Three days, 160.000 partyers and 70 million EUR spent
Since 2013, Ultra Europe has been making a name for itself, as the paradise for lovers of electronic dance music. Already in its 7th installment, Ultra Europe Split is said to break records, as the craziest festival in the region, hosting the crème de la crème of DJ’s and other artists.
The festival is bringing immense effects for the entire Croatian economy. Even though the Croatian government proclaimed Ultra as a strategic project, the locals think differently. Every year, Split gets packed with party-craving people from all over the world, turning the otherwise calm Mediterranean town into a place of dissolute. The numbers speak for themselves and leave even the hardest critiques without arguments.
90% of Ultra attendees are aged 18 to 30, coming to Split from 140 different countries.
541 million EUR has been spent by Ultra attendees since the festival started. The average daily expenditure of Ultra attendees is 340 EUR, which is 4 times more than that of average tourists in Croatia. Every day, Ultra attendees spend nearly 4 million EUR on food, with the average meal expenditure being 12 EUR per person.
10.000 planes have flown to Split to bring attendees to the festival and 41 million EUR has been spent on plane tickets alone.
The marketing value of the event is estimated at 25 million EUR, generating 0,08% of the country’s GDP. The country collects 5 million EUR from taxes connected to the event, enough to build and equip two schools.
At the last Ultra in Split, the police arrested 305 people, most of them being comprehended for the use of illegal drugs.
There is no doubt that Ultra Europe is a major cash cow, inviting an international crowd, which has direct economic benefits. Will the positives outweigh the negatives, and will the locals regain their tranquility in this Dalmatian gem?
