ULTRA is a famous festival brand that
organises electronic music festivals at various locations all around the world.
They started in Miami, but have since then spread on to every continent save
for Australia, a truly admirable feat.
Having recognised the immense tourist
potential and stunning beauty of the Croatian coastline, the organisers have
decided to host the annual Ultra Europe festivals at the Poljud Stadium in
Croatia’s second largest city, Split. The stadium is the home stadium of Hajduk
Split, the city’s legendary football club and is located almost at the heart of
the city. This is the only location in Europe hosting the Ultra Festival. It
was launched in 2013, which means this year’s festival is Ultra Europe’s fourth
iteration, and this year it is definitely going to be bigger and as exciting as
ever!
The City of Split is not only known for its
crazy festival, but also boasts rich cultural heritage. The Diocletian Palace
is a stunning example of Ancient architecture, and the nice Bačvice beach is
excellent for a quick swim in the sea. The stunning view from the Marjan hill
is bound to amaze you and let you find some peace and quiet after all the
hustle and bustle.
With
the attendance of well over 150.000 festival-goers, the sheer amount of
excitement and crazy partying is stunning – bear in mind the City of Split has
a regular population of about 200.000 – meaning that during these few days, its
population nearly doubles!
That is why it can often be extremely
difficult to find accommodation nearby – it really does pay to start looking
for it earlier, as more often than not, the whole city will be completely
booked, and most of the time the guests are willing to pay a huge premium over
the regular rate.
All the accommodation units are known to get sold out a month
or even more before the event starts! The accommodation options are numerous,
though (if you are quick enough!), so you can choose between getting a room, an
apartment, staying in a hotel or even at Ultra campsites.
The neighbouring towns of Trogir and even Omiš can also be a good choice if you don’t mind driving a bit to get there. Generally, the more rest you want to get, the better it would be for you to get a room or an apartment – campsites can be very lively and extremely noisy, which may not be a good thing if you’re dead tired!
The neighbouring towns of Trogir and even Omiš can also be a good choice if you don’t mind driving a bit to get there. Generally, the more rest you want to get, the better it would be for you to get a room or an apartment – campsites can be very lively and extremely noisy, which may not be a good thing if you’re dead tired!
The organisers have done a great job and
transfers to and from the airport are easy and very cheap. Flying to Split is
reasonably easy, as well. There are plenty of flights from all over Europe,
especiall from the UK. An another interesting and perhaps cheaper option may be
flying to Zadar as well and then taking a bus to Split, which is a three-hour
ride. There are also shuttle buses that can take you directly to your apartment
for a reasonable price. If those won`t be available, you can check here for transfer services from airport to most of destinations nearby.
This year’s festival takes place from 15th
to 17th July 2016. But that’s only the core of the festival. There
are also the spectacular Yacht Regatta on the island of Brač and its heavenly Zlatni
Rat beach, the Ultra Beach Party, taking place on 19th July on Hvar,
at the Amfora Hotel and the closing party on the island of Vis the day after.
Ultra is a name known to everyone who takes
even a little bit of interest in electronic music, and the names have, over the
years, included many great electronic producers and artists, some of which are
David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Tiesto, Steve Aoki and Afrojack… and the list goes
on and on. This year’s line-up is extremely exciting as well. There are
headliners such as David Guetta, Afrojack, Hardwell, Alesso, Deadmau5, Above
and Beyond, Martin Garrix, Nero and many more, supported by breakthrough arists
such as Markus Schulz, Technasia, Adventure Club, Appolonia, Vicetone and more.
So what are you waiting for? If you are
looking for some great fun and time to unwind, look no further. And after the
crazy days of Ultra at the Poljud stadium, head over to Hvar for the Ultra
Beach party, where you will be entertained by the likes of Don Diablo and Robin
Schulz… and then finish off the festival with an awesome Closing Party on the
island of Vis with Hot Since 82 and Nic Fanciulli. This really is the festival
you will remember for a lifetime!
