Sunset, beats, and a soft opening that wasn't. The inaugural Balance Croatia music festival was meant to start gently, with just the Pier Stage open on day one; but from the moment I arrived, it was clear the night had other plans.
DAY ONE
The sun was slowly setting behind the trees of the Garden Resort in Tisno (8 August), a few swimmers still in the ocean that surrounded the stage, the crowd swelling with accents from across the globe.Montrealers Hicky & Kalo were in command of the Pier Stage, serving up luscious progressive beats with long, teasing breakdowns. The vibe was relaxed but electric – the kind of atmosphere where everyone knew they were in for something special.
People were pacing themselves for four full days of the greatest progressive house line-up ever assembled. Out on the water, a lone stand-up paddleboarder cruised by to get a closer look as twilight settled over the stage, the last streaks of daylight blending with the rising moon over the ocean.
At that moment, it felt like more than a music festival – it was a shared experience, a celebration of musicians and friends coming together rather than a festival of strangers.
Chilean Simply City stepped up next, bringing a bouncier vibe that had the sand moving underfoot. By now, the crowd had grown so big that organisers opened up the Beach Stage to accommodate the masses.
Fellow South American Mariano Mellino welcomed everyone to the bigger space, building the energy perfectly for a massive drop of his remix of UNKLE's 'Regin'. With Ian Brown's gravelly, pulsating vocals over the driving beat the crowd erupted, people dancing on the ocean pontoons surrounding the at-capacity Beach Stage.
With one venue for the evening not being enough the experience moved from the Garden Resort to Barbarella's Discotheque – a glowing grove lit by lasers and psychedelic UV lights with a thumping sound system. Here, Khen delivered deep, relentless fat drops that resonated through the branches and the bodies swaying beneath them.
To finish the night, Grammy-winning legends Deep Dish took control. Their set was a masterclass in progressive house, melodic and driving, they had the crowd on a string. So much for a soft opening – day one had set the bar sky-high.
DAY TWO
Sunshine, swimming and dancing until sunrise. The sun blazed high, the temperature perfect, the water even better for the dancing bodies cooling off in the water around the Beach Stage.In the Olive Grove, DJ Be Kind To Other People was behind the decks cutting massive dance moves and delivering the energy of a peak-time set in the late afternoon (9 August). He was having so much fun he would have paid for a ticket.
His enthusiasm was contagious, and the crowd responded with cheers, hugs, and smiles. A remix of Moby's 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad' and Jooris Voorn's remix of Monkey Safaris' 'Safe' were lapped up by the crowd.
Next stop was the Yard Stage, with Colombia's Kamilo Sanclemente projecting power and emotion through every track. For those who already knew his reputation, his brilliance came as no surprise.
For many others, it was a revelation. The dedicated South American crowd showed their support in full voice, their energy matching his pulsating, driving yet still melodic set. A man that is so passionate about his DJing, it's rumoured he can come to tears following an epic set.
The Beach Stage was filled to capacity as Nick Warren arrived, feathers newly added to the stage roof drifting above the crowd. His set was for the crowd and was true to Balance Croatia's spirit. You don't need a butterfly costume, or designer clothes, be yourself surrounded by others doing the same and just DANCE!
Marsh transformed the Olive Grove stage into something intimate, almost like a basement party. People spilled out from the sides of the airplane hanger shaped stag. A set highlight was a remix of London Grammar's 'Hey Now', which carried a warmth that felt like a gentle embrace.
Franky Wah lit up the Yard Stage next, with the sun long gone the perfect space for production lovers with its glowing digital screens and flowing visuals. His progressive house was stellar and groovy, until suddenly the mood shifted – a breakbeat drop cut through, sharp and unexpected, resetting the crowd before the next wave hit.
The Yard Stage crowd swelled for a weekend highlight, the living legends Sasha and John Digweed. Across the set they took the crowd on a journey that built and released with precision, a masterclass from two of the greatest to ever stand behind turntables.
The allotted finish time wasn't an option, the set pushing well past 5am into the sunrise with no dissipation in the crowd until the final note played. Day one was amazing and day two was even better, bring on day three.
- written by Daniel Holgate
Stay tuned for part two of our Balance Croatia review.
