Scene
With the summer season coming to an end, September is here to cure us from the post-summer blues. This fall a great deal of festivals, club nights, exhibition openings and many more exciting things is upon us. Here is what you can expect:
EVENTS & CLUB NIGHTS
PETI KUPE SEASON OPENING
September 4, Peti Kupe, Zagreb
Ron Trent—a cornerstone of house music and a pioneer of electronic music in general—is coming to Trnjanska 5! Growing up in Chicago during the 1980s, as disco was transitioning into house, Ron absorbed music from a very early age.
Keeping the dancefloor tension high will be the true club hypnotist, Radio Slave. A London and Berlin icon—and the driving force behind the influential Rekids label—he is far more than just a DJ. His signature sound is defined by massive releases that keep the dancefloor in a trance for hours. Radio Slave possesses a rare gift for blending raw rave, analog techno, and top-tier house, making his sets at clubs like Berghain the stuff of legend.
Holding down the local front for the night is a proven lineup: Ilija Rudman, Pepi Jogarde, and Antonio Zuza. Pepi will kick things off with another breezy set at 7 PM on the terrace, Ilija will take over in the club, and Pepi—joined by Zuza—will return to the decks for the after-party in the early morning hours on the club’s mezzanine.
DARUDE AT CLUB REVELIN
September 4, Culture Club Revelin, Dubrovnik
Darude at Club Revelin. Sand Storm arrives in Dubrovnik.
Inside the walls, sound hits different.
This is not just a night it’s a moment.
FORT X FESTIVAL
September 5, Mokrice Castle, Rajec, Slovenia
The fortress has revealed its sound.
Deep within the Slovenian woods, surrounded by ancient stone and endless trees, Fort X arrives at Mokrice Castle for a day-and-night experience beyond the ordinary.
A carefully selected lineup.
Multiple stages hidden throughout the fortress grounds.
Sunrise afterparties beneath the morning light.
PURE ELECTRO PARTY: 17 YEARS BIRTHDAY EDITION
September 5, Jabuka 2.8, Zagreb
Pure Electro is a well-known brand on the alternative scene; launched in 2009, it is celebrating its 17th anniversary this year. The fact that the party has been running for 17 years is ample proof of its quality and demonstrates that Croatia needed a dark electro/industrial/EBM/synthpop event of this kind.
GUSGUS & TVORNICA KULTURE
September 8, Tvornica Kulture, Zagreb
One of the most important electronic acts—Iceland’s GusGus—is returning to Zagreb nearly ten years after its last performance. GusGus are not just a band, but a multimedia collective that erases the boundaries between music, art and performance from the very beginning. Their concerts are known as a special experience – dynamic, improvised and different every time, with extended versions of songs and sound transformations that provide the audience with a unique “limited edition” experience.
PANIC ROOM CROATIA
September 12, Musem of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
Panic Room Croatia returns with another major open-air chapter, taking over MSU — the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb — with Patrick Topping as the event’s headliner. Making his highly anticipated Zagreb debut, Patrick Topping arrives at MSU for his first-ever performance in the city. Known for his energetic, groove-driven sound and powerful presence behind the decks, the internationally acclaimed DJ and producer will lead one of the most ambitious Panic Room editions to date.
KHOLO
September 16, Peti Kupe, Zagreb
Nômadee opens the doors at 7 PM with her signature organic, danceable, groovy downtempo sound. Known as the KHOLO Mama, she curates the entire vision of this now-beloved Wednesday ritual.
JUHA arrives with a hybrid set woven with live percussion, flutes and vocals — an unforgettable dance journey charged with huge festival energy.
MIHAELA takes KHOLO deeper with her divine voice, accompanied by drummers and ancient songs. When she sings, we remember all the dancing people and songs of the world.
ADNA, a special guest all the way from Slovenia, will be painting live as we dance, transforming the terrace into a living canvas beneath the open sky.
CRKVA CLUB SEASON OPENING
September 19, Crkva Club, Rijeka
A pioneer of the house music scene, Paolo Barbato has spent the last 40 years shaping the sound that generations still live by today—through clubs, festivals, and his record shop, Dance All Day.
Trends come and go. Paolo Barbato has always been a step ahead of them.
