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Vodice Residents Upset Over Karleuša Concert; Mayor Declares Her Unwelcome Amid Protest Threats
🇭🇷 Croatia /Culture & Society

Vodice Residents Upset Over Karleuša Concert; Mayor Declares Her Unwelcome Amid Protest Threats

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • A planned concert by Serbian singer Jelena Karleuša in Vodice, Croatia, has sparked public outcry due to her past controversial statements about Croatia and Croats.
  • Vodice Mayor Ante Cukrov stated Karleuša is not welcome in the city, citing her previous negative comments, though he acknowledged the city has no authority over private club programming.
  • Karleuša's past remarks, including suggesting a

A planned concert by Serbian singer Jelena Karleuša in the Croatian town of Vodice has ignited a firestorm of public criticism. The event, scheduled for August 15th, a significant Croatian holiday, was initially announced for the Hacienda club. After facing backlash, the club clarified the performance would start after midnight, extending into August 16th.

Are you ready for the biggest spectacle of the summer? The queen of the scene is coming to Hacienda!

— Hacienda clubThe club announced Karleuša's performance on their Instagram profile.

The controversy stems from Karleuša's past public statements regarding Croatia and Croats. Many in the public have deemed her presence inappropriate given these remarks. Vodice Mayor Ante Cukrov publicly stated that Karleuša is not welcome in his city. "It is inappropriate," Cukrov told Nacional, emphasizing that while the city cannot dictate the programming of private venues, her past comments make her arrival unacceptable.

It is inappropriate

— Ante CukrovThe Mayor of Vodice, Ante Cukrov, commented on the planned performance.

Cukrov clarified that Vodice has no issue with artists from Serbia or neighboring countries in general. The problem, he stressed, is specifically with Karleuša's history of negative comments about Croatia. He noted that the city government is responsible for public spaces, not private establishments like the Hacienda club.

We have nothing against anyone and everyone is welcome in the city of Vodice

— Ante CukrovMayor Cukrov clarified the city's general stance on visitors.

Karleuša's controversial statements have resurfaced, including a 2025 post on X where she questioned why Serbs shouldn't desire a "Greater Serbia" in the same way Albanians create a "Greater Albania." Additionally, a February 2025 television appearance saw her claim to have heard "Croatian dialect of the Serbian language" among protesters in Serbia, an assertion that minimized the Croatian language and attempted to link the protests to Croatia. These past remarks have fueled the current debate surrounding her upcoming performance.

Why shouldn't we, like the Albanians who are creating Greater Albania, want Greater Serbia?

— Jelena KarleušaKarleuša's past statement from August 2025, which resurfaced following the concert announcement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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