BlockDown returns with an NFT-enabled festival of Web3 culture on the Croatian coast

Following on from the BlockDown: DeData conference last December, BlockDown is returning this May 11-13 for its first in-person festival in the coastal city of Sibenik in Croatia for the world’s first gamified NFT-enabled festival.

This year, the event will focus on the exploding phenomenon of Web3 — widely seen as the next evolutionary phase of the internet — with a particular focus on the metaverse, NFT’s, Gaming and how DAO’s will play an increasingly large role in our lives: how we work, play and socialize.

Bringing the Metaverse to life

NFTs will function as tickets for the festival, and will unlock an array of experiences among the event’s many “realms” — areas of the festival with their own look and feel, whether futuristic and cyberpunk-esque, or a mystical “fairy forest”. Dotted around the BlockDown site will be pop-up experiences, performances and art installations to bring the potential of the metaverse into the real world.

Erhan Kohallier, the founder of the event and Web3 PR Agency EAK Digital. said:

“We have been inspired to host a 3 day festival celebrating all things Web3 culture as we believe there is a need for a different type of event in our industry.”

Korhaliller further elaborated:

“Unlike existing industry events, our plan is to take our attendees on a three-day trip into another universe, where the excitement and energy of the, Web3, NFT and metaverse worlds collide in a feast for the senses.”

The festival will also be fully-interactive and gamified, with attendees unlocking points when they have taken part in selected activities and events. The most prolific and involved festival-goers will be rewarded with exclusive BlockDown NFTs, and unlock further access to more exciting things to do.

With three different ticket categories available for the event, Ultra ticket holders will be rewarded with pop-up experiences, NFT galleries, project showcases, performances, exhibitions, and informative panels and workshops by high-profile Web3 experts.

Ultimate ticket holders will also have access to the much anticipated high profile music performances from famous music artists, whilst Universal ticket holders will wine and dine in the unique ‘Mystical Forest’ VIP Lounge whilst having a ticket for the hottest ticket in town, a live concert at St. Michael’s Fortress, a historic medieval castle at the heart of the city of Šibenik with a breathtaking view of the Croatian coast.

“Getting involved in an event like this was an obvious choice due to the legendary nature of being the first ever NFT enabled Blockchain conference,” says V Ray, the creative mind behind much of the festival’s experiences.

“BlockDown gives me the opportunity to offer people a taste of the real-life metaverse, and what a world that integrates digital and physical experiences could look and feel like. Imagine a real life video game where the physical and digital weave together seamlessly.”

“The average Westerner spends over 5 hours of their day looking at a screen, which shows you how much our lives revolve around technology. As the metaverse evolves and we close the gap between the digital and physical worlds, creating immersive experiences will be key. With BlockDown, we want to provide a powerful reference point of what it could feel like to be in a real life video game but with a very constructive message about the future of humanity and technology. I am excited by the possibilities.”

BlockDown Festival started as an online-only blockchain and cryptocurrency conference during the height of the pandemic. Its most recent incarnation, BlockDown DeData, in December 2021, featured the inventor of digital currency, David Chaum; the founder of Polkadot, Gavin Wood; and famed whistleblower Edward Snowden.

With 50% of rooms already sold out in the exclusive Blockdown Hotel, BlockDown attendees are encouraged to book their rooms in Hotel Ivan early to secure their spot.

Limited Early Bird Tickets are available starting at €750 for the 3 day BlockDown Festival experience exclusively via Yellow Heart.