Culture capital tries to salvage year from Covid

The cheers had barely died down after Rijeka's spectacular opening ceremony as European Capital of Culture in February, when coronavirus scuppered years of preparation in the Croatian port city.

Months later, an on-the-fly rethink of the entire project has emerged from the wreckage.

"The opening was really sensational," says guitarist Vlado Simcic, a mainstay of Rijeka's music scene. "We were all proud of it - and our hope was that we would have a great, great year for our city."