EXIT is an award-winning summer music festival that takes place at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia, with more than 1000 artists who play at over 40 stages and festival zones.
EXIT Main Stage 2021
It was officially proclaimed “Best Major European Festival” at the EU Festival Awards 2013 and 2017. The EU Festival Awards are considered as one of the most influential festival awards in the world. EXIT has also won the “Best Overseas Festival” award at the UK Festival Awards in 2007, as well as “Best Summer Music Festival in Europe” title for 2016 by the travel portal “European Best Destinations” awarded in cooperation with the European Commission. In March 2018 Regional Cooperation Council awarded EXIT Festival as Champion of Regional Cooperation for 2017.
In the summer of 2021 EXIT was the first major European festival that took place since the beginning of the pandemic with more than 180.000 visitors passing through festival gates during four days. The edition, which also marked the festival’s 20th anniversary, was titled by many international media, such as Billboard and Variety, as a historical event.
The festival itself was founded in 2000 in the University Park as a student movement, fighting for democracy and freedom in Serbia and the Balkans. After the Yugoslavian general election in 2000, EXIT moved to the Petrovaradin Fortress in 2001 where it has stayed ever since.
mts Dance Arena 2021
EXIT has gained international media attention over the years and it was featured in articles by CNN (“World’s Top 5 Festivals”), The Guardian (“World’s Best Festival”), The Sun (“One of Europe’s most popular music events”), Euronews, New York Times, BBC (“Top 3 Music Festivals”), Forbes (“Thanks to EXIT, Serbia is a festival hot spot worth your attention”), The Times (“Best European Festival”), MTV (World’s Best Festival”), Huffington Post, Conde Nast Traveller, Daily Mail, The Independent, Lonely Planet and many more.
EXIT team organizes seven events on five different locations in four countries in South-East Europe: EXIT Festival (Novi Sad, Serbia) in July, Sea Dance Festival (Budva, Montenegro) in August, Sea Star Festival (Umag, Croatia) in May, No Sleep Festival (Belgrade, Serbia) in November, Revolution Festival (Timișoara, Romania) in August, Ada Divine Awakening (Ada Bojana, Montenegro) in September and Sunland (Perla Beach, Bulgaria) in July. No Sleep Festival held in Belgrade took home the “Best New Festival” title at the EU Festival Awards 2019. Also, EXIT’s Montenegrin edition Sea Dance Festival won the “Best Mid-Sized European festival” award in 2015.
As festival was formed in the spirit of genuine youth rebellion, as a movement for freedom in Serbia and peace in the Balkans, the festival’s mission statement has been clear from the beginning – to achieve social change with music. Social responsibility is still the key aspect of the festival activities, with the main focus on environmental and humanitarian activities, the creative industries development, as well as regional cooperation.
During its 20 year old history, EXIT has hosted internationally acclaimed music stars such as Pet Shop Boys, Billy Idol, The Cure, The Killers, Guns N’ Roses, Franz Ferdinand, Motörhead, Iggy Pop, David Guetta, Massive Attack, Liam Gallagher, Grace Jones, Fatboy Slim, Cypress Hill, Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang Clan, The Prodigy, Migos, Sex Pistols, Kraftwerk, Korn, Moby, Arctic Monkeys, Chemical Brothers, Faith No More, LCD Soundsystem, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Pulp, Jamiroquai, M.I.A., Slayer, Ellie Goulding, Hardwell, Carl Cox, Avicii, Nina Kraviz, DJ Snake, Charlotte de Witte, Paul Kalkbrenner, Amelie Lens, Solomun, Artbat, Maceo Plex, Boris Brejcha and many others.
