u/No-Permission-5161

Ahead of his performance on Friday, he told 24sata.hr how it is becoming more and more real with every passing moment that he will be performing, together with his band, at this festival, and with that, his nervousness is growing.

"However, I must say that I see progress and maturation, so now it's about butterflies in the stomach and excitement, not paralyzing fear like before the performance at Nova Rock Festival. I believe that we have a very good set and production with which I'm sure we would 'eat' if we played on the main stage. I'm sure it would be a great party even then!" - he revealed to us.

Among the songs he will perform is 'Face On Your Phone', his latest song that deals with online violence, public exposure and the feeling of anonymity that gives many the impression that they can say whatever they want behind a screen, without consequences. Marko revealed to us that the reactions to it have been good so far.

"While I was walking through the festival, I was stopped by fans from abroad who told me several times that they thought the song was great and that they were looking forward to hearing it on Friday," he said. He arrived at the Sziget festival early, because of TwentyOnePilots, whom his wife Elizabeta especially loves.

There have also recently been changes to the band's lineup. My brother Martin took the bass, and Nikola Batelić from Luzer took over the guitar. I think we did well. This situation caused us to think and adapt, so we improved a lot of things and further intensified the sound - he added. And for the audience at Sziget, they prepared a lot of energy and a high level of production, he says.

We rented a lot of additional equipment to enhance the show. So much so that the Sziget organization had to calm us down a bit and wouldn't even let us do some things - he said with a laugh.

And there's no stopping after Sziget - they have more concerts throughout the summer, followed by preparations for a tour of Europe and the United Kingdom.

As a Baby Lasagna fan, I have to say this makes me genuinely angry.

Marko has done what we should be encouraging artists to do: working with small Croatian businesses to create high-quality, beautifully designed merch, while investing in 100% eco-friendly packaging, recycled materials and sustainable solutions. He has even turned down major sponsorships when they didn’t align with his values.

And what does doing things responsibly get you?

More bureaucracy. More paperwork. More costs.

The problem with the EU’s new packaging rules isn’t the environmental goal. Sustainable packaging is a good thing. The problem is the bureaucratic burden being placed on independent artists and small businesses.

Instead of focusing on creating music, art and quality products, they are expected to deal with registrations, fees, legal representatives and complicated compliance requirements across the EU — costs that may be manageable for huge corporations, but can be crippling for small businesses and independent artists.

And that’s the irony:

Instead of rewarding sustainability and independence, the system risks punishing them.

Big corporations have entire legal and administrative departments to deal with this. A small Croatian producer working with an independent artist doesn’t.

If the result is higher merch prices or artists simply stopping shipments to certain countries, fans lose too. International fans (especially in the US) already face brutal shipping costs.

This isn’t an argument against environmental responsibility.

It’s an argument against a bureaucracy that disproportionately punishes the very small businesses and independent artists we should be supporting.

And honestly, that feels deeply unfair.

If you’re planning a summer road trip through Europe and love action sports, you need to put Osijek, Croatia on your map for June 12–13, 2026. The Pannonian Challenge isn't just another local contest; it’s one of the oldest and best-organized extreme sports festivals in this part of Europe. Located on the banks of the Drava River, the course is legendary—it's widely considered one of the best-equipped wooden skate parks on the continent.

Why you should go:

The Stakes: This year’s BMX competition is C1 category, meaning riders are battling for crucial qualifying points for the Los Angeles Olympic Games. The Variety: Categories for Pro, Amateur, Kids, and Women across BMX, skate, and inline.

The Vibe: Osijek is famous for its hospitality (and its gastronomy!). It’s an affordable, high-energy hidden gem right near the borders of Hungary and Serbia.

The Party: Massive stunts by day, legendary after-parties and music events by night.

The park is incredible, the organization is top-tier, and the atmosphere is electric, but it still feels like a "hidden gem." Let’s fill the stands this year and support these athletes! 📍Visit Official Pannonian Challenge YouTube channel to see the madness from previous years. See you in the pit! 🤘🚲 You can find the information on the Croatian National Tourist Board page.