Have you ever been to a festival by yourself? I’ve been with a friend, in a group and solo and guess when I had the best time? Yep, you’ve guessed it, the latter, free as a bird, doing my own thing, not having to worry about anyone but myself. And trust me, that’s hard enough at times! I’ve recently returned from SuncéBeat Festival 2021, and if there is a festival you should travel to solo, it’s this one.
Though I have been to SuncéBeat solo for a few years now, it never feels like I am alone as it is one big musical family with regulars returning yearly, so you get to know people and make lasting friendships. What’s good about this festival is, it’s the right age group for those slightly more mature, or should I say, “old skool ravers”.
Tell me more
SuncéBeat is a boutique festival held at The Garden Resort in the small fishing village of Tisno and has been running for 11 years.
The town is conveniently located on the beautiful Adriatic coast, halfway between Zadar (45mins) and Split (60 mins) airports. The old town is olden but golden with a host of restaurants, cafes and apartments.
The festival is held over seven days and remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint – plan strategically, or you could fall at the first hurdle (though saying that, speaking from experience, there’s plenty of time to bounce back – lol!). If you think seven days is a bit too much, you can always split the time between touring and partying. Nearby attractions include Krka National Park, where the show-stopping waterfalls make for a great day trip.
The music is a mixture of House, Disco, Techno, Soul, R&B and Funk, with a line-up of international DJs changing yearly that have included Black Coffee, Kerri Chandler, Louie Vega, Kenny Dope and Jazzy Jeff, to name a few. Additionally, the boat parties around the Murter Channel and the World Heritage Site of The Kornati Islands are a major highlight and brings even more energy and vibes. Cabeau is one of my favourite boats, which showcases some of the finest DJs on the Afro House scene and have included Osunlade, DJeff, Shimza, Minco, Manoo and many more. Fastest fingers at the ready when they go on sale, they sell out super-quick!
What About Accommodation?
Onsite accommodation is available in the form of chalets, glamping, camping, mobile homes, airstreams and hostels. Though you get more for your money offsite (the chalets are very basic), onsite is my preferred choice when travelling solo, as it saves going back and forth at night by yourself and is generally more convenient. If you do stay onsite, though, beware that when you do need to rest, the music will be pumping from the Terrace, Olive Grove, Main Stage and Beach Stage until 02.00am or 04.00am. There are plenty of villas offsite where you can spend the week in style. I often go somewhere more upmarket before or after to recuperate.
During the day, music will be playing from the Beach Stage, and you can chill out on the limited pebbled beach area. Water shoes are advisable as there are a lot of sea urchins. There’s a selection of bars, including a cocktail bar and prosecco bar. Otherwise, get out there and explore the area.
Food
There’s an on-site restaurant and a food court providing street food in the evening when you need to refuel from tearing up the dancefloor. My preferred choice is offsite dining as, again, you get more for your money. There are plenty of lovely restaurants to choose from, and, being a fishing village, you get the benefit of an abundance of delicious seafood dishes. My favourite restaurant is Restoran Carmen, which I highly recommend. Bonafide is a good shout, too. If you prefer to cook yourself, there are supermarkets in town from which to get supplies.
Barbarella’s
Barbarella’s Discotheque (I know, “discotheque”, pretty old school, huh?!) is arguably Croatia’s most internationally famous open-air nightclub. It’s open until 06.00am, and people head there in their droves when the onsite entertainment finishes at 2.00am. Barbs, as it is affectionately known, is located in Pirovac. It’s a short journey by car or by speedboat from The Garden. SuncéBeat provide return coaches to the venue, the price of which is included in your festival ticket. The headline DJs work their magic here throughout the week.
Vortex (the after, after party)
For the hardcore, or those that have gone to sleep and woken up early, make sure you check out Vortex. Vortex is a beach bar located just minutes from Barbs, where the party continues from 06.00am as the sun rises. It’s not part of the festival but is owned and run by Croatian local Mario, and I’m all for supporting local businesses. The music plays here until the early afternoon with some serious talent in the form of House DJs from the UK such as Sy Sez, Lord Byron, Mighty Funk’Houser and other international acts such as Osunlade has been known to put in numerous appearances.
The aftermath
After SuncéBeat and all that partying, you can chill out in Murter or, I highly recommend Amadria Park Hotel Jure in Šibenik. They can also arrange tours for you or check out Get Your Guide.
The island of Murter is also a good starting point for visiting Kornati National Park, a dense group of 89 islands and islets.
Nearest Airport
The nearest airport to Tisno is Zadar Airport (67km away) or Split Airport (89km away). I prefer flying into Zadar as it’s quieter. It’s easy to pick up an Uber, taxi or shuttle transfer to Tisno.
If I’ve convinced you, you can book for next year’s event here. See you on the dancefloor!
