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While Sunburn has hosted one of the most renowned electronic music festivals in India for 18 years, they have also expanded to Abu Dhabi to host the first-ever edition later this year.
Now going beyond music on land, Sunburn Europe Croatia Sail Week 2026 will take place this year, in partnership with The Playmaker Group.
Sunburn’s Europe debut taps into the fast-growing global phenomenon of jet-set tourism, a growing movement of culturally attuned, experience-led travellers who are increasingly choosing destinations based on curated entertainment, social energy and immersive storytelling rather than just location.
As electronic music continues to expand globally, festivals are evolving into destination-driven formats where travel and culture are as integral as the line-up.
Croatia, with its established reputation as a hub for music tourism and its ecosystem of beach clubs, historic venues and island circuits, offers a natural stage for this evolution. In bringing together premium travel, curated community and high-energy programming, Sunburn positions itself at the intersection of music tourism and lifestyle, aligning with some of the world’s most progressive festival formats while introducing a distinctly Indian-born perspective to the global stage.
Shedding more light on the new experience, Karan Singh, who is the CEO of Sunburn, said, “The way the community experiences music today has fundamentally evolved. They’re no longer just showing up for a festival, they’re travelling for it, seeking deeper, more immersive experiences that bring together music, culture and connection. With Sunburn Europe Croatia Sail Week 2026, we’re responding to that shift by creating a format where the journey itself becomes the festival: across destinations, on the water and through shared moments that go far beyond a single stage.”
Kristijan Grzetic, who is the chief marketing officer, The Playmaker Group, added, “Croatia has emerged as one of the world’s leading destinations for experiential and music-led tourism. This collaboration represents a meaningful cultural exchange, bringing together diverse audiences through a shared love for music and travel.”
The festival not only charts a path through Croatia’s most iconic coastal destinations, but also places the country’s natural beauty and cultural landmarks at the centre of the experience, reinforcing its position as a premier Mediterranean hub for high-value, experience-led tourism.
The experience begins with yacht boarding in Split and Trogir, unfolding into a sunset opening at the historic Kamerlengo Fortress, where electronic music meets centuries-old stone walls. From there, the rhythm shifts to the sunlit shores of Bol, where beachside sessions at Zlatni Rat transition seamlessly into high-energy, open-air nightlife. At Stari Grad, the format reaches one of its most defining expressions with a signature raft party, a floating arena formed in open water, where yachts converge and the sea itself becomes the dancefloor, dissolving the boundaries between stage and crowd in an immersive, communal setting.
The on-water experience will be delivered in partnership with The Bucketlust, a leading operator of curated yacht-based travel experiences, bringing proven expertise in delivering premium, ‘floating festival’ sailing events across Europe.”
Hvar anchors the journey with its unmistakable duality, equal parts indulgence and intensity. From iconic beachside gatherings to sunset dining, curated wine experiences and late-night sessions, the island unfolds as a seamless continuum of sound, culture and social energy. In Vis, the experience turns more elemental. Attendees move through the luminous stillness of the Blue Cave before transitioning into one of the festival’s most striking moments, a night at Fort George, where a historic fortress is transformed into a high-energy electronic venue overlooking the Adriatic. The closing stretch softens into a slower, more reflective rhythm, with secluded beaches, hidden coves and open horizons giving way to a final sunset set as the fleet returns.
Throughout, music remains constant but never static, a curated blend of house, techno and commercial EDM delivered by an international roster of artists, flowing seamlessly from sunrise into after-hours. Without a singular fixed stage, the environment itself becomes part of the performance, with shifting coastlines, open water and historic structures shaping an experience that is as much about movement and place as it is about sound.
Tickets for the Sunburn Europe Croatia Sail Week 2026 will be available soon on BookMyShow.
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