Goran Bare dies in Zagreb, bandmates say he refused doctors

Goran Bare, frontman of the band Majke, died on Friday, October 9, 2026, in a rented apartment in Zagreb’s Sopot neighborhood. No official cause of death has been announced, and members of the band now say his last ECG result was poor and that he did not want to see a doctor.

Band members Mario Rasic and Alen Tibljas confirmed the death to Vecernji list. The band also said goodbye in a post on the official Goran Bare & Majke Facebook page.

What did his bandmates say about his health?

The musicians told Jutarnji list they believed Bare’s heart had failed him, since his last ECG result was poor. They also described how he treated doctors:

“He didn’t want to go to the doctor. He often felt unwell, but he stubbornly refused any help.”

The speakers are not named in that source, so the statement is attributed to the band members. The same source carries a second part of their recollection of Bare:

“Despite that, he still looked forward to making music, he had many plans, he always went to concerts with joy, he announced songs for a new album. He loved his moments of solitude, even though he was in a happy relationship. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.”

How was he found, and where do the sources differ?

Sources disagree on the timing and circumstances. Jutarnji list reports, unofficially, that Bare died during the night, in his sleep, in his bed. Nova.rs, citing the band members’ statement to Vecernji list, writes that he was found unconscious in the apartment around 1 p.m. on Friday. The two accounts are not the same, and neither has been officially confirmed.

Police carried out an on-site investigation at the apartment until late afternoon. A doctor pronounced him dead, and the body was taken to the Institute for Forensic Medicine and Criminology. Neighbors in the building, where Bare had recently moved, spent most of the afternoon not knowing what had happened.

Media reports give his age as 62, but Telegraf also writes that he was born on August 16, 1965, in Vinkovci. By that date he was 61.

What happened in Makarska?

Bare gave his last performance on September 20 at the “Modro i zeleno” (“Blue and Green”) festival in Makarska. The portal Pod Biokovom reported at the time:

“Goran Bare tonight at the ‘Modro i zeleno’ festival in Makarska did not manage to sing even the first song. After he came onto the stage, the performance was soon interrupted, and the audience gave him great support and saw him off with applause.”

Band members helped him off the stage. A video shows him waving to the audience as he left. The next day the band issued a statement:

“Unfortunately, Goran wasn’t feeling well last night. He went on stage wanting to perform for the audience that came to support him, but his body and voice did not obey him. We sincerely apologize to everyone who came to Makarska last night, and we thank them for the understanding, warmth and support they gave Goran and the band. That means a lot to us. Right now the most important thing is for Goran to be well. We have a two-month break ahead of us, which we will use for rest and recovery. We are coming back in December and we will hang out again with music.”

The platform on which that statement was published is not confirmed in the sources available to us. A concert in Osijek, scheduled for the day after Makarska, was canceled. Drummer Alen Tibljas then told the portal 24sata that the reason for the cancellation was “not what people usually think” and that “everything is fine now.” Just two weeks before Makarska, Bare and Majke had played a large concert at Salata in Zagreb.

How did the band say goodbye?

A short message appeared on the band’s Facebook page, along with a link to the song “Valcer za pokojne”:

“Thank you Bare… for everything…”

Reactions from fans piled up beneath the post within minutes.

Bare started Majke in Vinkovci in 1984 with Marino Pokrovac. The band’s best-known songs include “Teske boje,” “Mene ne zanima” and “Vrijeme je da se krene.”