Heard about Marko Perković Thompson’s concert at Zagreb Hippodrome? While the organizers were rolling in cash, the vendors in the fan zone ended up deep in the red! One anonymous vendor revealed they made less than 20% of what they expected. Yes, you read that right — only 20%! The reason? Prices were so outrageous that people preferred drinking water from hydrants rather than buying bottled water for 5 euros. Beer was 7 euros, juices between 5 and 8, and sandwiches up to 8 euros. Is that normal? Nope!
While fan zone vendors were complaining, nearby cafes were laughing all the way to the bank with lower prices and higher profits. Organizers demanded a huge number of cashiers, which pushed costs even higher. The vendor hopes organizers won’t charge them rent for the space because everyone is losing money.
The Tax Administration released data on spending during the concert day: the number of fiscal receipts across all sectors rose by 69% compared to the same day last year, and the total amount of receipts increased even more! The hospitality sector saw a 14% increase in the number of receipts and a 16% increase in the amount. So spending was up, but fan zone vendors were still in the red. How does that add up?
Concert organizer Mirko Gudelj praised the show, saying everything went perfectly. He claims all tickets were sold and the concert cost around 12 million euros! Tickets were 30 euros each, and the show, according to him, was worth much more. He didn’t hear about the “forbidden chants” some mentioned and said the organization was tough and expensive.
So, while organizers and the city made money, fan zone vendors were left with empty pockets, and prices were so high many visitors refused to buy. Is this fair? Did anyone think about the ordinary people who came to the concert? Or is this just another way to squeeze money from fans?
If you were at the concert or heard stories about the prices, drop a comment and share your thoughts! Were the prices too high or normal for such events? And who really profited — organizers or vendors? Let’s chat about it!
