Zagreb's INmusic has been included by the British New Musical Express magazine among the 20 festivals to look forward to this year.
Since its first edition in 2006, INmusic has hosted over 430 artists from 37 countries at more than 500 concerts, many of which have been their Croatian debuts.
Organisers said INmusic's inclusion on the NME list was all the more impressive as it came after two years of pandemic due to which other world festivals received millions in aid from their governments.
They noted that the average ticket price at other festivals ranged from HRK 2,000 to 4,000 and that their average organisational budgets were 15 to 75 times bigger than INmusic's.
INmusic offers the best ticket price, which is adjusted to the purchasing power of the Croatian audience, organisers said, adding that this has been underlined by many European and world media over the years, with The Washington Post describing the festival as the Woodstock of the 21st century and NME as Europe's best kept festival secret.
This year's edition is expected to draw a record number of tourists estimated to spend at least HRK 50 million while staying in Zagreb and Croatia.
Organisers complained that despite the international renown and impressive cultural and tourism results, INmusic does not have the support of local government and the relevant ministries, saying that without long-term and stable local and national support, such independent festivals are not viable.
The 15th INmusic will take place in Zagreb on 20-23 June after a two-year break due to COVID. A four-day festival ticket costs HRK 599.
The line-up includes The Killers, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Deftones, Kasabian, Royal Blood, IDLES, White Lies, Fontaines D.C., Gogol Bordello, Amadou & Mariam, Sleaford Mods, The Comet Is Coming, Tamikrest, Hinds, Dry Cleaning and more.
(€1 = HRK 7.5)