After a spectacular first half of the season featuring a string of world stars, the Pula amphitheater brings a rich program in August, from local favorites to global phenomena.
The summer concert season at the Pula Arena has long passed its halfway point. Audiences have had the chance to see an impressive lineup of names on the two-thousand-year-old stage, including Nick Cave, Sting, Kraftwerk, Lenny Kravitz, Moby, Jovanotti, Ricky Martin, David Byrne, John Legend, and Black Coffee. With this program, Pula has this year firmly established itself as one of Europe's leading summer concert destinations.
Two-thirds of the announced events are already behind us, but August brings five diverse evenings that will round off this impressive season. On the schedule are regional stars, a Gen Z representative, a British singer-songwriter, and heavy metal legends, while the grand finale has been moved to Zagreb.
First up is Severina, performing on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 9 PM. Her tour "I Just Sing" sold out the Arena a month before the date, faster than most of the world-renowned names that have graced the stage here. The concept focuses on a stripped-down performance, without dance routines, with an emphasis on vocals and interpretation. She will be accompanied by an orchestra of around 30 musicians, giving her hits an almost symphonic character.
The concert also carries special emotional weight. "This concert is dedicated to my friend Sven Dukić, who for years urged me to perform at the Pula Arena but, to my and our sorrow, unfortunately did not live to see it," the singer said ahead of the performance.
A week later, on August 14, 2026, at 9 PM, Haris Džinović takes the stage. The concert marks 40 years of his career, and his sevdalinka and folk music under the stars of the amphitheater promise an evening steeped in regional nostalgia.
New Zealand Gen Z pop star Lorde returns to Croatia on August 18, 2026, starting at 8 PM. She arrives as part of her world tour "Ultrasound," promoting material from her current album "Virgin." This marks her first performance in the country in four years, when she sold out two concerts in Šibenik within minutes. This time, she performs on a significantly larger stage.
British singer-songwriter Tom Odell, whose ballad "Another Love" catapulted him to global fame, closes the calmer part of the program. He performs at the Pula Arena on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 8 PM. It will be his biggest show in Croatia to date, as part of the tour for his seventh studio album "A Wonderful Life," released in September 2025. Organizers also provided promotional codes for fans, which sold out almost instantly, but tickets are still available via Eventima.
As the grand finale of the season, on August 25, 2026, at 8 PM, heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest arrive. After more than two decades, they return to the Croatian audience as part of their European tour "Faithkeepers," featuring a career-spanning setlist that covers over half a century. Their latest, 19th studio album "Invincible Shield," was released in March 2024 and confirmed they remain one of the most relevant bands on the global metal scene.
The evening will be opened by the local act, the band Jelusick, formed around Dino Jelusić. They are part of the same tour and, just a few days after Pula, will perform as the opening act for Judas Priest in Belgrade and Sofia as well.
The season was originally set to conclude on September 3, 2026, with a concert by Hollywood Vampires, featuring Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, and Tommy Henriksen. However, due to unforeseen technical and production circumstances, the concert has been moved to the Zagreb Arena. The date remains the same, and all purchased tickets remain valid, but the show will take place in a larger, indoor venue. Although it's a loss for Pula, it doesn't change the fact that the Pula Arena once again delivered an exceptionally strong summer season.
