Pitch at Petar Miloševski stadium in Bitola ruined after Zdravko Čolić concert

On 10.08.2026 images from Bitola showed extensive damage to the playing surface at the Petar Miloševski stadium after the concert by Zdravko Čolić. What until last year was considered one of the best pitches in the country — following investments of many thousands of euros — now appears with yellow grass, hay and exposed earth.

FK Pelister will be unable to host the start of its new season at the stadium while repairs are carried out, the club faces opening fixtures as the nominal home side at alternative venues. The first scheduled match is already on Saturday against Kamenjane in the Second League.

Municipal response and responsibility

The Municipality of Bitola has not yet issued an official statement about the damage. Organizers had placed a wooden platform over the turf in an attempt to protect it from the crowd that attended the concert, but the field nevertheless suffered heavy deterioration.

Local observers and club supporters are asking who will pay for the repairs. The estimated cost to restore the pitch is around €150,000–€200,000. There are also questions about whether the Football Federation of North Macedonia (FFM), which invested in upgrading the stadium, will react or assist.

Similar incidents abroad are often handled through insurance or by the concert organizer covering costs: the report notes that after a concert at Daugava in Latvia the damaged pitch was insured and the responsible party identified, and that following a Dino Merlin concert at Koševo in Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo played a home fixture in Mostar while the organizer covered the damage.

The images of the ruined pitch prompted strong reactions online and raise immediate practical concerns for Pelister and for Bitola’s ability to host professional football until the surface is repaired.

Photo: press material from the event