HUSH! SELECTED
September 19, Club Oxygene, Osijek
GINA DEMARCHI (ARGENTINA) Buenos Aires-based DJ and producer, bringing tribal rhythms, infectious grooves, and pure energy. Her releases have landed on labels including Planet Rhythm, CROWD, MATERIA, and SEXYRECS.
ASARRI (SERBIA) Belgrade DJ and a key force in the regional underground scene. Founder of ALTEREGO and resident at Drugstore and Lovefest RAW, she’s known for her direct, energetic sound and powerful sets across Europe.
INSOLATE (CROATIA) The host and driving force behind Hush! nights. A true icon of Croatia’s underground scene with over three decades of experience, founder of Out of Place, and a regular on some of the world’s most respected techno labels. Expect nothing but a killer techno selection.
DISKODELIKT
September 19, Peti Kupe, Zagreb
Diskodelikt celebrates one year of its existence!!
For this occasion, Pancratio, an author with a very interesting story and a name that is definitely worth following, is coming to Zagreb from Berlin for the first time.
He is joined by Safiye, an active actress of the Bristol scene with residency at swu.fm and part of the Paradisco collective. Her style covers a wide range from disco and house to electro and techno shades.
FERRECK DAWN AT THE HALL
September 19, The Hall, Zagreb
One of the most sought-after names on the global house scene, Ferreck Dawn, is coming to The Hall Zagreb!
Get ready for a night full of groove, energetic beats, and a top-notch clubbing experience with a master who regularly conquers dance floors around the world.
DISCOTON
September 25, Peti Kupe, Zagreb
When Dimitri From Paris stands at the counter, a club night stops being just a night out and becomes a lesson in pure elegance. The French knight of art, the man who in the late eighties first pushed house onto the national radio waves and redefined the concept of sophisticated sound, arrives at Peti Kupe on Friday, September 25 for a new edition of Discoton!
He is accompanied by the Berlin sound archeologist Delfonic, long-time mastermind of the cult store OYE Records.
The local foundation of the evening is held by Pytzek, a DJ with more than a quarter of a century of experience. Founder of labels Burek, Barba and Pomalo! brings an effortless mix of dub, disco, house and techno that keeps the podium in constant motion.
FUTURE SCOPE SEASON OPENING
September 26, Peti Kupe, Zagreb
When Future Scope announces the opening of a new club season, you expect a lot, but what is being prepared for Saturday, September 26, is a serious precedent. Ahead of us is a lineup that we can freely call historic, a night in which we combine the absolute icons of the world’s techno mecca with our strongest forces to launch another dangerously strong club season.
EXHIBITIONS AND POP-UPS
RIBNJAK HOME CINEMA
September 2 – December 12, Ribnjak, Zagreb
Scena Ribnjak is launching a new film program titled Kućno kino Ribnjak (Ribnjak Home Cinema), transforming its auditorium into a communal living room across four monthly sessions held between September 2 and December 2.
Through a selection of domestic films, the program will explore the various meanings of the “home movie”—in terms of form, theme, and production method—and the concept of “home cinema” as an intimate viewing experience enjoyed from the comfort of armchairs, accompanied by discussions with filmmakers and film experts. Each screening will be followed by a conversation with guests who approach the films from diverse creative, critical, or film-studies perspectives. The selected films will open up various topics and questions regarding the relationship between cinema and private space, the (auto)portrait through the medium of film, memory, and everyday life, as well as the ways in which space and the home—as motifs—serve as starting points for formal exploration, according to the program announcement.
NEW STAGES: STAGE READINGS
September 2 – 4, Kunst Theatre, Zagreb
The third edition of the NEW STAGES program—organized by the Association of Screenwriters and Playwrights (SPID), the Goethe-Institut Kroatien, KunstTeatar, and the Croatian ITI Centre—will take place at Zagreb’s KunstTeatar from September 2 to 4.
This year, three new plays by contemporary female writers—Petra Pleše, Mateja Posedi, and Rona Žulj—will be presented. “Through authentic, thoughtful, and lucid dramaturgical approaches, the texts address various individual and collective upheavals that shape our daily lives,” the announcement notes. The event opens with a roundtable discussion titled “The Role and Responsibility of Criticism in Promoting New Playwrights,” featuring Igor Ružić and Ana Fazekaš, and moderated by Antonela Tošić.
