SHIP Festival review: A genre-blending celebration that could soon become massive
Packed with surprise, SHIP is a dream location for the discovery of new music.
By Susan Hansen
SHIP in Šibenik is no household name in European festival circles. Still to ‘trend’, the Croatian newcomer name is yet to appear on everyone’s lips, but with considerable odds stacked in its favour, the idea of trending is within reach, and could soon become reality.
With a strong music community at its core, it’s the sort of music event where everyone shows keenness and looks out for one another. Driven by an inspired, collaborative mentality, all action is fuelled by a love of music and individuals who go the extra mile.
This level of commitment is what Rolling Stone UK witnesses over the course of four special days. Naturally, when 650 music professionals from over 50 countries, more than 100 speakers representing over 30 countries join forces, it becomes a sizeable group, capable of achieving. The collective effort matters, as does the dedication, the enthusiasm and the skills involved. It’s all part of SHIP’s success story.
Let’s start with the location. Šibenik is a coastal town where honey-coloured buildings are as frequent an occurrence as charming sit-in risotto meal spots. It’s often overlooked in favour of cities like Zagreb and Dubrovnik, whose popularity seems largely attributable to size and commercial offering.
This is unfair. Especially, given the dazzling meld of nature and culture, the attractive beach layout and dramatic renaissance architecture at play. Easy to access, the town is striking, readily available for exploration by visitors. Counting four fortresses, the two large concert stages are in St. Michael’s Fortress, or Tvrđava sv. Mihovila in Croatian, it’s a town with a range of sights and lots to do.
A fair assumption to make is that Šibenik is no obvious location for an event of this type, which also becomes its selling point. Packed with surprise, SHIP is a dream location for the discovery of new music. Only the third ever, the 2025 edition emerges as a new player that knows where it wants to go, with the ambition to show for it.
The festival celebrates free, creative expression. The daring experimental edge, makes it a rare chance to explore an expansive compass of genre ranging as far as rap, indie, world music, punk, folk and rock.
Unafraid to aim high, the event has production values. The lightning design, the installations and video projections are no letdown, each component plays an important part in the overall ordeal. Embracing technological invention, including the use of drone filming, makes the affair curious and pioneering.
With 49 curated sets pencilled across a healthy number of stages there is enough to dive into. The first act we see is iamyank. An electronic artist known for drawing on personal life experience for creative inspiration. His third album handles feelings of loneliness, and this live display showcases raw emotion and highlights the palette of influences. From Eastern European folk music to cinematic orchestration, and everything in-between, the set is varied and interesting.
Marko Bošnjak represented Croatia in this year’s Eurovision with the song ‘Poison Cake’. This audience’s awareness of the singer’s ability to entertain, keep everyone enthralled, is a thing here. Witty, with a self-deprecating humour, the queer singer tells jokes, and effectively makes the crowd loosen up. It’s hard not to giggle, and why not just go along with it. Honesty is everything, particularly when it comes so easily as it does to Bošnjak.
Exactly when and how did the saxophone become a punk staple? The truth might be to be found in Danish punk trio Smag På Dig Selv’s set; when they decided to pick up the instrument. Comprising of Oliver Lauridsen on tenor saxophone, Thorbjørn Øllgaard on baritone and bass saxophone and vocals and drummer Albert Holberg, the off-kilter band are a fun force to watch. They capture the imagination of the Croatians, who look mesmerised.
Again, the openness to new thinking and crisp ideas seeps through every aspect of the schedule, and London-based art rockers UGLY provide an exquisite taste of their eclecticism. Matching a probing outlook with a playfulness that must be impossible to replicate, the band are idiosyncratic and this moment is a unique selling point, a suitable way to distil the blend of folk and frisky harmony.
Yet the sonic power generated by Serbian psych-rockers KOIKOI is tangible. With an electrifying sound, there is stage presence and fully-charged concert volume that makes it deeply sought after. It’s obvious that the band are known to the enthused crowd, who move to the heavy beats, staring in awe of the spectacle they see unfold.
Elsewhere, Scottish rapper CHACHY gives an energising set. The melodic drill artist from Aberdeen is making waves at home, and this setting might be what’s needed as a next step. Performing on the final night, having secured one of the last gigs of the festival, makes it even more memorable. The flow is there, seeming somewhat reflective of his sociable character.
All done and dusted in the true spirit of the Croatian people, with freedom and a love of music right at the heart, it has been a brilliant showcase. The hope is that the special vibe will continue to thrive in the years to come, and there is no reason why it couldn’t.
Bravo SHIP, you have been extraordinary.