Closer Festival 2026 in Livno, Bosnia Herzegowina

Livno and its people were absolutely wonderful. I’m incredibly grateful for the kindness and hospitality of everyone who welcomed us. The staff worked hard and stayed friendly despite everything that happened. The DJs who actually performed were amazing, and the landscape around Livno is breathtaking.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the festival itself.
The organization was a complete disaster.
The festival grounds felt empty and soulless. There were barely any decorations, no lights, no cozy places to sit or relax—nothing that created a real festival atmosphere. By the second day, the visuals on the Main Stage had already stopped working. The stages themselves looked cheap and unfinished. Taxis and shuttle services were poorly organized, and the showers at the campsite barely worked.
To make things even worse, many DJs apparently weren’t paid and cancelled their performances. I’m especially grateful to the artists who still came and played anyway instead of leaving us stranded in the mountains of Livno.
On Friday, attendance was so low that one of the two stages was almost always empty because the few visitors kept moving between them. Considering the lineup, that was hard to believe.
At that point, locals could still buy tickets for half the regular price—which was still expensive considering the average income in Bosnia.
Once the organizers realized hardly anyone else was coming, they suddenly announced that all locals could enter for free. Of course, the people from Livno who had already paid for their tickets on Friday never got their money back.
Saturday was noticeably busier, and honestly, that proved something important: if the festival had been free for locals from the beginning, and people from across Bosnia had known in advance and been able to plan their trip, this could have become a beautiful celebration of Balkan culture. A festival created by Balkan people, for Balkan people—with international visitors joining in. That’s what real representation looks like.
Spez chose Livno because his family comes from here.
Is this really how you treat “your own people”?
Nothing about this felt like someone wanting to showcase their hometown to the world or support the local scene. Instead, it felt more like: “Everything is cheaper here, so the festival will cost less to produce—and we’ll make more profit.”
I honestly don’t even want to know what the local staff were paid. I just hope they were treated fairly.
By the second day there wasn’t even any coffee left. Bars started closing early, and on the third day the Main Stage was shut down completely. Meanwhile, the staff were sitting behind the bars wrapped in blankets because there weren’t even heaters for them. Despite all of this, they remained incredibly kind and professional.
The saddest part is that people traveled here from all over the world. Everyone invested time, money and effort to get here, only to be disappointed. Yet the crowd still made the best of it. People danced, laughed, connected, and created an amazing atmosphere despite the circumstances. The organizers gave us almost nothing—but the community created something beautiful anyway.
The people of Livno were some of the warmest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met. They were helpful, generous and genuinely happy to have us there. I’m incredibly thankful for the way they treated us, and I hope we were good guests in return. A part of my heart will always stay with Livno and with the people of Bosnia.
As for Spez and the organization: shame on you.
If you use your supposed hometown simply as a way to maximize profit, don’t expect people to stay silent. This festival lacked passion, care and respect for the artists, the workers, the local community and the visitors.
I’ve been to illegal forest raves that were organized with far more love than this festival.
In the end, people started taking drinks from the bars that had already closed (thanks for the free beer to whoever made that happen). I also heard that the coffee machine and even equipment from the Main Stage disappeared. Honestly… after everything that happened, it’s hard to feel sorry for the organizers.
Finally, thank you to every DJ who still played, every member of staff who kept smiling through the chaos, every person from Livno who welcomed us with open arms, and every guest who refused to let the weekend be ruined.
You are the reason this trip was still worth it.
Love, Livno.
Fuck Spez.