Croatia is feverishly preparing for the concert Marko Perković Thompson which will be held on Saturday at the Zagreb Hippodrome, where half a million people are expected.
Perkovic's concert was undividedly declared the largest public meeting in recent Croatian history by the Croatian public, regardless of that, or precisely because that vocal soloist is known for his extreme right-wing views and the spread of all kinds of intolerance and hatred.
The crowds and traffic jams in Zagreb have already started, and the Croatian media, along with instructions on how to physically prepare for the multi-hour entrance to the hippodrome and no shorter departure from the hippodrome after the concert, and suggestions on how to behave at the concert, have set up clocks on their portals and television channels that count down to the start of the concert, as if it were New Year's.
"Possible diversions, fires or other incidents"
Croatian security experts emphasize that the concert will be an unprecedented event in terms of security, because such a massive gathering brings with it a number of natural and anthropogenic risks, from health problems and heatstroke to "possible diversions, fires or other incidents."
At the same time, the Croatian police state that all security risks have been analyzed in detail and that a security plan has been drawn up, which includes more than 6000 police officers on the ground, that is, around 14.000 people involved in logistics and security.
Detailed controls will be carried out at the entrances, and reportedly only transparent backpacks and bags will be allowed, and police and security will retain the right to inspect any bags that may be brought in.
Special mass and lots of money
Since the interest in the concert was unprecedented, many did not manage to get to Zagreb, but some of them were offered a slightly bizarre option, such as a special mass that will be celebrated in a church in Split during the concert. The local church authorities stated that this way those who cannot go to the concert, but come to the mass, will be able "at least to attend this great event in spirit".
"We invite all of you who cannot be in Zagreb to come to our church of St. Joseph on Mertojak on that day, where we will celebrate the Holy Mass starting at 21.30:XNUMX p.m. and pray that this historic event will be for the glory of God and for the unity and harmony of the Croatian people," said the church fathers from Split.
All that euphoria is also great business, so it is estimated that Perković amassed a fortune just from the T-shirts sold. 19.000 t-shirts were put on sale, and the price of one was 37 euros, which means that Perković earned 700.000 euros just from the "branded wardrobe". At the same time, it is estimated that he will earn around 20 million euros from ticket sales alone.
However, not everyone in Croatia is enthusiastic about the idea of Perković organizing such a "historical" gathering, so Croatian Parliament member and president of the Workers' Front, Katarina Peović, asked for a ban on the concert, citing his songs that glorify the Ustaše. As expected, her initiative was not supported by the Croatian public.
