1st – 10th July
Tisno, Croatia
In its penultimate year, the Garden Festival is certainly ready to go out with a bang in 2015. It isn’t surprising that Croatia’s popularity has increased dramatically in recent years—basking on the rich green jigsaw of Dalmatian coastline is a personal paradise for any holidaymaker. Throw in some lights and music and you have created a festival worth experiencing.
Situated just outside the small coastal town of Tisno, the secluded location of the Garden Festival gives the feeling of privileged exclusiveness for all in attendance. The small capacity of the festival allows you to get to personal grips with the site—a strong attachment is made with the stages in a short amount of time, and everyone around you seems like a long lost friend after a couple of days.
By day, the vibe is carefree and low key—sounds ranging from dreamy piano jazz to classic disco fill the air from the beach stage, creating a casual rhythm for your day to move by. By night, the festival slowly and smoothly transitions to the party that everyone has been gearing up for, and house and disco take over the stages.
On the main stage, Greg Wilson’s set began at an unexpected slow pace, but it was soon apparent that the crowd were being taken on an emotional disco-fuelled rollercoaster, reaching its pinnacle during a passionate chorus of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’, and spirits were never higher during Inner City’s ‘Good Life’. Crazy P’s fantastic live set was received by a suitably energetic crowd, and Theo Parrish’s first performance with his live band for almost 10 years was something not to be missed.
As well as a host of intimate stages, the Garden Festival has an additional feature—Barbarella’s Discotheque, a unique open-plan after party venue, where you can get down long after the sun comes up. A memorable back-to-back set from Ben UFO and Midland featured, and later in the week Futureboogie left everyone feeling soulfully cleansed after dropping Joubert Singer’s ‘Stand On The Word’. With its attention to detail and uniquely personal setting, The Garden Festival makes you feel like an honoured guest every day of the week—a fantastic week with the perfect balance of holiday tranquillity and festival excitement.