TUŠKANAC ON TOUR: MIKE LEIGH
September 1 – 20, KIC, Zagreb
The first September program of the “Tuškanac on Tour” series is dedicated to the work of Mike Leigh, a key figure in social realism and a chronicler of British society.
“At the heart of his films lie the everyday lives of ‘ordinary’ people and the tensions that arise from seemingly mundane situations—such as family lunches, conversations between partners, or life in the neighborhood,” the announcement notes.
The series comprises twelve films to be screened throughout September at KIC (Preradovićeva St. 5); it opens on September 1 at 9:00 PM with Leigh’s debut feature, Bleak Moments (1971). Influenced by Nobel laureates Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, the film—through the character of Sylvia, who attempts to find romance while caring for her sister with an intellectual disability—captures awkward attempts at connection, loneliness, and the difficulties of human communication.
HIDDEN CITY
September 4 – 12, multiple locations
Public lectures as part of the interdisciplinary Skriveni Grad (Hidden City) program run from September 4 to 12, taking place at various locations in Split, on the island of Vis, and online.
This year’s program theme is “Waste,” and lectures in various formats will be presented by Daša Gazde, Marin Kanajet, members of the Pomalo association from Vis, Jere Kuzmanić, and Delfina Fantini von Ditmar.
“The program bridges theory and practice: from analyzing global material flows and the ‘toxic narratives’ that normalize damage, to concrete local examples of material reuse and repurposing in Solin. On the island of Vis, a walk through devastated sites becomes a meeting point for sustainable practices and poetry—a reminder that the environmental crisis is simultaneously material and cultural, and that change often begins with a shift in mindset, not necessarily with new technology,” the announcement states. More information about the programme here.
AUTHORIZED FOR PROTECTION
September 5, HKD in Sušak, Rijeka
On Saturday, September 5, at 8:00 PM, the performance-installation project Ovlaštene za zaštitu (Licence to Protect) will be presented at the HKD in Sušak, Rijeka.
The creative and directing team consists of Ljiljana Musić and Ira Prica; the performance was produced by the independent dance collective Subcultural Laboratory Scene in artistic collaboration with the Dutch collective No-Mads.
The performance Licence to Protect explores the experiences of women and mothers within the context of militarization, war, and societal expectations through a documentary and interdisciplinary approach.
ZAGREB CITIZENS, CHECK IF YOU ARE ALIVE
September 4 – 26, Forum Gallery, Zagreb
On Friday, September 4, at 7 p.m., the exhibition Zagreb Citizens, Check If You Are Alive by Vlasta Delimar—curated by Katerina Jovanović and Sabina Oroshi—will open at the Forum Gallery (Teslina 16).
In the year Vlasta Delimar marks her 70th birthday, her body of work is being revisited in the present, with a focus on how its meaning shifts over time. The project Check If You Are Alive is conceived as a multi-site “anti-retrospective”; rather than offering a linear overview of nearly fifty years of artistic practice, it connects works from different periods and observes what happens when they encounter a new space, time, and audience. Following the first installment at the Kortil Gallery in Rijeka, the project continues at the Forum Gallery in Zagreb with the exhibition Zagreb Citizens, Check If You Are Alive.
BURGER FESTIVAL ZAGREB
September 10 – 20, Franjo Tuđman Park, Zagreb
This is the common thread connecting more than 50 burgers you’ll be able to try at the upcoming Burger Festival Zagreb!
From timeless classics and tried-and-true recipes to juicy smash burgers, as well as new flavors, wild ideas, and entirely new concepts, a burger adventure awaits the seriously hungry.
ZAGREB DESIGN WEEK
September 8 – 20, multiple locations in Zagreb
For two weeks, the 13th Zagreb Design Week transforms Zagreb into a hub of design. Every year, the festival brings together over 25,000 visitors across dozens of locations throughout the city, demonstrating that design is not merely something we look at, but something we live. More information available here.
ZAGREB MUSEUM WEEKEND
September 3 – 7, multiple locations in Zagreb
Zagreb’s museum institutions are joining forces in a joint program, which represents a step in the right direction for all those eager for culture and art, but also for those who appreciate well-designed and well-rounded stories. Let’s enjoy together the rich and diverse program of the Zagreb Museum Weekend, which brings exhibitions, expert guided tours, creative workshops, thematic panels and cultural walks, at numerous locations throughout the city, with free admission to all events.
