‘Great shame’: Singer breaks world crowd record as Nazi salute controversy erupts
Half a million fans gathered for a record-breaking performance in Zagreb, that also sparked condemnation over Nazi-era salutes in the crowd.
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Croatian star Marko Perković Thompson has made history with a massive show in Zagreb that reportedly drew more than half a million fans, breaking the world record for the largest ticketed music concert.
But the event has also sparked international outrage over far-right salutes and symbolism among the crowd, with authorities warning that some attendees could face prosecution.
Held at Zagreb’s Hippodrome on Saturday night, the concert was billed as a “musical and patriotic spectacle”.
According to event headquarters, around 450,000 tickets were sold, while organisers claimed as many as 504,000 people attended.
That figure would surpass the previous record held by Italian rocker Vasco Rossi, who sold 225,173 tickets for his 2017 show in Modena.
Fans began arriving from the early morning hours on a hot summer day in the Croatian capital, eager to secure their spots at the vast open-air venue.
By evening, the Hippodrome was packed with a sea of people waiting for Thompson to take the stage.
The concert kicked off around 9pm and ran for three hours, delivering a powerful performance with one of the most elaborate stage productions ever seen in Croatia.
The stage itself was an engineering feat, standing 33 metres high and stretching 150 metres wide, with the platform elevated three to four metres above the ground to give fans a better view.
Due to the scale of the production, some high-end technical equipment had to be imported from Dubai, as the necessary gear could not be sourced within Croatia.
Authorities called it one of the most logistically complex events ever held in the region.
Nearly 14,000 personnel were on duty throughout the day, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, Civil Protection units, Red Cross staff and private security.
The Ministry of the Interior reported that 123 people were taken into custody during the event and medical teams responded to 245 interventions at the Hippodrome and nearby Bundek area.
However, the concert has drawn heavy criticism over displays of Nazi-era symbolism and salutes linked to Croatia’s World War II Ustaše regime.
During the performance, Thompson played songs that included the controversial “For the homeland, Ready!” salute, a phrase associated with the Ustaše, the Nazi-allied puppet government responsible for mass murders during the Second World War.
He told the crowd, “With this concert we will show our unity,” adding that he wanted to “send a message to all of Europe to return to its tradition, to its Christian roots.”
Large sections of the crowd were seen responding with the salute, prompting condemnation from Croatian and international observers.
Croatian Ombudsperson Tena Simonovic Einwalter criticised authorities for failing to send a clear message that such expressions are unacceptable and illegal.
Former Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor accused officials and media of indulging Thompson, while former Serbian president Boris Tadić labelled the scenes “a great shame for Croatia” and “eerie” for modern Europe.
Croatian state television reported that a prominent handball player was dropped from his team after attending the show.
Thompson, who has long faced accusations of promoting far-right nationalism at his concerts, has defended his use of the salute as part of Croatia’s struggle for independence in the 1990s.
Originally published as ‘Great shame’: Singer breaks world crowd record as Nazi salute controversy erupts
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