Festivals and Nightlife

Croatia's summer events fall into two broad groups. The first is music and nightlife: international electronic music festivals, beach clubs that run from the afternoon into the night, and bar streets in the old towns. The second is cultural: theatre, classical music and opera staged in historic squares and fortresses, traditional sword dances, klapa singing (a cappella harmony singing recognised by UNESCO) and village festivals for local saints' days, often with grilled fish, wine and music on the waterfront.

Both can fit into a sailing week. Many travellers prefer a mix: a big night out in one town, a quiet bay the next evening.

Ultra Europe, a large electronic music festival in Split, has traditionally taken place in July, and is often linked with events on Hvar and other islands during the same week. Ultra Europe in Split explains how it works with a sailing trip, from tickets to moorings and transport.

Other festivals run throughout the summer, from Zrće beach near Novalja on Pag to cultural programmes such as the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and the Split Summer Festival. Dates, line-ups and venues change every year, so the summer festivals calendar lists the main events by type and month, with links to official organisers for current details.

Hvar Town is the best-known nightlife destination on the coast. Its harbour fills with yachts on summer evenings, bars line the waterfront and the Pakleni islands opposite are home to daytime beach venues reached by water taxi. The town has also introduced rules to limit noise and rowdy behaviour, so expect a lively but regulated scene. Hvar nightlife covers how evenings there usually work for sailors.

Beach clubs elsewhere along the Dalmatian coast range from relaxed bars with sunloungers to venues with DJs and table service. Many are easy to reach by yacht or tender during the day. Beach clubs on the Dalmatian coast describes the types of venue and what to check before you go.

A night out has to fit the route, the weather and the mooring. Harbours in popular towns fill early on busy summer days, and during festival weeks demand for berths, buoys and water taxis rises sharply. The skipper may need to choose between a central town quay, a marina outside town or a nearby bay with a taxi boat.

• Ask the skipper early in the week which evenings suit a night ashore.
• Agree a plan for getting back to the yacht, including the last water taxi or tender time.
• Remember the yacht may sail the next morning, so late nights have consequences.
• Do not assume a festival or venue is part of a route unless it is confirmed in writing.

For Croatia Sailing Week trips, the routes page shows the confirmed stops.

Most accidents involving sailors on nights out happen getting back on board: stepping from a quay, climbing from a tender or moving on deck in the dark. Never swim after drinking, and follow the skipper's rules on alcohol, especially while the yacht is moving. The guide to alcohol and safety on board explains the risks.

People live in these towns all year. Several, including Split and Hvar Town, have introduced fines for drinking in public, excessive noise or walking around the streets in swimwear, and some restrict late-night alcohol sales. Check local rules, keep noise down in harbours late at night and use bins and toilets ashore. The wider safety information applies here too.

Event dates, ticket rules, age limits and venue policies change each season. Always confirm details with the official organiser or venue before you book flights or plan a route around an event. If this site ever describes a partnership with an event or venue, it will say so clearly.