The fourth edition of SHIP Festival, organised by We Move Music Croatia, has opened in Šibenik, bringing together artists and music professionals from across Europe and beyond. The opening also marked four years of a project that has grown alongside Croatia’s music export office and its wider work to strengthen the international presence of Croatian music.

SHIP Festival opened its fourth edition at House of Art Arsen, where representatives of We Move Music Croatia welcomed artists, delegates, partners and guests to Šibenik.

Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Dražen Baljak, President of We Move Music Croatia, Davor Drezga, Executive Director of SHIP Festival, and Frane Tomašić, Secretary General of We Move Music Croatia, reflected on what has been achieved since the organisation was established four years ago.

“Over the four years since We Move Music Croatia was established, we have achieved four major milestones. In our first year, we launched SHIP Festival. We then created the AJMO! project together with the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media to encourage live music activity in smaller communities. Since then, we have financially supported more than 100 tours and increased the presence of Croatian artists at showcase festivals tenfold. This year, we also released a double LP “Croatia on the Move” selected by KEPX’s Kevin Cole” said the organisers.

Those four milestones also illustrate how the scope of We Move Music Croatia has expanded since its foundation: from creating Croatia’s first international showcase festival to supporting live music across the country, helping Croatian artists reach international stages and developing new tools for presenting Croatian music abroad.

The latest of those projects, “Croatia on the Move,” will be presented at SHIP by Kevin Cole. The double LP features 23 Croatian artists selected by Cole and was created as a physical introduction to contemporary Croatian music for international music professionals.

The opening was also attended by representatives of institutions that have supported SHIP since its first edition.

For the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, SHIP’s development over the past four years demonstrates its growing importance for Croatian music and culture.

“For the fourth year in a row, We Move Music Croatia has managed to create something of this scale and importance for Croatian music and culture, while bringing major international music professionals to Šibenik. Although still one of Croatia’s youngest international cultural events, SHIP has already established itself as one of its finest. We wish them every success with the fourth edition and are already looking forward to the fifth,” said Renata Margaretić Urlić, spokesperson for the Ministry.

Danijel Mileta, Deputy Mayor of Šibenik, highlighted the festival’s importance for the city and its position as an international meeting point for the music sector.

“As a city, we are very pleased to host a festival of this calibre – one that, for these few days, effectively brings the centre of the international music industry to Šibenik,” he said.

This year, SHIP brings more than 50 artists to eight stages, alongside a conference featuring around 100 speakers from some of the most influential organisations in the international music sector, including Netflix, BBC Radio 6 Music, Billboard UK, NME, KEXP, The Needle Drop, UTA, WME, ESNS and WOMEX.