WHAT WILL happen to night clubs in Croatia, and will the pandemic destroy the nightlife?

We interviewed some owners of night clubs in Zagreb and on the coast to see what they think about the current situation, as well as about the uncertain upcoming tourist season.

Night club owners are still unsure about what will happen to their businesses during the pandemic, and some of them, wishing to remain anonymous, admitted that they have no plan at all. They are waiting for instructions from the Coronavirus Task Force.

Owners of a popular Zagreb night club have unofficially stated that there is currently no chance of opening the club and that they are unable to plan anything in this situation. They can only wait for the instructions from the Task Force. "There is no way of knowing what will happen tomorrow," they say. Many night club owners in Zagreb also own similar businesses on the coast, where they "transfer" their employees during the tourist season. Currently, they have no plans for those businesses either.

The situation is no different in Zadar, where those working in the food and beverage industry are mainly focusing on facilities with terraces, i.e., "ordinary" cafes, which can meet the requirements set by the Task Force.

Owners of a popular nightclub in Zadar have unofficially stated that they have no plans of opening for the time being. "If something does not change significantly, we will most likely stay closed until further notice, and possibly all summer," they say, adding that instead of laying off employees, they will try to transfer them to some of their other facilities that are allowed to work (cafes with terraces and such). 

What will happen to Zrce?

This year's season on Zrce is also uncertain. Some of the biggest festivals, such as Hideout, which attracted many young Brits to this most entertaining Croatian beach, have already been canceled, and the question remains whether the clubs on Zrce will be able to open at all this season.

"The Coronavirus Task Force hasn't provided any guidelines for night clubs. They stated that it was impossible to predict what the epidemiological situation would be in Croatia this summer, as well as what measures would be in force at that time. Given that every measure adopted so far directly prevents us from working, our clubs are not cost-effective in these circumstances," the owners of the Papaya group which includes the Zrce clubs Aquarius, Nomad and Papaya stated for Index. 

"So far, the festivals held in May and June have been canceled, including the Hideout festival, attended predominantly by the British, with over 10,000 visitors. The visitors are unable to attend primarily because of travel restrictions and the reduced number of flights from and to the UK. The opening of clubs remains uncertain because there are no clear instructions from the Coronavirus Task Force, but even if we get the permission, our decision about opening will be greatly affected by the ban on gatherings and closed borders," they say. 

All this greatly affects the workers as well. Over 1,000 people work on the Zrce beach alone during the summer season. They will be out of work if the beach stays closed this season.

"We used the government's stimulus package to keep the jobs of our essential employees. During the summer season, the Zrce beach employs over 1000 people, who will, unfortunately, be left without a job if there are no tourists. Other than affecting direct jobs, not opening businesses on the Zrce beach will also indirectly affect hundreds of businesses, travel agencies, and local partners we have been collaborating with for years. The Croatian event industry, that is, to be more exact, the businesses that are earning money from the organization of various types of public events, has over 2,000 entities employing 10,000 people and earns more than HRK 4.5 billion a year," the Papaya group owners explained.

Under what conditions could nightclubs even work during the pandemic?

Under what conditions could the clubs work at all during the pandemic? It is clear that in such facilities it would be very difficult to comply with the measures adopted for cafes. On the contrary, such places depend on crowds, and it is clear that people go to clubs precisely to be near others, and not to distance themselves from others.

"In order to be able to work, we need an urgent decision on the roadmap of dates and limitations regarding the maximum number of people allowed in indoor and outdoor facilities, following the example of countries that have already adopted it (Hungary, Spain, the Czech Republic) – primarily, we need a specific date when events with 100 and 500 people will be allowed," the Papaya Group owners said.

"As for the requirements that could be introduced, there are a number of measures that nightclubs could adopt when it comes to working in the current epidemiological situation. There are the hygiene measures (measuring the guests' temperature at the entrances, installation of disinfectants at the entrances to facilities, in toilets and next to or at each bar inside the club, use of protective masks and gloves by the staff, disinfection of work surfaces and the overall space, introduction of strict shifts...), the regulation of distance (when the guests enter the facility, distancing of tables within the facility, removing chairs and limiting the possibility of guests lingering in certain places and drinking at the bar...), the restrictions regarding the total number of guests in the facility, and many other measures that could help us create conditions for safe work," they explain.

The first to close and the last to open

What will this mean for the nightlife in Croatia? Will the pandemic destroy it? For now, that remains unclear.

"The measures adopted due to the pandemic have dealt a heavy blow to Croatia's nightlife, as well as to the concert and festival industry. We were the first sector that was forbidden from working and will be the last allowed to resume normal work," they complain.

"Therefore, to save the businesses, it is necessary - for as long as the measures of the Task Force remain in force and thus limit the normal functioning of our businesses – to approve the requested measures in the duration of 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 months for businesses that in the reference period have a decline of more than 70% in revenues relative to the same three-month period of the previous year. We also demand the relaxation of the Croatian Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises, Innovations and Investments' requirements for COVID-19 loans for small businesses, that is, the extension of the period of loan use from 6 to 12 months, the increase of the fund for the Agency's COVID-19 loans and the relaxation of the requirements so as to include all jeopardized businesses," the Papaya Group owners said.

And while cafes will reopen their doors on May 11, albeit under many pandemic prevention measures, the situation related to nightclubs remains uncertain. Most of them closed their doors before the cafes did, and nobody knows when they will be able to reopen them.