Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the growing speculation about the upcoming festival season, which starts in May. European countries are opting for various tactics: from COVID passports and mass vaccination of citizens to fast and accessible antigen tests, which could save events on the coast. Especially the ones organized by the UK.
Some of the world’s largest music festivals have already written off 2021, but festivals in Croatia are not yet giving up.
In Croatia, the outdoor festival season lasts from May to September, and since it came to Split, Ultra Europe is certainly the most popular event on the Adriatic. A three-day mass party with mainstream electronic stars brings tens of thousands of tourists and significant income to the city, and during the week of Ultra, Split garages, sheds, balconies, and yards are even rented. Festivalgoers sleep outdoors; some do not sleep at all. They come from all over the world, and they are there to have a good time.
Some locals are bothered by the crowds and noise, others by the garbage and clutter that is inevitably left behind after thousands of party-goers are in the city, but no one can deny the economic impact it has on Split. Will thousands of international party people march through Split with the flags of their countries again?
24 Sata reports that Ultra Europe organizer Joe Bašić hopes so. Still, the news from Miami, published just a few days ago, isn’t too optimistic. Recall, Ultra in Florida has been canceled again, and the culprit is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is too early for any conclusions about Ultra in Split. There are four more months until then. We monitor the situation, and it changes from day to day. We are cooperating with the city, we respect the measures of the Headquarters, and we can only hope that everything will be fine by July,” Bašić said.
Security restrictions are there for a reason, but there would be equal bans for caterers. Is it worth organizing the festival at all if it turns out that Ultra can only have 20% or 30% capacity and that guests must adhere to strict measures?
“We will have to sit down and see what can be done in such a hypothetical case and what cannot. I can’t tell you anything more detailed so far; it’s hard to be really smart at the moment,” Bašić admits.
There is a lot of talk about ‘COVID passports.’ Spain will test the model in Ibiza, the celebrated mecca of partygoers, as early as May. If this proves to be a good enough protection model, they will implement it nationally in the summer season. Bašić says that nothing concrete has been said about it so far, but he will consider all the options that can help this year’s festival in Split see the light of day. If the worst-case scenario comes true, Ultra will be transparent with its audience.
“We will refund the ticket money to those who request a refund, and for those who choose to keep the ticket, it will be valid next year. Our policy was the same last year,” Bašić announces.
Just a week before Ultra, the Dimensions Festival is a treat for slightly different electronic music fans. This summer, it is moving from Istria to Tisno and Šibenik to St. Michael’s Fortress, and despite the pandemic, the organizers announced that the music event is scheduled for July 1-5. For now, they expect that we will be able to have fun by some ‘old standards.’ It should not be forgotten that last summer, after the first wave of the virus subsided, a music festival experiment on Martinska succeeded. It was one of the few locations in Europe where several smaller festivals and concerts were held, and where no increase in the number of cases was recorded.
Outlook and Seasplash festivals have already been announced, and additional information about Membrain, Blast, Regius, Kanal Fest, Slurp! will be released soon.
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