An abandoned Roman fort in Croatia turned into an electronic playground with one of the best curated line ups in history, Dimensions Festival celebrated her 5th birthday at Fort Punta Christo once again and it was one magical experience. Here are our 5 highlights of 5 days and nights under the Croatian sun and moon.

Opening Concert at the Amphitheater

“Those who are about to die, salute you!” – a quote from the movie Gladiator – came to mind when walking into the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre. What it must have felt like to be a gladiator inside the arena! Surrounded by thousands of people hungry for blood, sweat and tears. In this case, the gladiators were not Russel Crow and his friends but Kamasi Washington, Massive Attack and Moodyman. And the crowd…a vibrant mix of music lovers, all hungry for a kick-ass party.

Kamasi Washington had the honor of kicking off Dimensions 2016. He and his band played a funky and vivacious set that gave everyone a more than warm welcome. It’s no wonder Flying Lotus, Nas and Kendrick Lamar have been working with this cosmic jazz-talent. In the end Kamasi brought his father ‘Rickey’ on stage to show the world what the Washington’s are made of.

After a short break the big headliner entered the arena; Massive Attack. The legendary group took us on a journey with their mix of orchestral arrangements, shifting basslines and psychedelic techniques. Accompanied with a light show – that highlighted both political messages as their lyrics were in Croatian – making it a show worth remembering. It was goosebumps galore when they ended their set with good old ‘Unfinished Sympathy.’

Last man standing was Moodymann. This Detroit music master gave the crowd what they were looking for. Moodymann a.k.a. Mister Kenny Dixon Jr. took us on a trip down memory lane from house to techno and up again. After hearing “Y’all having a good time?!” for the last time that night, the city of Pula finally got to close their eyes.

Sailing away with Stamp The Wax

Imagine you’re on the deck of a ship in the middle of the Adriatic sea. Add a little sunset, a crew of ravers from all over the world and a few hours with the DJs of Stamp The Wax. The webzine based out of London, Brighton, Bristol and beyond organized an intimate boat party with old and new friends of the family. A highlight of the 3 hours dancing on deck was when Captain Aaron Levitt finished his set with a song that became an overall festival classic; ‘Mark Seven – The Fatal Flaw in Disco (u-4-ria)’.

Dimensions Soundsystem warming up The Beach

The Beach is the perfect place to chill out after a long night of partying. Each day around 12:00 the area opened her doors. With an average temperature of 30 Celsius it was good to have the refreshing coastline in walking distance (crawling if needed). The best part of the beach was when Dimensions Soundsystem got the dance floor packed in no-time. The collective of David Martin, Andy Lemay and Simon Scott made everyone sweat with their tribal mix of disco, funk and soul.

Everything at The Moat

But it was the stage “The Moat” that stole the show. A long, dark and narrow alley with concrete walls made this stage feel like an underground club without a roof. At some stages or parties you need a minute or two to ‘get into the zone’ but once you walked into this area the party was ON. DJ Stingray, Josey Rebelle and records like Mousse T’s Feel Love Mix of ‘Moloko – Sing It Back’ combined with a killer sound system and light show made the ground shake like never before. One recommendation for next year: have a bar! The vibe was too good to leave.  

Have your heard Larry Heard at The Clearing?

Chicago House legend Larry Heard a.k.a. Mr. Fingers created some of the best records in the world of house like ‘Can you feel it’ and ‘Mystery of Love’. He didn’t perform live in more than 20 years but luckily Dimensions managed to break his routine. And so – on Friday night at Dimensions Festival 2016 – Mr. Fingers was standing behind the wheels of steel. It was a seminar of pure house music for the young crowd and sweet memories for the old fans. The deep house pioneer also invited vocalist Chad White on stage. Their brilliant live version of ‘The Sun Can’t Compare’ was a moment that couldn’t compare with any other moment of the festival. It was a personal festival highlight for many.

Dimensions Festival is like a cocktail bar in paradise. The weather is sweet, you have excellent mixes on the menu and hosts that make sure you never want to leave. Cheers to another 5 years of Dimensions!