News

The Garden Festival Croatia Update

• 25th Mar 2010

After the huge success of the capital city-spanning, time-zone trotting Garden Get Together Tour, April now means only one thing really – that another month has passed and we’re all a magical bit closer to this summer’s Garden Festival in Croatia.

With Gardeners all over Europe and beyond readying themselves for a week – or two, if both take your fancy – of sun-drenched beatific festival vibes in a truly stunning location, these new announcements have elevated the anticipation ever further.

Set in an idyllic 900-year old fishing village, Petrcane, the Garden is getting ready once more to host one of the most sublime, enchanting and inspiring festival on the planet. Already Spring has sprung; the heat is getting hotter, the excitement of a super summer growing tangible. Picture the outdoor Amphitheatre cast in dappled shadow from the wizened trees surrounding it. Imagine The Tiki Bar and people dancing on the decking, on the beach, in the water. Witness the late evening Argonaughty boat chugging back into dock, packed with happy revellers and as a live act – let’s say 2020 Soundsystem – rips it up on the open air main stage, someone discreetly unlocks the doors to Barbarellas Discotheque and an all night long session awaits with Horse Meat Disco…

For the first time ever, the Garden Zadar bar will be jointly programmed to compliment the festival. Set in the ancient walls of the white city, with its narrow streets, boutique shops and glittering harbor waters, there will be DJs playing throughout the entire Garden Festival’s ten day and night run. Expect impromptu sets from special guests, late night revelry under the canopy of twinkling stars and a slightly bleary-eyed head from the many scrumptious cocktails on offer.

There’s a full schedule of daily activities and games being announced very soon too. Taking place over both weekends and mid-week, for those who decide to take it easy and hang around Petrcane there will be plenty to do from midday to midnight. Keep eyes and ears peeled for more info.

And for those with football on the brain, the Garden will be ensuring no game is missed this year, with every single match being screened either in the air-conditioned Barbarellas Discotheque or for the big games on a big screen outside!

2010’s lineup is indeed taking shape to be the most inspiring yet in the Garden’s esteemed history. Radio 1’s Rob da Bank – the architect of pioneering show Sunday Best and now visionary behind the immense Bestival, Rob is a true music legend and someone fully committed to creating magical music odysseys. He’s joined by party proponents the Cuban Brothers, also making their debut: seasoned veterans of festivals all around the world, they are taking the Garden by storm and set to host various crazy Garden games, activities and insane sing-a-longs during the second weekend. Soul and Jazz legend Terry Callier has also just confirmed.

The Garden is further bolstered with the return of Mancunian genre-buff Mr Scruff and sonic scientist Qool DJ Marv. Splicing R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Latin, House, Jazz, Funk, Rock and Soul classics effortlessly together heralds one of the most exciting aural pioneers ever to have played at the Garden. On the live side, Killer Whale (The Arthur Russell Project) project makes its debut too – reinterpreting Russell’s incredibly rich deep disco sounds into dance floor abandon.

With everything from NYC deep disco from Metro Area jousting with the sublime sounds of Floating Points, one of the most talked about acts of 2009 for a string of revered releases and remixes, through to Leeds’ finest deck devil, Dave Beer, and the brilliant live outfit 2020 Soundsystem, the Garden has it all – and more! One of Scotland’s finest, Garden debutant The Revenge, is set to unleash his fine disco cuts, and since his Resident Advisor podcast his stock has risen even further. Two of the north of the border’s other favourite sons, Subclub’s Harri and Domenic, also make their inaugural trips to Petrcane. London’s Horse Meat Disco debut too, themselves enjoying their most fruitful year yet, and two late night specialists also make their first appearances at The Garden, Sebo K and Seth Troxler, bring a tech-noir edge to nocturnal proceedings. Of course it’s not just all about the new boys – some already legendary Garden guests also return, including Greg Wilson, Henrik Schwarz, Kelvin Brown, Terry Farley, No’ Fakin and a great deal more also star.