Record-Breaking Ticket Sales: Zagreb Thompson's Concert Sells Half a Million Tickets Worldwide, Setting a New Global Record
Marko Perković Thompson, a renowned figure in Croatian music, is preparing for a historic solo concert at the Zagreb Hippodrome on July 5, 2025. The event, which has already sold over 500,000 tickets, is on track to become the largest paid concert ever held in Zagreb and potentially the largest solo concert worldwide[1][2][4][5].
Thompson, known for his patriotic songs and love of Croatia, has been a polarizing figure due to his admiration for the Ustasha, a fascist Croatian nationalist movement active during World War II, and accusations of promoting Holocaust distortion and antisemitism[4][5]. Despite these controversies, he maintains a massive fan base within Croatia, as evidenced by the enormous turnout anticipated for this event.
The concert's scale has prompted extensive preparations by city authorities, including road closures on the city's south side and urging residents to use public transportation or walk to avoid traffic congestion[1][2]. However, the event has also elicited criticism from international and media outlets, with the Jerusalem Post explicitly condemning Thompson for promoting Holocaust distortion, labelling him a fanatic nationalist[4]. France 24 also highlighted the pro-Nazi sympathy controversy surrounding the artist[5].
The massive turnout at Thompson's concert shows the persistence of nationalist sentiments among parts of the Croatian population, which could impact Croatia’s internal discourse and international image. The concert is significant not only as a music milestone but also in the broader social and political context of Croatia and Europe[1][2][4][5].
The previous record for ticket sales was held by Vasco Rossi, who attracted over 225,000 people in 2017. Tens of thousands of people waited in a virtual waiting room on the Entrio website for tickets, and crowds formed outside stores across the country during the ticket sale[1][2]. Thompson has expressed gratitude to his fans for the overwhelming ticket sales.
This event exposes ongoing tensions around nationalist memory, historical revisionism, and the challenges of confronting extremist symbolism in popular culture. It has sparked a debate on freedom of expression versus the endorsement of hate speech and ideologies linked to fascism and antisemitism.
In summary, Marko Perković Thompson’s July 5, 2025 concert in Zagreb is poised to set a world record for attendance at a solo concert while simultaneously reigniting controversies over his nationalist and pro-fascist associations, eliciting both logistical management challenges and intense political and cultural debates locally and internationally[1][2][4][5].
Thompson's upcoming concert at the Zagreb Hippodrome on July 5, 2025, promises to be a significant moment in the music world, with its enormous ticket sales setting a potential global record. However, the event also serves as a platform for ongoing debates surrounding nationalist sentiments, historical revisionism, and the use of extremist symbolism in popular culture.
