Imagine a scene straight out of a war movie, but not on a battlefield—in the heart of Zagreb! The day before Marko Perković Thompson’s concert, the hippodrome was turned into a fortress. Trucks, vans, police vehicles, water tankers filled with drinking water, fences everywhere—all to prepare for an event expected to gather nearly half a million people! Yes, you read that right, half a million!
The police deployed a staggering 6,523 officers, including reinforcements from 12 continental police departments. Buses brought in dozens of police officers, and pedestrians were practically banned from the hippodrome area. Three Zagreb neighborhoods were closed to traffic, and pedestrians are forbidden to walk around the hippodrome. All this for a concert that, according to organizers, sold a record-breaking 150,000 tickets.
But it’s not all rosy! While water tankers full of drinking water stand on the sidelines, inside the concert area a bottle of water costs a whopping 5 euros! Yes, five euros for a bottle of water at a concert expecting half a million attendees. Is that normal or just another way to squeeze money from fans?
As the city turns into a fortress, the concert manager urges people to arrive early, even the day before, because the traffic jams will be hellish. And they will be, as the hippodrome is practically blocked, and access routes to the city are under special restrictions.
To make things even crazier, musician Dino Jelusić commented on social media that the sound from the rehearsal is so loud it sounds like it’s right outside his building, even though he lives 8 kilometers away from the hippodrome. Crazy, he says.
All in all, this is not just a concert; it’s an urban war spectacle with police cordons, movement bans, expensive water, and a massive gathering that will leave a mark on Zagreb. Is it worth it? We’ll leave that up to you. And if you’ve been to one of these spectacles before, share your experience—was it like a battlefield or more like a festival?
And hey, if you get thirsty, better bring your own water because five euros for a bottle is highway robbery!
