All About Hideout Festival

Novalja, Croatia

Open Air / Outdoor only / Beach

XL – 20-50k

Electronic

$$$

Alternative, Pool, International

3+ Days

Hideout is a summer festival bringing fiery energy to a quaint Croatian town.

The Croatian festival’s dynamic music programming and stunning location define it as a mammoth event. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Hideout Festival.

How Hideout came into existence

Hideout is a tropical five-day festival drawing international partiers from far and wide. Zrce, where the mega-event takes place, is a town on Pag Island in Croatia. The first Hideout edition blessed the Adriatic seashore in 2011 and since its concept was Ibiza-inspired, it lived up to expectations.

This comes as no surprise, as the Croatian festival is owned by Global, a British media conglomerate that owns beloved radio companies like Heart and Capital.

Since its debut, the festival became a lusted-after event thanks to its exotic concept. While most electronic events tend to take over abandoned and seedy warehouses, Hideout is a summer lover that places heart-thumping beats in open-air venues surrounded by lush greenery and crystal-like waters.

Pool parties by day and A1 performances that last till sunrise, what more could we ask for?

The electronic beats sounds better at Hideout

Electronic subgenres are at the core of Hideout, so you can expect anything from drum and bass and tech-house to disco and trance.

To give you a snippet of its wide-ranging lineups, artists like Seth Troxler, Nina Kraviz, SBTRKT, Annie Mac, Skrillex, Four Tet, Andy C, and Disclosure are on the festival’s roster.

Yes, you’ll get a bird’s-eye-view of the EDM scene with over 150 artists and panoramic views of the sun sinking into the sea.

Since a British company owns the festival, props had to be given to the cold island. Grime artists like Stormzy and Skepta have performed at Hideout in past years, making sure 20,000 ravers learn to be a little less picky with their eardrums.

The Croatian festival’s location is a beauty

Since its inception, Hideout has called Zrce its home. It is a picturesque location dubbed the ‘Festival Beach,’ flooded with clubs and bars that double as stages during Hideout.

Pag, where Zrce is located, is an island known as a summer escape in southern Croatia thanks to its golden sands and brilliant blue Adriatic sea.

If you like to munch on snacks while sipping cocktails, Pag is renowned for its sheep cheese – a tongue twister worth noting.

Those who stay on the island can chase sunsets while hiking, but those who have the travel bug can take a bus ride to Motovun, where wine and truffles reign supreme.

Hideout Festival transforms Zrce’s clubs into stages

The clubs on Zrce beach operate as stages during the festival. You can move around five open-air stages at Hideout at Papaya, Aquarius, Noa, Kalypso, and Euphoria.

The locations have elaborate tropical designs with palm trees and Tikki-like huts, but maintain an industrial edge with trippy visuals.

Papaya is Hideout’s main stage for headliners, but don’t be fooled by its club status. The main stage has a 4,500-person capacity spread over a generous beach area, two floors, and a pool lounge. Throughout the years, Papaya has hosted DJs like Tiësto and Armin van Buuren.

Hideout’s second biggest stage is Kalypso, Croatia’s first beach club, established in 1987. Pine trees surround the picturesque venue with a 3,500-person capacity, adding a tropical touch to the space.

Another pioneer for the island’s beach clubbing and Hideout’s third stage is Aquarius, with a 2,000-person capacity leaving room for plenty of festival-goers to dance. Aquarius is reserved for nighttime happenings and pool parties.

Noa is a multi-layered club surrounded by water, offering 360° views of the Adriatic sea and a whopping capacity of 3,000 partiers. Aside from the festival shenanigans, the Croatian nightclub offers glamping options and water sports activities such as kayaking.

Last but not least, Euphoria is Hideout’s smallest stage saved for rising techno stars.

Attendees should remember that when moving around the stages, you’ll have to go through each club’s security and repeat the arduous process.

Hideout is not a camping fan

Hideout covers all major festival elements except one – camping.

The nearest town to Zrce where partiers can nest is Novalja. Many Airbnb, hotel, and hostel options are available, but make sure to book as soon as the festival tix come out.

You’ll need all your energy for Hideout activities

Hideout’s enormous advantage is its location – festival-goers have plenty of activities and can choose from Zrce and Pag Island. From riding quad bikes on the sandy beaches to jet skiing with your pals, prepare to show off your skills.

Face painting booths are scattered around the grounds, so don’t be afraid to ask for a fierce look.

Massage tents are spread to offer some downtime to festival-goers who took it too far the night before, and adrenaline junkies can opt for bungee jumping if they want to take their festival trip to the next level.

There’s more than what meets the eye at Hideout

Pool and beach parties sound heavenly, but Hideout takes it up a notch with boat parties.

These events last a few hours and have headliners like house DJ Sonny Fodera spinning the decks.

Nothing beats cruising down with your fest group, immersing yourself in fine electronic beats, and witnessing the beautiful moment when the Adriatic waters swallow up the sun.

Rumor has it there are private beach parties off the festival grounds, so keep your ears perked and make nice with your raver neighbors.

The Croatian festival takes care of you

While many festivals have their tickets sold out in no time, Hideout has successfully sold out every edition in record-breaking time.

In one week only, the Croatian festival is already booked-up. Hideout is a raver mom through and through – the festival schedules its day parties from 3 PM to 8 PM and resumes nightly events from 11 PM to 6 AM.

You have three hours to get your beauty sleep before continuing your bender.

Make the most out of your festival money

Extra passes for transport are available for buses moving from the festival, Novalja’s bus station, and major accommodation spots. To save a few bucks, partiers can opt for package tickets with flights, accommodation, and airport transfers included.

Big spenders can pay for table services at the clubs and stages, but remember to withdraw some cash because the festival isn’t a fan of your Amex card. You can find stores, booths, bars, and restaurants around the island for festival needs and food.

Being eco-conscious is hot

Hideout is as woke as its Gen Z crowd – the festival has an initiative that balances out the airplane’ carbon footprint from all artists and staff members traveling from the UK to Croatia.

For every traveler, trees are planted to tackle the adverse environmental effects.