Sonus Festival 2026 Canceled: What Happened on Pag Island
· re:union Radio editorial · 2 min read
The Sonus Festival 2026 on Pag is off. The reason? Demolished clubs at Zrće Beach. A return is planned for 2027.
The Sonus Festival 2026 will not take place. The edition of the techno festival at Zrće Beach on Croatia's Pag Island, scheduled for August 16–20, has been canceled by the organizers.
At a glance
- Sonus Festival 2026 (August 16–20, Zrće Beach, Pag) is canceled
- Reason: Noa Beach Club and the Noa Big Beach area are no longer available
- Background: Demolition and a dispute over the use of the coastal property
- Organizers announce a return for 2027
Why the festival is off
Since its inception, Sonus has been spread across several open-air clubs at Zrće Beach, including Papaya, Aquarius, Kalypso, and Noa Beach Club. And that's exactly where the problem lies: Noa Beach Club and the adjacent Noa Big Beach area have been removed as part of demolition work related to official requirements and a dispute over the use of the coastal section. Both stages were considered an integral part of the festival's identity. The organizers decided against a reduced edition without these venues and canceled the entire event.
A blow for Novalja
For the city of Novalja, the cancellation is more than just a footnote in the party calendar. Sonus is considered one of the central techno festivals on the Croatian Adriatic coast, attracting thousands of visitors from all over Europe for five days – an audience that also spent money in the region beyond the stages, in hotels, restaurants, and on boat parties. A cancellation of this magnitude significantly impacts the island's tourist infrastructure.
What's still happening in Zrće in 2026
The gap in the calendar won't remain entirely empty: The Night Horizon Festival, a new event in Zrće Bay, is announced for the same period, set to take place at the LIFT Beach Club. If you're looking for fresh music off-stage in the meantime, you'll find it in our Dark Techno Update for August 2026, among other places. And while stages disappear on Pag, new clubs are emerging elsewhere – for example, Club AMT recently opened in Berlin, as you can read here.
Outlook for 2027
The organizers have confirmed the return of Sonus Festival to Zrće Beach for 2027. Details regarding the lineup, date, or potential new venues are still pending. Whether the organizers find replacements for the lost Noa areas by then will likely determine the form in which the festival returns.
FAQ
Will Sonus Festival 2027 take place?
The organizers have announced a return for 2027, but there's no exact date or lineup details yet.
Why was the 2026 edition canceled?
Because Noa Beach Club and the Noa Big Beach area were no longer available due to demolition and a dispute over coastal use, and the organizers didn't want a reduced edition.
Source: NomadLawyer, FestivalAbroad
