The most popular music festivals in Istria, Outlook and Dimensions, will be held for the last time at Fort Punta Christo in Štinjan. Could the move be a massive hit to Pula tourism?
After the announcement that the Seasplash festival would move from Štinjan to Šibenik this summer, Pula has received yet another blow, which will leave the city without two more major festivals that have marked the area for the last decade, reports T.portal on January 23, 2019.
Namely, Outlook and Dimension are the sister festivals that have operated in Croatia for twelve years, hosting musicians, promoters, visitors and publishing houses from all over the world. Big names like Dizzee Rascal, Damian Marley, Lauryn Hill, Grace Jones, Massive Attack and Jeff Mills are just some of the great musicians who played at the unique fort and the Pula Arena.
“We are really sorry about the difficult decision the festival organizers had to make based on many factors they cannot influence. We understand and respect the decision. From the very beginning, we have been in partnership with the organizers, and we are even now when we are trying to find a solution that will enable holding these festivals in Pula,” said the press spokeswoman of the Pula Department of Culture, Jasmina Nina Kamber.
She added that the Outlook and Dimensions festivals are among the most popular music festivals in Europe, and thanks to them, Pula has become a recognizable festival destination, with tens of thousands of young people coming from all over the world every year.
In their words, the city has supported its maintenance since the very beginning due to its high potential and the benefits to the entire community.
“In addition to the excellent international promotion of Pula, the great financial benefits generated by the festivals have attracted many hospitality and trade activities, which have greatly enriched Pula’s tourist offer. The festivals contributed to an increase in the number of arrivals and overnights, as well as income in many activities in the post-season and many were an opportunity for employment and additional earnings,” said Kamber, adding that a significant part of the revenue generated during the festival was enabled to build and maintain the city’s infrastructure.
“The entire festival organization has greatly contributed to the promotion of Pula as a recognizable festival destination, and we still hope for their stay or soon return,” said Jasmina Kamber.
This year’s Dimensions festival will take place from August 29 to September 2, while the festival’s summer season will end with the Outlook festival from September 5 to 9.
Over the next few days, the festivals should also announce the first round of artists who will be coming to the forth this summer. Namely, Outlook will publish their first performers on Thursday, January 24th, and Dimensions on Thursday, January 31st.
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