Croatia’s biggest concert crowds: The Rolling Stones top for now
- by croatiaweek
- in Entertainment
Zagreb Hipodrom (Photo: Suradnik13/C BY-SA 3.0)
Marko Perković Thompson sold out his upcoming concert at Zagreb’s Hipodrom on 5 July, with over 130,000 tickets snapped up in just six hours.
With a further 200,000 plus waiting to purchase, his management confirmed that ticket sales have been halted, and they are now in talks with the City of Zagreb to organise a second concert on 6 July.
Even without the additional date, Thompson’s concert will be the biggest event in Croatia in the past 14 years, since Pope Benedict XVI’s mass in 2011, which gathered 300,000 people, Dnevnik.hr writes.
Zagreb’s Hipodrom spans 47 hectares and has hosted major events over the decades.
While its official capacity is listed at 30,000, standing events can accommodate significantly larger crowds.
In 1994, during Pope John Paul II’s first visit to Croatia, Hipodrom welcomed around one million worshippers, making it the largest gathering in the country’s history.
The Rolling Stones’ Record Under Threat?
When it comes to concerts, the largest crowd at Hipodrom so far was for The Rolling Stones’ “Bridges to Babylon” tour in 1998, which drew over 80,000 fans.
This was the first major concert in independent Croatia, coming shortly after the peaceful reintegration of Eastern Slavonia.
Other notable concerts at Hipodrom include Metallica in 2010 (over 30,000 fans), Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2012 (over 35,000), and Ed Sheeran’s 2024 show, which attracted 70,000 people.
Outside Hipodrom, U2’s two concerts at Maksimir Stadium in 2009 remain among the biggest musical events in Croatia, with a combined audience of 120,000 over two nights.
Will Thompson Break Records?
Thompson (Photo credit: Roberta F./CC BY-SA 3.0)
With Hipodrom’s ability to host an unlimited number of standing spectators, Thompson’s concert could set a new benchmark for live music events in Croatia.
If an additional date is confirmed, he may well go down in history for drawing the largest concert crowd in the country.
