Dubai to Zagreb: Mega concert prep starts for 500,000 fans

Zagreb Hippodrome (Photo: Suradnik13/C BY-SA 3.0)

Marko Perković Thompson has completely sold out his concert at Zagreb’s Hippodrome on 5 July.

With more than 500,000 people expected to attend, this will be one of the biggest live music events ever seen in Croatia.

Some of the main factors organisers have to take into consideration will be crowd management and safety, traffic congestion and transportation strain and security concerns.

The sheer scale of the show is impressive. The stage alone will take a month to build and will rise 30 metres into the air.

Preparations are already underway, with organisers working hard on security and logistics to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Massive Production Effort

Ensuring top sound quality for such a large crowd is no easy task. However, sound engineer Krešimir Banek from Croatian Radio says it can be done – even for those in the very last rows.

“There are no technical obstacles – if you have the right equipment. The challenge is programming everything perfectly so that the sound carries clearly and loudly to every corner of the venue. Unfortunately, no single company in Croatia has all the necessary gear,” Banek told HRT.

Much of the equipment will be brought in from abroad, including a large shipment from Dubai.

Zoran Matić, who filmed Thompson’s earlier concerts at Poljud and Maksimir stadiums, says this one will raise the bar even higher.

“I experienced it as a top-level production – unlike anything we had done before. It was truly spectacular,” Matić said.

A Boost for Local Economy

The event is also expected to benefit the local economy, especially transport companies, private renters, and food vendors.

Coach travel to the venue is in high demand, with some agencies having waiting lists even before ticket sales began.

“We’ll be organising coaches in the triple digits,” said Tomica Drvar-Trtinjak from a major travel agency. “Something like this hasn’t happened before in Croatia. We’ve had big concerts before, but nothing on this scale.”

To ensure everything runs safely, thousands of police officers and private security staff are being mobilised. With crowd numbers reaching half a million, flawless organisation is key.

Biggest ever event in Croatia

Thirty-one years ago, the Hipodrom saw twice as many people gather as will be present this 5th July.

On 11th September 1994, a million individuals attended a mass led by Pope John Paul II at that very location during the first of his three pastoral visits to Croatia.

This is the largest gathering ever held in Croatia.