Sun, sea, and one of the most diverse line-ups ever to grace the Croatian coast. Welcome to Outlook festival. From Drum & Bass, Jungle, Dub, Dancehall, Reggae, Roots, Dubstep and Hip Hop on the 1st to the 5th of September Pula plays host to quite possibly “the best four days of bass music in the world”.
Arrive to soundsystem fuelled beach parties that never finish, camping literally on the waters edge, and main stage line-ups that range from Jehst, Pharoahe Monch, Foreign Beggars to Flux Pavillion to performances in the abandoned Fort Punta Christo from the likes of Cooly G and Benny Page.
Boat parties hosted by the likes of Indigo, Synkro and Rich Reason tour the coast for a solid four hours of bass, where skanking is the only way to ensure not falling over.
Jamie XX makes a perfect start to the festival with his final offering of Gil Scott Heron’s “I’ll take care of you”, making the thirty five hour sunshine bus to Pula entirely worth it.
Highlights include an incredible hour long set from Shy FX, during a torrential downpour to rival Glastonbury, with Original Nuttah taking the set to euphoric heights. Congo Natty’s version of Bob Marley’s One Love united the audience as they filled in the last spot on the main stage on the Friday night. Submotion Orchestra created a truly unique and chilled vibe, compared to The Bug and Flowdan’s intense hour set, this to the truly bizarre six hour set from Jah Shaka, where you lost count the amount of times you heard ‘Rastafari.’ David Rodigan, a veteran of reggae and dancehall, produced a set with a vibe like no other.
Outlook’s location could not be more ideal, with arena’s such as the Ballroom, a crowded pit in the abandoned fort where you can dance all night and look up to see the lit up trees, this in many ways sums up the festivals unique combination of 18th Century Croatian architecture and bass music and soundsystem culture.
With such an enjoyable atmosphere, you’d be a fool to not consider going, but I will certainly be returning to Outlook next year.
Hannah Bayley
