EXIT

EXIT (Егзит) is an annual summer music festival held in the Serbian city of Novi Sad. The main venue of the festival is the Petrovaradin Fortress, a 17th-centure fortress located on the bank of the Danube river. The festival was founded in 2000 and has since become the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the UK Festival Award and the EU Festival Award.

In 2000, three students of the University of Novi Sad organized the first EXIT festival as a protest against the policy of Slobodan Milošević, the then-president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The festival lasted practically all summer. There were several stages set up between the Faculty of Philosophy and the left bank of Danube that hosted performances by Serbian musicians. The festival received support from Otpor!, a civic protest group based on the principles of nonviolent resistance.

Following the Yugoslavian general election of 2000 and the so-called Bulldozer Revolution that resulted in the overthrow of Milošević, EXIT lost its political significance and was transformed into a summer music festival designed to connect Serbia and Montenegro with the rest of Europe after years of international isolation. In 2001, it was moved to the historic Petrovaradin Fortress. EXIT 2001 was dedicated to celebrating the overthrow of Milošević.

Today’s EXIT is one of the largest multi-genre music festivals in Europe. It encompasses an impressive variety of music genres and styles including rock, hip hop, EDM (electronic dance music), pop, punk, reggae, drum’n’bass, and more. Concerts take place on several stages including the Main Stage at the very heart of the Petrovaradin Fortress with a capacity of 35,000 spectators, the Dance Arena dedicated to EDM, the Explosive Stage for metal, punk and hardcore, and the Fusion Stage for mainstream rock, pop and alternative performers. Over the years, there have been additional stages dedicated to different styles and genres.

The EXIT festival is known for its impressive line-up featuring both world-class artists and emerging talent. International stars that have performed at the festival include Gloria Gaynor, 2Cellos, Pet Shop Boys, Fatboy Slim, Guns N’Roses, The Prodigy, Duran Duran, Jamiroquai, Avicii, The Chemical Brothers, Placebo, Patti Smith, Beastie Boys, Sex Pistols, Apocalyptica, Billy Idol, Garbage, and many more. The attendance of the festival is just as impressive as its line-up. For example, the 2015 EXIT attracted about 190,000 festival-goers.