Zagreb has a new clubbing concept, and we spoke with Ben Colgan, the man behind the project

Last weekend in Zagreb offered no shortage of good options for going out. One location kept coming up in conversation, even though very little was actually known about it. The only thing we did know was that a new pop up club in Zagreb was being opened by the team behind The Garden Productions. We wanted to learn more about their project Mali Barbarella’s, a continuation of the story they began long ago in Pirovac with the original summer club Barbarella’s, a place that saw countless dance filled mornings and where going home simply was not an option.

It was the first day after the weekend when I met with Ben Colgan at the Garden Brewery Taproom, a spot where you will usually find me during Hohcajt or on a sunny weekend because their terrace means relaxation, although I can tell you that on a Monday around noon the place is surprisingly lively. The first thing I asked Ben was how the weekend went. “Better than we expected,” he laughed. “Friday was marked by the opening and the first event of Pepi Jogarde’s new brand Late Checkout, which, in typical Pepi fashion, was full of great musical discoveries. On Saturday we enjoyed the first Garden event at Mala Barbarella with Sean Johnstone and Pepi. With no cameras and no DJ announcements, the focus was on the moment and the music, and guests surrendered to the sound and energy of the space, creating a feeling of freedom and connection.” Since I missed the opening, I immediately told him to count me in for one of the upcoming weekends. The chance to experience this series of intimate pop up parties in Zagreb will be open until the end of November, for me and for you as well if you want to join.

Photo: Mateo Mučnjak

Ben inherited this music and events story from his parents, Nick and Charlotte Colgan, probably the most famous Britons in Croatia, who decided to stay indefinitely after a two week holiday on the Adriatic. They first opened The Garden Lounge in Zadar, then launched the long running Garden Festival, which has since evolved into The Garden Resort in Tisno, a venue that hosts numerous international festivals every summer. In the meantime, they expanded the brand with The Garden Brewery and Taproom in Žitnjak. “My parents have been here for more than twenty years now and I do not think they will ever move again,” Ben laughed, adding that he feels at home here. I noticed his fluent Dalmatian accent, we laughed about it together, and he told me I was not the first to find it charming. Ben finished elementary and high school in Zadar, then studied materials engineering in London, where he launched his own intimate events brand Nursery Audio, and later returned to Zagreb to stay. “After spending the last ten years in England and now moving here with my girlfriend Holly, it feels both new and exciting,” he said. And to me, the concept behind this new Zagreb underground spot created by The Garden Productions feels just as exciting.

The idea is simple: a small club with limited capacity, no cameras, no phones, only you and the people you came with, or those you will meet there, and top quality DJs whose names you do not know until you walk into the club.

“The main plan was to create a space where, just like in Barbarella’s in Tisno, the focus is entirely on the music. When we talked about how to create that atmosphere, we decided that, similar to clubs in Berlin, we wanted to remove cameras so people can relax and dance without filming, and also keep phones away from the dance floor so everyone can concentrate on the music. The idea of not announcing the DJs came after that. We believe that in an intimate space, that extra layer of mystery takes away expectations from the crowd and gives DJs more freedom in what they play, allowing them to follow the energy of the room instead of expectations based on their usual sets.” No matter how hard I tried, I could not convince Ben to reveal the names of the heavy hitters. “Most of them are artists who have played in Barbarella’s at some point and come from all over the world, and many have either never performed in Zagreb or have not done so in many years, so we are incredibly excited to bring them here. The lineup is also designed so that the night offers something for everyone, and the DJs tend to have very eclectic styles that allow them to follow the energy of the crowd throughout the evening.”

We live in a time when something feels as if it has not really happened unless it ends up on social media, so I asked Ben what the chances are for a club like this. I mentioned aloud that I personally love the concept, although it seems to me that I belong to a generation that is already on its way out. “Of course, without announcing the DJs or using their names to promote the night, and without photos from the club, it is quite difficult to run traditional social media and marketing. With that in mind, part of the club’s concept is to step away from those things and return to the original raves of the past,” he explained, emphasizing that “the main focus is to create an excellent night and then let people share their experiences with friends and spread the word about the club.” I said out loud that I hoped it would work and then wondered why now felt like the right moment for this team, which from an entertainment perspective has been highly successful, to launch this kind of intimate clubbing experience.

“Zagreb currently has fantastic venues and some truly great programs, but we felt the city was missing something a bit more intimate with this kind of focus. We received amazing feedback from people about the idea itself, as well as from our collaborators, who generally feel it adds another option for a night out. We also wanted to connect the vibe from Tisno with a larger part of the Croatian audience, so we concluded that Zagreb was the perfect place to start something new.”

And since we were already talking about Tisno, Ben grew excited when discussing the summer of 2026. “Next year in Tisno will be our biggest so far, with nine events that bring powerful and versatile styles. Barbarella’s itself, from its beginnings in Petrčane, has always been part of the festivals, offering a place for the question where to go next during the night. With the artists we are bringing to Mali Barbarella’s, and with the way we produce the events, we are bringing a part of that to Zagreb. Most of the artists who will play are regular guests at one of the festivals in Tisno or are new, exciting performers who played there for the first time recently and impressed us when we saw them.”

The weekend is ahead, so where are you going out? On Friday and Saturday, Mali Barbarella’s has its program running and it is worth every missed photo, replaced instead with that feeling of dancing as if no one is watching.