For a moment, it felt like I was part of an MTV music video.
Cutting shapes and making waves in a pool full of hundreds of happy, beautiful people — while absorbing both the glorious sunshine and the sounds of some of the most talented DJs on the planet.
It’s one of the world’s biggest Electronic Dance Music festival and attracts 150,000 fans from across the globe.
I’d love to pretend that I’m a cool EDM fan — but I’m more Craig David than David Guetta. Or at least used to be.
I jetted to Croatia, with my EDM-loving pal Rob, to experience a music binge. But no sooner had we landed in the city of Split than we were given some shock news. The entire first day had been cancelled because of high winds.
With gales lashing the windows of the Hotel President Solin — situated in the heart of Solin — it wasn’t the night to hit the streets.
Instead we made the most of the five-star facilities, squeezing in a quick gym session then relaxed in the spa before getting some quality kip on our king-size beds. Fortunately, Croatia’s normally beautiful climate returned the following morning.
As we bounced down to breakfast we were greeted with yet more good news from a group of fellow partygoers. The show was on and yesterday’s biggest acts had stuck around to play.
We jumped in a cab and 15 minutes later we were at the first venue. And the tunes were BANGING!
With Basshunter (the only DJ I’d heard of) not in attendance we shuffled through heaving crowds to watch Armin van Buuren.
I didn’t know any of the tracks — but the atmosphere was electric and like nothing I had ever experienced. I was hooked.
The music travels through your entire body, skin tingling as your heart beats in sync with the pounding bass.
Your eyes remain fixated on lasers — like a moth to a flame, you’re lured in.
Even though we were feeling the strain, it wasn’t going to stop us from seeing arguably the best outfit from the previous day’s set — W&W. The Dutch electronic duo produced a true spectacle.
By the time the next act, Dash Berlin, had started, we felt our legs flagging and headed for the seats at the back of the Stadion Poljud.
Feeling worse for wear with heads pounding, at 2am we decided to call it a day after 12 hours of raving.
The next day we woke to more sun and set up shop beside the pool.
Living in Essex, the flashiest boats I usually see are sailing in and out of Tilbury Dock.
So it was a nice change of gear to attend the Yacht Regatta on the island of Brac — where Julian Jordan played at the AURO Cocktail bar on the beach of Bol while more than 500 partied during sunset.
But the best was saved until last as we got a boat to Croatia’s most glitzy island, Hvar. The place was incredible and reminded me of Monaco — only with bigger boats and more glamour.
Shortly after, Rob’s favourite DJ Don Diablo closed quite possibly the greatest pool party on Earth at the Hotel Amfora Grand Beach Resort.
Out of this world Then we were whisked to Ultra’s private gig on the idyllic island of Vis. This was where the Resistance closing party took place, with pumping tech-house tunes in a gig set inside an old fort.
Underground stars Hot Since 82 and Nic Fanciulli topped the bill and brought the partying to a climactic close.
The venue was the perfect spot to bring together the old and new — uniting the history of Croatia with the psychedelic sounds of modern tunes. They call people who attend the festival “Ultranauts” — my trip was out of this world from start to finish.
