Day #76: Festival #11
The Croatian festival boom continues unabated, with electronic fests happening nearly every weekend. This year, I made the trek to the infamous Garden at Tisno, a music festival hotspot located on the Dalmatian coast. Defected, a UK based house music label, launched their own festival here last summer so 100 Nights of Summer stopped by for a few days of sunbathing, relaxation, and all-night parties.
Running the Numbers
Defected Croatia Stats:
Dates: August 10-15, 2017
Editions: 2
Attendance: 3500
Artists: 80
MFW Beer Index: €7.06
Highest Temperature: 33C (91F)
11th Festival Stop 2015: Spirit of Burgas
11th Festival Stop 2016: Sziget
100 Nights of Summer Stats:
Days on the Road: 76
Countries Visited: 13
Festivals Attended: 11
Festival Days: 36
Festival Days w/rain: 5
Days Camping: 18
The Scene
Welcome to the Garden
Home to a number of festivals over the season, The Garden at Tisno is like summer camp for adults. There’s a private beach, a party boat, waterfalls of drinks, and lots of sweet spots to catch music. Lodgers have their choice of luxury camping, DIY campsites, or you can skip the camping all together, and live it up in an onsite apartment. Everything you need for five days of partying under the Croatian sun is right here. I would only note that the drinks located onsite are some of the most expensive prices we’ve seen all summer.
We Came to Party
The Defected party lasts for a full six days, making this more marathon than festival. The days tend to follow a similar schedule. Wake up at noon. Go to the beach for drinks and lounging. Book passage on The Argonaut boat party for a sunset cruise hosted by a solid roster of artists. Return to The Garden for an evening of house music from the Defected crew until one in the morning, followed by an excursion to the famous Barbarellas Discotheque, where you rage until dawn. Repeat for six days.
You Holdin’, Bro?
The Brits, who make up the majority of attendees, certainly do love their drugs. “Do I do just a little, or all of it?”, a guy yelled from the stall next to me. “All of it!” his friend shouted back. Unfortunately for party participants, the local police are well aware of the scene. I was accosted by undercover cops who tried to drag me into a dark parking lot. I let them search my bag, but the invasive attack really put me off for the weekend, which is a shame, because I quite enjoyed Defected Croatia.
Where Did You Sleep?
I camped like a VIP right in front of one of the stages. Like the previous stop at Lovefest, it’s still blazing hot, but at least here on the Croatian seaside, it tends towards a dry heat. Plus, I had the easy access to the beach just a few steps away.
Final Thoughts
Enjoy the sun. Be careful with your drugs.