Three days of EDM at Poljud Stadium in Split: Europe's biggest outdoor electronic music festival, with Ultra Beach at Hvar the day before.
Annual, mid-July. 2026 dates: 9–11 July. Ultra Beach at Hvar: 8 July 2026 (verify before booking).
Ultra Europe takes place at Poljud Stadium in Split, a 45,000-seat football ground whose standing-capacity configuration during the festival holds 50,000+ per day. Three stages run simultaneously across the stadium footprint and the surrounding park. The main stage headline acts are drawn from the global top tier of EDM: artists who headline Coachella and Tomorrowland play Ultra Europe in the same season.
The venue is 3km from Split's old town. Most attendees walk it in 35–40 minutes along the waterfront Riva promenade, which doubles as a pre-festival gathering point. Shuttle buses also run from the Riva during event days. The combination of a stadium venue, Adriatic waterfront, and the walled old town of Split as the backdrop is why Ultra Europe consistently draws 150,000 across the three days despite ticket prices that are not cheap.
Ultra Beach at Hvar: held the day before the main event, typically on 8 July: is a separate ticket. Hvar is a 1-hour catamaran from Split. The beach party runs from midday and features one stage with Ultra-calibre DJs in a genuinely extraordinary setting: a beach club on a Dalmatian island. Many attendees combine a Hvar night before Ultra Europe's three days, treating it as a four-day run.
Accommodation in Split during Ultra week is the critical planning point. Zero availability within 6 months of the event is not hyperbole: it is consistently true. The February booking window is the practical deadline. Budget travellers who miss Split book in Trogir (30km north, 45-minute bus) or Omiš (25km south, 40-minute bus). Both towns have limited hostel capacity but it is still capacity.
Party hostels within reach of Split's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Split Airport is 25km from the city. Shuttle buses run to the Riva waterfront and the bus station. Direct flights from London Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol, and Dublin run throughout summer. Within Split, Poljud Stadium is a 35-minute walk from the old town along the waterfront: most festival-goers walk it.
Day-by-day breakdown
Separate ticket from the main festival. The catamaran from Split leaves from the main ferry terminal: Jadrolinija runs hourly crossings to Hvar Town (1 hour). Ultra Beach runs from noon on a beach club on the south side of Hvar. Return catamarans run late. Budget an extra £20–40 for this day including ferry and ticket.
Doors open around 4–5pm on the first day. The Mainstage is the focal point; two additional stages run simultaneously. The crowd builds through the evening with peak density from 9pm. Headliners play last: typically 11pm–1am. First day has the most chaotic energy as 50,000 people find their bearings in the stadium.
The heaviest lineup day is usually the second. The Resistance stage (underground and techno) runs in parallel with the Mainstage throughout. By day 2 the crowd knows the layout; the atmosphere is more settled. Waterfront bars and restaurants along the Riva fill from noon as people work through the heat before gates open.
Ultra Europe closing sets are among the best on the three-day calendar. The final hours carry the energy of a crowd that has been at sustained peak for three days. Confetti cannons, fireworks, and extended set times on the closing night. The walk back along the Riva at 1–2am is one of those travel moments.
Realistic costs per person · Verified March 2026
Prices in GBP. Festival week prices may be higher than standard rates. Prices verified March 2026.
Other festivals and parties in the same region
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
