Nova Gradiška Music Summer festival brings 4 days of entertainment in Slavonia

Nova Gradiška, a city located on the very edge of Slavonia and Posavina in the Brod-Posavina County, this and the last 28 summers organizes the event Nova Gradiška Music Summer, “which even much bigger cities than Nova Gradiška would not be ashamed of”. It’s a sentence broadcast on the airwaves via Domaći Radio, which we listened to in the car, as it were… warming up before arriving at the location.

We arrived in the city with more traffic on the highway, because we are still in the peak of the summer season, but the passage through the city was easy and almost car-free. Where did all those people go?

Maybe we came a little too early because there were plenty of free parking spaces.

Nova Gradiška, Photo: Adria.fun

Then you look into the very center of the city, more precisely Slavonskih graničari Street, which leads you towards the large King Tomislav Square and the park where the event is held, which is full of cafes, but currently empty tables, which I believe will not be soon. I watched in amazement as people gradually gathered because the previous street, which led me to the square, was empty, there was almost no living soul… “Ah, that heat… people must be waiting for the heat to subside a little”, I thought…

Nova Gradiška Music Summer, Photo: Adria.fun

On the square itself, I saw a well-known production team, and Krešo, an acquaintance, told me a bit tiredly that they had been putting together the equipment for two days and regretted that it was so hot that the connector from the video wall on the stage melted. “But everything will be fine, we’ve fixed it, the stage is ready, and we’ve also done sound rehearsals,” said Krešo as I said goodbye to him.

The huge plateau of the square is studded with numerous catering facilities and bar tables, some of which had plates that read “reserved”. Everything was ready for the start and the first performance at 8 p.m. in tonight’s program of the local rock band Rockeri.

In the park next to the square, where the temperature was significantly lower due to the shade of the trees, there were stands with a diverse range of drinks and food, as well as local products such as honey, the inevitable Licatar hearts, lavender products and those with wooden or Slavonian handicrafts hat. – “This looks great”, I thought…

In addition to the great main musical events, this year as part of the Nova Gradiška Music Summer there are also plenty of side events, such as this workshop for children, which was held in the thick shade of centuries-old trees, and the Children Singing Hits Festival.

After a short walk, which gave me an insight into the situation and what to expect, it was time to position myself in one of the local cafes and wait for things to start heating up. I used that time to research how Nova Gradiška, as a border town, was created in 1748, when the decision of Empress Maria Theresa was made for the needs of strengthening the border of the empire by establishing the Slavonic Military Border after the expulsion of the Turks across the Sava, became a hit summer destination.

Sources say that merchants and craftsmen settled in this place over time, which of course led to the strengthening of various other industrial branches during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the past, this place had wood processing plants, mills, brick factories, and ceramics, but also food, textile, metal, and leather industries. Unfortunately, like many Croatian cities after the Homeland War, Nova Gradiška had to go through complete reconstruction.

Today, however, this city “on the border” blossoms in a completely different way. It is teeming with children’s cries and laughter, lively streets, and a 28-year-old festival that, in musical form, cheers up the whole of Slavonia and beyond for as long as four days.

Nova Gradiška Music Summer, Photo: Adria.fun

In the meantime, the music program started, well-known hits played through the square and the park, and visitors, both local and those from further afield, slowly began to gather around the stage and stands. As darkness began to fall, I also noticed some different lighting effects coming from the left side of the stage. Well, wait… it’s an amusement park, a paradise for children… I thought as I slowly approached it, just like many others did.

There is truly something for everyone… both for the oldest and the youngest. Although I may be a little too old to drive in cars or on the ring, I know I’m not too old for a good hamburger and a nice cold beer.

Nova Gradiška Music Summer, Photo: Adria.fun

While I was looking for the perfect place with the best smells, I also came across two carriages that could be used to tour the central part of the city. “They’re really beautiful,” said Paula, the editor of the Adria.fun portal, while trying to caress them… If it’s not too crowded, after a great meal, maybe I’ll go for a “round” around town. Unfortunately, that wish didn’t come true, but I believe it will for sure next year.

I finally found a place where I would eat that hamburger, and the price of 6 euros per sandwich full of flavor was not so bad after everything I saw on the Adriatic coast during my annual working vacation.

Nova Gradiška Music Summer, Photo: Adria.fun

I read somewhere that during the Nova Gradiška Music Summer, the parish church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is located in the very center, will be open all night, so I decided to take a look inside it as well. This church is the second one built in Nova Gradiška, 195 years ago to be exact, and has the status of exceptional cultural heritage. I’ll tell you more about it another time, but here’s a photo so you might be able to visit it too.

Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Photo: Adria.fun

The sunset had long passed, and now everything was already teeming with visitors, I estimate that there may have been as many as 10,000 of them. The organizers say that they expect as many as 60,000 visitors on all four days of the NG Summer.

In a cozy corner in the middle of the park, where you can follow the live broadcast with as many as 6 or 7 cameras, I noticed that the time had come for the group Valentino, whose hits I grew up with, but also that they would soon be joined on stage by the group Vatra, Urban&4, and the extremely popular young Sinj rapper Grše.

Nova Gradiška Music Summer, Photo: Adria.fun

The NG summer lasts from August 15 to 18, so you still have time to join this exceptional folk festival yourself, because you can still expect the performances of Gazde, Jole, Jelena Rozga, Saša Matić, Frajle, and many others. free. It can’t be better!

This publication was co-financed by the Fund for the Promotion of Pluralism and Diversity of Electronic Media.