Vodice Mayor Calls Karleusa's Concert Inappropriate
Ante Cukrov told Croatian outlet Nacional that the singer is not welcome in Vodice because of her past remarks about Croatia, though he admitted the city has no say over what a private club books.
Vodice Mayor Ante Cukrov told the Croatian outlet Nacional that he considers Jelena Karleusa’s concert in the Dalmatian town inappropriate. The singer is set to perform at the Hacienda club on August 15.
“It’s inappropriate,” Cukrov said.
He immediately qualified the statement. The city, he said, has no say over the program of private clubs. City authorities are responsible for what happens on public property, while it is up to the owner, or organizer, to decide who performs at Hacienda.
”We Have Nothing Against Anyone”
Cukrov stressed that Vodice has no problem with performers from Serbia, or from any other country.
“We have nothing against anyone, and everyone is welcome in the city of Vodice,” the mayor said.
The problem, in his words, lies in the singer’s earlier public statements about Croatia. Because of them, he considers her visit unacceptable. He did not name a specific statement or a date.
So two sentences from the same interview sit side by side: everyone is welcome, except this singer.
Can the City Cancel the Concert?
Not based on what the mayor himself explained. Hacienda is a private club, and Karleusa’s concert is not part of a city event or a program on public property. City government has no lever in that equation, and Cukrov said as much in the same interview where he called the concert inappropriate.
His statement is therefore an opinion, not a decision. It does not touch the contract between the singer and the club.
The distinction matters for everything that follows. Had the concert been on the town square or part of Vodice’s summer program, the mayor’s word would have carried the weight of a signature. As it stands, it carries only as much weight as those who repeat it choose to give it.
The Date Sparked the Dispute First
Before the mayor spoke, the first reaction in Croatia had nothing to do with the name on the poster, it was about the calendar. The concert was announced for August 15, the feast of the Assumption, one of the biggest Catholic holidays.
The club then explained the timing. Doors open at 11 p.m., but Karleusa does not take the stage until after midnight, meaning August 16, once the holiday has passed. We reported on that explanation earlier.
Club management then issued a statement saying it would not tolerate threats or the spread of hatred. That statement came before the mayor entered the story.
An Instagram Post That Poured Fuel on the Fire
The club then posted a video on its Instagram account calling the singer the queen of the stage.
“Ready for the biggest spectacle of the summer? The queen of the stage is coming to Hacienda!” they wrote.
After that announcement, the dispute moved to social media and spread from there.
Timeline of the Dispute
- Jelena Karleusa’s concert at Hacienda club in Vodice announced for August 15
- first reactions in Croatia over the Assumption feast day
- club explains the concert starts after midnight, on August 16
- club management statement says it will not tolerate threats or the spread of hatred
- Instagram post in which the club calls Karleusa the queen of the stage
- statement by Mayor Ante Cukrov to Nacional
What Happens Before August 15
Protests over the concert have been announced. Neither the time nor the meeting point has been released, and the concert date has not changed so far.
Seven days remain before Hacienda opens its doors. The club has not withdrawn its announcement, the mayor has not softened his statement, and the only part of the story that has been precisely defined so far is the schedule: doors at 11 p.m., concert after midnight.
