The festival season comes to a close with the ninth edition of Pandemonium. Dubbed “The Worst Gig Ever,” the festival will take place from August 28 to 29 at Zlatorog Park Beach, near Umag, and is organized by the KUM Fobija Youth Cultural Association.
Free to attend and rooted in punk spirit, Pandemonium celebrates the regional independent music and arts scene, bringing together a diverse range of subcultures with a focus on connection, good times, and inspiring hope for social change.
Alongside bands, this year’s festival will also feature a selection of regional DJs, including Odak, Observer, Meka Drina, Olgica, mapalma, Trash Pimp and Vanja Rakić. But the lineup doesn’t stop there – the organizers have also put out an open call for anyone who wants to get behind the decks at the festival.
“A great chance to play the worst set ever,” they wrote in an Instagram post. Applications can be submitted via DM or by emailing festival.pandemonium@gmail.com.
The programme is built around a two-stage music lineup: one stage dedicated to electronic music, and the other to live acts and bands, with performances running from the afternoon into the early hours. The sound will be provided by Zagreb-based Saso Mange Soundsystem and Tobotoklo Sound System from Čakovec.
Beyond the music, visitors can look forward to exhibitions by emerging artists, art installations, workshops, talks, a donation-based flea market, a festival market, food and drinks, and a campsite with no charge beyond the local tourist tax.
For people from Umag, Zlatorog is a place with a special kind of significance. It is one of the last undeveloped stretches of coastline in the area, yet it is still just a stone’s throw from the city.
Many of the people behind the festival have been coming here since childhood, celebrating birthdays, having barbecues, going to other events, or simply chilling and swimming. The magic of Zlatorog lies in its mix of wild and more accessible beach areas, shady oak groves and wide, open meadows.
Zlatorog is known by an informal name that dates back to its history as a former holiday resort run by Laško Brewery, and traces of that era can still be found around the site.
One of them is an abandoned restaurant that has since been transformed into an indoor DIY skatepark by the crew from Skate Club Azur, as well as a former scout camp that Pandemonium now uses as its festival campsite.
Just beyond Zlatorog, on the way to Umag, lies a former cement factory with two kilometres of rugged coastline and an artificial lake, making the surrounding area even more intriguing.
Entry to Pandemonium is free, and you can follow all the latest news and programme details on the festival’s official Instagram profile.
Photo: Pandemonium Festival, Studio Pegola