Skip to main content

ZRCE BEACH: THE CROATIAN RESORT WHICH HAS BECOME ONE OF DANCE MUSIC'S ULTIMATE DESTINATIONS

With Miller Genuine Draft

It is no secret that Croatia has become one of the ultimate destinations for dance music globally.  We have been producing a summer magazine there for the last four years and increasing numbers of clubbers are making the journey out each year, in search of the country's abundance of festivals

With the ability to dance outside, during the day or until the sun comes up, Croatia has developed an edge on locations like Ibiza, where licensing laws have limited opportunities for dancing al-fresco.

Although the club scene is thriving across Croatia – both in beach and urban areas – there is one resort which has become a focal point.

Zrce Beach, on the Island of Pag is the only place in the world with with four ranked Top 100 Clubs venues in such close proximity. Papaya, Noa, Aquarius and Kalypso are so close together in fact, that they often join forces to create a multi-club festival space utilised by the likes of Hideout and Sonus.

On their own, they are four of the world's best beach clubs, but together they are a festival force to be reckoned with. Get the lowdown below...

Papaya

Located right on the beachfront, Papaya boasts a huge beachside dance floor, a luxurious VIP area and an “after party beach” at the back. Just a few metres from the sea, this open-air club is the most famous on the island and accordingly ranks highest in our annual poll.

One of the club’s main attractions is its huge 'after beach' parties, which take place throughout the entire festival season. We're talking every day from 3pm to 8pm from late May to early September.

Noa

Noa is built from a series of interconnected platforms floating on the Adriatic in a natural, wood-heavy style. It is a luxury space with sun beds, VIP service, many pools and secluded private lounges as well as a main floor, an after-beach area and a chill out zone, all supplied with sound by a D&B Audiotechnik system and bars stocked with ice-cold Miller Genuine Draft.

“There's certainly a special feeling in being a guest at our open-air club,” says the club's Programme Manager, Tomo Pupavac. “At Noa you can literally meet the new dawn while partying away, surrounded by a clear-blue sea.”

Aquarius

Aquarius sports two dancefloors and pool, opening its doors for a three-month summer season that sees it play host to a number of the country’s most popular, destination festivals.

While the space has been open for 15 years, the last 12 months have seen a new main stage and backstage area constructed to cater for the seriously heavyweight DJs that grace the decks there.

 

Kalypso

The oldest venue on Pag’s Zcre Beach was doing open-air sessions long before its neighbours knew what the phrase meant. And the three decades since revellers first landed here have seen everything from the Balkan war, constitutional and economic reform, the breakup of Yugoslavia and establishment of an independent Croatia, to the onset of mass tourism. Fresh from a full refurbishment last year, Kalypso is a heavyweight venue with bundles of charm. 

For more great features from dance music's greatest global destinations, follow Miller Genuine Draft on Facebook.