue will be Noa Beach Club, where you can enjoy a central pool area and exclusive bars, plus parts of the beach in Novalja as well. The festival itself will make sure things really get into the swing of things with a state of the art sound system plus 3D projections and laser shows; there’s also exclusive VIP areas, lounge chairs, massage tables, yacht berths and a docking area and more.

The festival has capacity for 5,000 and will hosting some of the biggest DJ names, with everything from mainstream EDM, trance, progressive, electro, house and techno and more. Watch carefully for announcements of acts performing!

As mentioned, Electro Dance Madness is part of Spring Break Croatia which sees a whole host of fun events by day – pool parties, games, beach contests, water sports and more – and clubbing by night. Find out more on Spring Break Croatia at www.croatiaspringbreak.com.

We’ve got our own little guide to Electro Dance Madness in our Festivals in Croatia section, which gives full details on how to obtain tickets and how best to travel to the island of Pag. Check it out now to start planning for Pag in June!

Electro Dance Madness
17th – 21st June 2015
www.electrodancemadness.com

Visiting Croatia in September

Who would have thought it? We’re over halfway through August, which means we are most definitely hurtling towards the end of summer. (Although, personally, I definitely think summer runs until the seasons change in September. But then, I like to be an optimist about the weather.)

Some of you who are perhaps yet to take your summer hols, or are looking for a late summer trip to ease yourself back into autumn ways, may be thinking of visiting Croatia in September. You may be pleased to learn that September is considered the best month to visit amongst those in the know – the weather is still good (yes, you will – most probably – still be able to swim in the sea!), the high season crowds will have departed for home by the end of August, but everything – tourist-related – is still very much open.

Visiting Croatia in September

The island of Vis

However, you probably have a whole list of questions – what’s there to do? Where shall we go? We’re here to help you with these questions and more if you’re considering visiting Croatia in September!

The weather in Croatia in September

First things first. This is something we always get asked – is the weather in Croatia still good in September? Yes, very much so. It may come as no surprise really – as a Mediterranean country, the summer weather continues long into September. The last few years have seen very hot summers in Croatia, and this glorious weather definitely hung around in the ninth month of the year. (In fact, even into early October too!) This year there’s also been a rather hot summer in Croatia with temperatures in so many places reaching the very high 30s celsius. In fact, during July, temperatures for practically the entire country were classified as being “very warm” or “extremely warm” (poor Vis was the only place in Croatia to simply be “warm”), whilst most of the country was considered to be either “dry” or “very dry”.

All in all, we expect the weather in Croatia to be great this September! The Croatian Meteorological Society has plenty of forecasts in English – at the moment, they obviously don’t show much data for September, but take a look at their seven-day forecasts a little closer to the time.

The sea off the coast of Croatia – having had all summer to warm up – will be great, temperature-wise, in September. Yesterday, for example, temperatures reached around 23/24C for many places, with the sea a few degrees colder in the north of the coast.

Disclaimer: Yes, of course, the weather everywhere is starting to turn a little crazy. So don’t hold it against us if conditions in Croatia inexplicably turn winter-y during September. That’s definitely not supposed to happen. And it’s very, very unlikely to happen. But if anything insanely crazy, weather-wise, happens…don’t blame us! 

What’s on in Croatia in September?

Croatia has established itself as something of a prime festival destination in the last few years, with more and more dance festivals being added all the time to each year’s calendar. September is when the festival season winds down, but there’s still a couple of events taking place, both in Istria. The brand-new-for-2013 Unknown is being held in Rovinj from 10th to 14th September, with names like Jessie Ware, The Horrors, Jamie xx and SBTRKT all on the bill. Now in its second year, the electro festival Dimensions will be on in Pula from 5th to 9th September, making use of Fort Punto Christo that’s close to the town. (Dimensions is the “little sister” of Croatia festival favourite Outlook, which is on itself in Pula from 29th August to 2nd September.)

For the less dance music type events, there’s the Split Film Festival on from the 14th to the 21st September. The historical festival Gioistra – now in its seventh year – will be held in Porec from 13th to 15th September, with assorted costumes, revelry, sports, street entertainers and products on sale, all re-enacting 18th century times. The second Korkrya Baroque Festival is an international music festival on the island of Korcula, being held from 7th to 13th September. Zagreb hosts both the general entertainment festival RujanFest (literally, ‘SeptemberFest’) from the 13th to the 22nd September, as well as the 46th edition of the International Puppet Theatre Festival (9th to 14th September).

For those more keen on sports events, Croatia will host the Davis Cup tie against Great Britain in Umag (which means clay!) on the weekend of 13th to 15th September. And yes, Wimbledon champ Andy Murray is expected to play. Tickets can be bought on the ticket portal Eventim.hr.

Be sure to pop into the tourist office of wherever you are to ask for events taking place locally!

Where should I go in Croatia in September?

As we’ve covered so far, the weather will be great in September, so it’s hard not to pick a location on the coast. Dubrovnik should be as busy it always is, and there’s certainly a large number of cruise ships scheduled to dock during that month, bringing thousands of (day trip) passengers at a time. Split has had a great season so far, so it wouldn’t be any surprise to see this place as bustling as it has been. (Seeing as it’s Croatia’s second largest city, it is relatively lively all year round!) Some of the more popular islands, such as Brac and Hvar, and other popular locations on the coast (the Makarska Riviera) are still likely to receive a good number of visitors, even whilst the season starts to wind down.

If you’re after something a little quieter, perhaps consider the most outlying of all the larger Croatian islands – Vis. As a quieter and slightly mystical destination any time of year, we think this place would be divine in September. Other islands to check out include those in the Kvarner bay  such as Krk, Cres, Losinj or Rab, all of which are perhaps not as well known amongst non-Continental European visitors.

Istria is of course one of the most popular destinations in the whole of Croatia, with delights such as Porec, Rovinj and Pula all located here. The county has suffered a slight fall in visitor numbers this year, but will still see good numbers overall. If you’d like to visit, why not consider something like a foodie or activity-based holiday – two things the region does very well! Check out Istria Tourist Board’s guides to gastronomy and sport.

From a logistical point of view, almost all flights from the UK to Croatia still operate in September – and well into October too. The one exception to this is Ryanair’s flights from London Stansted to Rijeka Airport stopping at the end of August. See our Flights to Croatia page for details of all routes to Croatia from the UK.

Do note that in almost all cases, ferry schedules will still be running to summer timetables until the end of September. Certainly, almost all of Jadrolinija‘s local routes remain the same until the end of September, as does their twice-a-week coastal route that runs Rijeka – Split – Stari Grad (Hvar) – Korcula – Mljet – Dubrovnik and vice versa. The exception lies with some of their international sailings (to Italy) that reduce in frequency in September, and again further in October. Venezia Lines‘ sailings between Istria and Venice will only operate from Porec and Rovinj during September.

Or check out Adriagate – they offer last minute discounts on accommodation for destinations all over Croatia!

All in all, if you’re visiting Croatia next month, we hope you enjoy your stay! Why not drop us a line on email, Twitter or Facebook to let us know how it went – we’d love to hear from you!