When you've been part of the creative and organisational machinery in Varaždin for years, festival atmosphere gets under your skin. As a long-time volunteer with Udruga VUK (Varaždin Underground Klub) and P4 – Youth Centre, I've been through every stage of putting on events on the local scene. This year, though, I made a firm decision: instead of the usual volunteering at a stand, on logistics, as a sound tech on smaller stages or as general crew, I took on the role of official photographer. My passion for concert and festival photography needed a new challenge, and the two-day spectacle KVART Festival, held this year, 2026, on 29 and 30 May next to Arena Varaždin, was the perfect playground for testing my visual limits.

Photographing a two-day outdoor festival brings a completely different dynamic from shooting controlled music videos. There are no second takes, the light changes constantly as day turns into night, and you have to be in the right place at the right millisecond.

Capturing the festival buzz: from trap to indie rock

Both days of the festival offered a brutal range of genres, which demanded quick visual adaptation from me. I caught the front rows and absolute chaos in the crowd during the energetic sets by hip-hop and trap names such as Vojko V, Špiro, Baks and 2Kitice, joined with similar energy by July Jones, Giogio and Smoks (plus .nac), $in, Grim, !Edi as well as Đakro). That particular energy calls for a more “jumpy” kind of photo. The focus here isn't the whole band, but one or two people in moments of pure adrenaline, jumps and so on. On top of that, dance took the festival's energy to a new level. The group Mantra Dance Crew made a great bridge between the lesser-known and better-known acts and shifted the energy on the ground. Without them this festival simply wouldn't be a festival.

On the other hand, the live and alternative bands brought a completely different atmosphere to the stage. Regional stars Buč Kesidi and indie sensation Luzeri showed real power on stage. But it wouldn't have been the same without the fierce or atmospheric sound set up before them by bands such as ignor, Nikola’s Cage, Take the Tides, Fuzz Mihi, rtificial:red, TereT i Vilim Mance. With them I framed the whole band, their pure energy while playing, and the play of spotlights and smoke on stage, which looked perfect in photos.

While my Instagram posts are reserved for highly stylised, artistically edited shots, a few moving photos or GIFs and high-contrast frames made for social media, here on the website I'm sharing a reportage gallery. These photos are structured in a documentary, professional way: optimised for media reports, press materials and the festival archive, but still with a clear technical signature in the framing.

The commercial side: more than just music

Festival photography in 2026 isn't just about catching performers with a microphone. A serious festival like KVART, which grows bigger every year, rests on the synergy between the organisers and brands. Through this job I gained huge, valuable experience in commercial festival production.

Alongside the concerts, my job also included professional photography of promo products and sponsor activations that supported the festival. It was key to fit the look of the sponsors' products into the natural, relaxed festival setting, paying attention to composition, brand placement and the natural or stage light at the location next to Arena Varaždin.

Let's take your festival to the next visual level

This intense two-day experience confirmed that I'm at my best in the controlled creative chaos of big events. If you're a festival organiser, a concert promoter or a brand looking for professional visual coverage, I offer the full package: from dynamic concert shots and media-ready material to clean promo photos for sponsors.

To work together on festivals, concerts and cultural events in Varaždin, the region or further afield, get in touch through the contact form on the website so we can document the energy of your next project at the highest cinematic and media level.