News

The Garden Festival Croatia Goes Back To Its Roots

• 20th Jan 2011

With Xmas already a distant memory and New Year hangovers just about cleared, now we can really look ahead to the summer with some relish. The nights are – marginally – getting shorter, and if you listen really carefully you can almost hear the beatific beats cresting the waves from a certain sun-kissed and pine-shaded peninsular in Croatia. The countdown has now truly begun for the 6th Garden Festival, and each passing day is one closer to a sublime week of music, fun and adventure on stunning Dalmation coastline.

The first wave of acts have just been announced, including some brand new names making their debuts at the Garden along with some familiar friends.
One of house music’s truly original innovators, Larry Heard, is one of the first headliners announced and makes his debut at the Garden Festival in July. With a rich history stretching back to the mid-1980s, Larry – aka Mr. Fingers – continues a prodigious output of music and sets across the world, having worked with everyone from Robert Owens – who also sings live and DJs at this year’s Garden Festival – to producing his own iconic track, Can You Feel It.

Art Department’s Without You was one of the huge tracks of 2010, ushering Canadian techno luminaries Kenny Glasgow and Jonnie White into the limelight. Their seminal WMC Crosstown Rebels show brought Without You to key figures; the rest, as they say, is history. Now they make their Garden Festival debut. Crosstown’s Soul Clap also debut; the Bostonian duo are prime exponents of delectable deepness and are another fine debut addition to the summer’s fun. Tiger and Woods play too, already heralded as one of the acts to watch out for in 2011 after their simply sublime Resident Advisor podcast. Watch out for Germany’s Motor City Drum Ensemble too.

Hamburg’s deep disco sensation Tensnake returns to the Garden for his second year, fresh from an amazing 2010 which was his Coma Cat one of the tunes of the summer. His double Defected mix is a perfect example of summer time grooving, epitomising how far in just twelve months Tensnake has come along.

The Garden also welcomes back many more old friends to the fore once more; Sir Norman Jay is back after 2010’s simply outrageously good boat party, which Norman himself said was the best one he had ever played at; almost annual resident Greg Wilson bring his famed reel to reel sounds to the sun-kissed peninsular; for anyone wanting a lesson in disco and house, Greg’s Radio 1 Essential Mix is it; Crazy P are also back; Future Disco, one of 2010’s success stories, returns to Croatia, as do Mark E, Dolan Bergin and PBR Streetgang. Many more names will be announced over the next few weeks too – watch this space!

The Lineup So Far:
*** Adam Regan, Adam Shelton, Art Department, Basement Boogaloo, Bobby Beige, Christophe, Commix, Cosmo, Crazy P, Dean Smith, Dolan Bergin, El Diablos, Emma Chibuku, Eric Duncan, Faith, Felix Dickinson, Future Disco, Futureboogie, Geddes, Greg Wilson, Hang the DJ, James Holroyd, Larry Heard, Illija Rudman, Matty J + Ben Terry, Mark E, Matty J and Ben Terry – Tirk, Maxxi Sound System, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Move D, No Fakin’, Paddy Freeform, PBR Streetgang, Robert Owens, Ole Smokey, Quantic, Sir Norman Jay, Sofrito Sound System, Soul Clap, Straight As, Tensnake, Tiger and Woods, Toby Tobias, Tristan de Cuhna, William Collins ***

For many, the twice-daily Argonaughty boat and Barbarellas Discotheque parties are always highlights. Charting the shimmering Adriatic waters on the salty old sea dog, the Argonaughty, either for a sun-bathed afternoon session of funk and house or a later trip to catch the sunset and come back during the evening to deep techno, the parties always capture the imagination. This year there will be fourteen parties to choose from. Barbarellas is a lovingly and beautifully restored club in the heart of the Garden Festival site; an intimate, circular environment with Funktion One sound, air-con and featuring label parties and special guests keeps the Garden Festival faithful partying until dawn.

Confirmed Argonaughty Boat Parties So Far

Futureboogie
Resident Advisor
Hang the DJ vs PBR Streetgang feat. Tensnake
El Diablos vs Crazy P
Faith
The Pool Boat feat. Matty J, Ben Terry, Greg Wilson
More TBC

Confirmed Barbarellas Discotheque Parties So Far

Resident Advisor
Mulletover
Electric Minds
More TBC

2011 sees the festival going Back to Our Roots – which takes place across one joyously long weekend, a full seven days and nights of beatific beats in the sun and late night excursions on the stunning site which juts into the invitingly azure Adriatic waters. Set in the 900-year old fishing village of Petrcane, there are bars and restaurants along the promenade offering fine fresh fish caught that morning. Lazing the hours away beneath the sun whilst sipping a cocktail is the only way to start the day; later, as the music tempo increases, perhaps catch the sunset at the Tiki Bar whilst dancing in the water, or maybe it’s one of the live headliners on the fully outdoor main stage.

The Garden Festival continues not only to capture but truly enrich peoples’ imaginations – a true fusion of relaxing holiday and riotous festival, situated in an area close to the historic city of Zadar. Pristine national parks, secluded beaches and hundreds of islands are close by, with Croatia an easy country to travel around.

Keep checking for flight deals to Croatia from the UK – and Europe too – on airlines including Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2, Whiz Air and Croatia Airlines, as routes have now been released and there are some bargains to be had.
The Garden Get Together Tour is back too, kicking off in London on Saturday 5th February and from there will take in several of the UK’s and Europe’s coolest clubs featuring special guests and Garden friends from the last few years into Spring.

Please note for any accommodation enquiries for the village of Petrcane where the Garden Festival is held, please contact mail for a variety of apartments, studios and rooms

Keep checking here for lots more info to come: link / link