Ultra Europe held a press conference today regarding their plans for 2014. Good news for Split, and I think Hvar too.
Ultra Europe is back!
A press conference in Split today, attended by Split mayor Ivo Baldasar and director of the Central Dalmatia Tourist Board Josko Stella, outlined the plans for Ultra 2014 in Croatia, as well as the unveiling of the much-anticipated Ultra Europe 2013 Aftermovie (see below).
Ultra confirmed that they will be back for another electronic music fest next year, with even bigger names than this year. Next year’s event will be one day longer – three days in Split at the Poljud Stadium and one day as an afterbeach party in a location yet to be defined.
The presence of Baldasar and Stella at the conference was a sign of how important the festival is to the region’s tourism, and the festival attracted more than 100,000 people last year. The lack of confirmation of the location of the afterbeach party on the final day was perhaps the most intriguing part of the press conference.
A final decision will be made on the location in February, but the lack of confirmation at the slick press conference, as well as no room bookings with this year’s preferred partner, Suncani Hvar, would indicate that this year’s afterbeach party will not take place in Hvar Town in the middle of peak season in a prime destination which is traditionally full of quality quests in mid-July.
With Hvar’s reputation as a party island and an exclusive destination, the hosting of Ultra in Split is a boon to the region’s tourism, with the added bonus of visiting Croatia’s premier island, without disrupting Hvar Town’s exclusive image with the hosting of an electronic music festival in the peak of the season.
Ultra Europe Split 2014 will take place on July 11-13, with the afterbeach party the following day.
