Split night disorder crackdown

In early July 2026 the municipal government of Split, Croatia, drafted a proposal to bar off‑premise sales of alcohol between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. from 1 June to 15 September. The measure was aimed at curbing a surge of nightly public‑order incidents – noise, fights, public urination and intoxicated tourists sleeping in streets – that emergency services recorded throughout the tourist season. The draft would have applied to supermarkets, kiosks, gas stations, market stalls and vending machines, with fines ranging from €2,000 to €40,000 for businesses and €500 to €13,270 for individuals. Public consultation was scheduled until 27 July, after which the city could enact the ban, possibly in August.

By 26 July the city council shifted its approach, approving a broader public‑order regulation that targets consuming alcohol in public spaces, urinating, sleeping in parks and loitering near schools and kindergartens. Municipal officers and police extended nightly patrols to 4 a.m., issuing on‑the‑spot fines of €150–€300 (halved if paid immediately) to groups of visibly intoxicated tourists drinking on the streets, particularly around Marmontova Street’s nightclubs. The new fines are also intended to raise municipal revenue. The evolution shows Split moving from a sales‑ban proposal to an enforcement‑focused regime that penalises public drinking and expands police presence to manage the clash between a booming summer tourism sector and local public‑order concerns.