Although it’s no longer the new kid on the block, there is still plenty of excitement around a fresh summer season in Croatia. Some of the older events have now been set up here for more than ten years, and in that time they have helped the country earn a reputation for classy and quality parties. Rather than the same old headliners who play every other festival in Europe — and a rotating assembly of identikit parties in Ibiza — Croatian festivals take risks on smaller sounds, scenes and selectors.
This year brings with it new festivals from the likes of Hospitality (page 59), final hurrahs from early adopters like Soundwave (p12), and plenty in-between, from modern house heroes like cover star Claptone (p18), to drum & bass don Skeptical (p27), EDM wonderboy Oliver Heldens (p23), and genre-defying selectors like Mafalda (p34), Bradley Zero (p47) and Sadar Bahar (p51). All that means the summer scene here is as innovative and interesting as ever in 2018, so without further ado... dig in.
KRISTAN J CARYL
Editor, DJ Mag Croatia