While Merlin admits to more stage fright than ever ahead of three historic concerts at Koševo, Sarajevo simultaneously closes Baščaršija Nights with a concert in honor of Safet Isović.
Dino Merlin, one of the greatest musicians from this region, begins a series of three concerts at Sarajevo's Koševo stadium tomorrow. Ahead of the spectacle, as a guest on BHRT's show "Jutro za sve" hosted by Zvonko Komšić, he revealed that he feels a positive stage fright, but also more worry than ever before.
"I feel like a baby, sleeps a little then wakes up and tries to eat less food and drink more water," Merlin said for the show "Jutro za sve," reports Klix.ba. He added that such a state is common before big events: "You need to be a bit hungry for the stage. There needs to be a little respect and fear."
The concerts will be held on July 31, August 1 and 2, 2026, and according to Merlin, this is the largest gathering in the city's history. "This is, I think, the largest number of people that will ever come to Sarajevo. I don't recall such a large number of people coming to Sarajevo in the past," he emphasized. He also pointed out that his team normally consists of 80 people, but at Koševo, more than 100 people are employed.
Speaking about his first performance at the same venue in 2000, he admitted that he was not aware of the challenges then. "The first was the easiest. I didn't know what challenges awaited. Each subsequent one was harder and harder. Now I'm most worried," he said.
When asked whether the evenings will differ, he revealed that the guests will be different. "None will be the same, but when I say that, it differs in small percentages. There will be different guests." He also described the difficulty of compiling songs: "My problem is making the playlist. It can't last until dawn, this isn't a kafana. It needs to have its own framework, a concert that lasts two and a half hours. That's the world standard, a bit above the standard."
At the end of the interview, Merlin shared a message he regularly conveys to fans: "Each of us is an individual who has one light, one lamp to which only we have access." He called on the audience to preserve that light for future generations. He also reflected on his own creative work: "All songs are made from my traumas, situations I have experienced, which sometimes I would rather have not experienced." Commenting on a social media post, "It's tricky for the one who understands Dino Merlin's songs", he did not hide that behind his lyrics often lie difficult personal moments.
While Sarajevo prepares for Merlin's concerts, this year's Baščaršija Nights Festival also closes. The concert "Za dušu i sjećanje, Safet Isović" (For the Soul and Remembrance, Safet Isović), organized by the Public Institution Bosnian Cultural Center of Sarajevo Canton and the Sevdah Foundation, will be held on July 30, 2026, at 9 PM on the Central Stage near the Vijećnica, with free admission, reports N1 BiH.
On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the birth of the sevdalinka legend, numerous interpreters will take the stage: Hanka Paldum, Rizo Hamidović, Ljubica Berak, Ferid Avdić, Kadira Čano, Hamid Ragipović Besko, Hasiba Agić, and Šefćet Hamidović Ringo. The younger generation is represented by Safet Bučo, Hamza Šantić, Pavao Anić, Melika Karić, Memnun Muzaferija, Nejla Keškić Muzaferija, Namir Mašić, and Kenan Katadžić. Also participating in the program are academics Mile Stojić and Esad Bajtal, and poet Benjamin Isović.
Musical accompaniment will be provided by the Orchestra of the Sevdah Foundation under the direction of Damir Galijašević, who also wrote the script. Special guests of the orchestra are Safet Isović's long-time collaborators, accordionist Ante Filipović and clarinetist Suad Pašić Paja, and the evening will be hosted by Enisa Hajdarević Šojko and Armin Redžić.
During his more than 50-year career, Isović composed, wrote, and recorded sevdalinkas, and his oeuvre is adorned with 35 gold and silver records, the Golden Microphone, and entertainment awards. Through duets with Zaim Imamović, Nada Mamula, Meho Puzić, Mile Petrović, and Beba Selimović, he left an indelible mark on the musical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sarajevo will thus experience a double musical celebration over several days, one night dedicated to immortal sevdah, and three evenings with the hits of Dino Merlin, which, as he says, emerge from his "traumas and situations" and find their way to an audience that experiences them as their own.
