Gates of Agartha: What My First Electronic Music Festival at 47 Was Really Like

Some experiences simply can't be planned.

They arrive when you least expect them and, perhaps for that very reason, they have the power to surprise you even more.

If someone had told me that at 47 I would attend my very first electronic music festival, I probably would have smiled politely without really believing it. Yet here I am, sitting by the sea in Medulin during the final days of my stay in Istria, reflecting on a night I am unlikely to forget.

It all started with an invitation from the Medulin Tourist Board. Among the events proposed during my stay was Gates of Agartha, an international electronic music festival that attracts thousands of visitors from across Europe every year and brings world-renowned DJs to the stage, transforming the Roman Quarry of Vinkuran into one of the most spectacular venues on the Adriatic coast for a single night.

I must admit that I arrived carrying more than a few preconceptions.

In my mind, I pictured crowds of very young people, eccentric outfits, deafening music, and a world that felt completely distant from my own.

How wrong I was.

After passing through the security checks and entering the festival grounds, I found myself standing before a scene that left me speechless.

The Roman Quarry of Vinkuran is an extraordinary place. An ancient quarry dating back more than two thousand years, where Istrian limestone was extracted for centuries and used in the construction of important Roman buildings. Today, its immense rock walls provide a dramatic backdrop for concerts and cultural events ranging from classical music performances to electronic festivals.

The moment I stepped inside, I felt tiny.

The quarry walls rose toward the sky, illuminated by stunning light displays, while a monumental stage stood at the center of the venue. Throughout the evening, the rock faces continuously transformed through projections, visual art, and stage designs that interacted with the music, creating an almost surreal atmosphere. The famous wall mapping projected onto the quarry walls is considered among the most spectacular in the world, and seeing it in person makes it easy to understand why.

It wasn't simply a concert.

It was an immersive experience.

The music pulsed through the stone walls, the lights moved in sync with the DJ sets, and at intervals performers appeared among the crowd in elaborate costumes, accompanied by fire shows that seemed to belong to another world.

And then something happened that I never expected.

I started dancing.

And I didn't stop.

From nine in the evening until three-thirty in the morning.

For someone who had planned to stay for an hour or so just to have a look around before heading home, I think that says everything about how much I enjoyed it.

But the biggest surprise wasn't the music.

It was the people.

I expected to feel out of place. Instead, I felt part of something.

There were twenty-year-olds and sixty-year-olds. Groups of friends, couples, and travelers from different countries. All united by the same desire to have a good time, enjoy the moment, and share a special night.

Nobody was trying to impress anyone.

Nobody seemed interested in proving anything.

The atmosphere was relaxed, welcoming, and almost family-like.

Even my assumptions about festival fashion quickly disappeared. I expected extravagant outfits and extreme looks. Instead, most people were simply wearing whatever made them feel comfortable: jeans, tops, lightweight shirts, tank tops, and shoes suitable for dancing for hours.

In short, perhaps the most out-of-place person there was me—with all the preconceived ideas I had brought along before arriving.

Then came another discovery.

The music was nothing like the indistinct wall of sound I had imagined. I didn't go home with the annoying ringing in my ears that I had feared. On the contrary, the sound was powerful yet balanced, immersive without ever becoming overwhelming.

When I finally decided to leave the festival, it was almost three-thirty in the morning.

My legs had declared the evening over long before my desire to stay.

Outside the quarry, the air was cool.

And for the first time after hours of music, I heard silence.

Shortly afterward, dawn arrived.

A dawn I enjoyed with that pleasant exhaustion that follows beautiful experiences—the kind you never planned and that, for that very reason, manage to surprise you the most.

If you happen to be in Istria next year, remember this name: Gates of Agartha.

And if you're visiting the area during the summer, keep in mind that the Roman Quarry hosts numerous events and concerts throughout the season. It's worth visiting even just to appreciate its extraordinary beauty.

As for me, I leave this experience with one more certainty.

It is never too late to discover something we once believed wasn't meant for us.

And perhaps that is exactly what travel is all about.

Goodbye, Medulin.

I wonder where the next notes will take me.

Collab Tourist Board of Medulin Municipality

Ph cover @Marko Edge