Boozy Brits vomit & brawl on streets of new party capital as girls flash for free drinks & down 10 shots in 10 seconds
Emma Powell
Published Sep 06, 2026
MASSIVE signs in Europe’s latest booze hotspot threaten tourists with 300-euro fines for vomiting, urinating or drinking in public places.
One warns: “You are walking through the city of a Roman emperor — act like he’s home.”
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This is Split, in Croatia, where British partygoers have flocked to enjoy its stunning beaches and bars in 30 centigrade heat.
But new mayor Ivica Puljak wants to boot out the fun-loving 18-to-30 crowd that the port city attracts.
His deputy, Bojan Ivoševi, said of the new rules: “We want to start attracting families or individuals who enjoy our city, enjoy the beauty of the sea and who won’t just go crazy.”
But tourists and local business owners are fighting back and continuing to party.
When The Sun visited, business was booming at the packed ShotGun shooters bar, which is hidden down a side street in the centuries old Diocletian’s Palace.
The long queue for the tiny establishment, which has a capacity of just 25, often runs down the street, as it did when we visited on a Wednesday evening.
And each night the bar still manages to shift upwards of 400 shots at just £3.45 each.
British visitors Stacey, from Manchester, and Londoner Katy, had been left feeling a little disgusted after trying out the Anus Burner shot made up of tequila, orange juice and Tabasco.
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Katy, 21, and Leeds uni pal Stacey, 21, have been enjoying the vibrant nightlife in the city.
Discussing the fines imposed by the city, Stacey said: “I understand why they don't want people throwing up in the street, but the bars are so small and often only have one toilet.
"It leaves people struggling if they do feel unwell.
“I think having more public toilets would work better than fines.”
Anyone caught throwing up in the street results in a fine of up to £260.
Stacey added: “We’re loving it here as you can have both cultural experiences and a chance to enjoy the nightlife.”
ShotGun has sold 27,000 shots so far this season with its most popular being Blue Balls, a combination of vodka and blue cacao with a Gummy Bear sweet.
Owner Juraj Perisic first opened his doors eight years ago and designed the shots himself.
He said: “Split used to be a really boring place, but a few years ago it started moving in a cool direction and I wanted to be a part of that, so I opened up my bar. Once people have found us for the first time they tend to come back every night for the rest of their holiday.
“In the last year, tourism has gone through the roof, with most people wanting to party. The fines don’t seem to be putting anyone off.”
For those struggling to decide which of the four euro drinks to try, Juraj has a spinning wheel which can pick one for you, or even grant you a free shot.
Girls can also flash bartenders to get their booze of choice free.
Seasoned drinkers who can down ten shots in ten seconds win a round for free.
I tried it, but I took 14 seconds to get through the super-strong drinks and the experience left me rushing to find the nearest loo.
The bar also has a game called the “d**khead challenge”.
‘No option but to throw up if you’re struggling’
One person has a plastic phallus strapped to their head and if other punters can land three neon hoops over it, the whole bar gets a shot for free.
If they fail, the reveller wearing the penis has to pay for everyone to get a shot. I failed and had to buy the bar a round.
Nearby, a fight broke out around Charlie’s Bar after a lad barged into another in a narrow street.
One pinned the other against a wall as a concerned onlooker tried to balance smoking his cigarette with pulling them apart.
Within seconds, the scuffle was over and everyone returned to drinking in the street — despite it being outlawed by the new mayor.
Revellers can also be fined for making too much noise, wearing a bikini or going shirtless.
Split is just a two-and-a-half-hour flight from the UK and costs around £70 per person for a return ticket.
In 2022 2.9milion tourists went through the city’s airport.
Just a short walk away from the historic old town is the port, where four different booze cruises operate throughout the day.
Out To Sea, Boat Party Split helps revellers get into the swing of drinking 500 yards away from shore, where they are safe from fines and police.
For £35 the organisers take up to 150 people to the Blue Lagon for a swim and provide everyone with a free shot of honey liqueur.
Londoners Clare Threadgold, 23, and Aiste Adomaityte, 22, joined the boat for another day of boozing — despite having just spent 24 hours dancing the day away on Hvar Island.
They loved the Split scene — but were less keen on its rules regarding dressing modestly.
Clare said: “We spent all yesterday partying on Hvar, which was insane, slept on the ferry back and then came here.
“It’s been amazing — the nightlife is incredible. The fines are a bit ridiculous in Split. What if my dress blew away on the boat? I’d have no choice but to walk back to my room in swim stuff. That shouldn’t be a fine.”
Most of the passengers on the boat were British or French, and none shied away from downing their litre cocktail buckets through a beer bong.
‘It’s better value than Magaluf or other places’
Vakare, 23, from Essex, was out for a good time with her six pals. She said: “We’ve been to a bar crawl where you get free drinks for an hour then head to a club with free entrance.
“It was so worth it. It’s been an amazing girls’ holiday.”
Party boat operator Split After Dark even offers night-time “boat crawls”, taking revellers from a bar to a beach club with plenty of drinking en route.
Within minutes of leaving the dock, promoters produced beer bongs for revellers to chug from cans of beer or litres of cocktails.
Some opt to down their booze upside down – or pass it from mouth-to-mouth.
One Royal Navy officer on a lads’ holiday reckoned that Split is madder than partying in Greece or Spain.
Clutching a litre of cocktail and carefully avoiding the beer bong, the lad, who didn’t want to be named, said: “It’s better value here than Magaluf or a lot of other places. You can chill if you want, or get steaming. This boat party is insane. The best thing we’ve done. We’re having a great time.”
Despite the attempts of miserable bureaucrats, this season has been busier than ever.
But business owners in the city are still worried about their livelihoods, which are dependent on the younger generation.
Under the new laws, most of the beach bars that used to line Split’s main beach have closed for the summer — but those just outside the city limits have been able to avoid the draconian restrictions.
Several bar and club owners we spoke to told how they were relieved that so far most drinkers are still coming despite the new threat of fines.
One, who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: “The mayor is shooting us in the foot.
“He wants to attract a quieter crowd, but all of our money comes from younger people heading out here for a good time.
“The older people who turn up in Split are on cruises and don’t buy food or drink while here for the day because it’s all free on their boat.
“It’s just stupid to try to ruin the good thing we have going with the young people.”
Yet some locals in the city who are less than happy with the party crowd have a dedicated Facebook page to shame badly behaved tourists and tell them to get out.
GetDirekt shares videos of drunken revellers twerking, throwing up and vomiting across the ancient city.
Another has a girl urinating in a street with her dress pulled up and knickers down, allegedly at just 6.30pm after a day of boozing.
For now, it seems the Croatian paradise will remain split on the issue.
But it is going to take a lot more than a few posters to stop the party.
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Alice, 22, from the Orkney Islands told me: “It’s my favourite European destination.
“We’re out every night and it’s impossible not to have a good time.”
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