Visit-Montenegro.com: They followed Budva’s example

(June 30, 2009) Herceg Novi – The international music festival “Suncane Skale 2009”, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, will take place on the Nikola Djurkovic Square. Over the past years, the “Skale” Festival was held on Kanli Kula, “the most beautiful summer stage on the Adriatic” in the opinion of many.

The festival’s director Slobodan Bucevac described the change of venue as the need to “introduce an innovation for the anniversary”, and therefore they have chosen “the heart of the city” to be the new venue for this outstanding event. “Nevertheless, the Square is the landmark of Herceg Novi just as Sat Kula (the Clock Tower) or Kanli Kula (Kanli Tower)” – Bucevac remarks.

- Stage design for the festival on the square is probably less expensive, since the square is in itself a natural stage – Radovan Bozovic, Chief of the Social Affairs Office in Herceg Novi, explains.

He confirmed that production team of the “Suncane Skale” Festival proposed the change of venue by prearrangement with caterers from the square. The stage should be set in the western part of the square, in front of the shop “Borovo”.

Bozovic highlighted that they were following the example of Budva’s Festival and that the audience space would be arranged in the similar way as it has been done with the neighboring festival. Audience will be watching the programme from the stands and at tables, while the stairs below the Clock Tower will be available to all visitors as standing area free of charge.

Speculation that Suncane Skale “stepped down” from Kanli Kula to the Square because of high price for renting the space was rejected by cotenant of Kanli Kula- Nenad Vitomirovic. For the third year in a row, he signed the contract with Herceg-Fest on using Kanli Kula for the sake of its tourism development.

Vitomirovic asserts that relocating the festival’s venue from Kanli Kula to the Square has nothing to do with his alleged setting conditions to be paid commission on selling tickets or renting the space. Hence, according to the contract he has no right to act as renter during the Film and other festivals on Kanli Kula.

The international music festival “Suncane Skale 2009” will take place on 6th, 7th and 8th July. The audience in Herceg Novi and in front of TV screens as well as radio audience will follow “Princeve nagrade” (Prince’s Awards), the evening of “Nove Zvijezde” (New Stars) and “Pjesma Ljeta” (Song of the Summer) all through this three-evening music festival.

By S.K.