**In a significant cultural shift, the renowned Exit Festival will withdraw from Serbia after more than two decades of supporting a student-led anti-corruption movement, citing governmental pressure.**
**Exit Festival Exits Serbia Amid Pressure Following Student Protest Support**
**Exit Festival Exits Serbia Amid Pressure Following Student Protest Support**
**Major music festival announces it will not return as Serbian authorities withdraw funding and sponsors.**
One of Europe’s premier music festivals is set to cease operations in Serbia, with organizers attributing the decision to what they describe as "undemocratic pressures." The Exit Festival, scheduled for its milestone 25th anniversary from July 10-13, has announced that it will be the last event held in the country.
Organizers have reported that Serbian authorities have terminated government funding and that several sponsors have faced state pressure to withdraw their support due to the festival's alignment with current student protests against corruption.
Despite provincial officials from the culture secretariat dismissing these claims, stating financial constraints were the reason behind their inability to provide support, the festival's commitment to the protest movement remains steadfast.
Situated at the historic Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, this festival drew an impressive audience of 200,000 attendees in the previous year. With origins in the pro-democracy movement that helped overthrow Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, Exit has consistently championed various social causes each year, focusing on themes such as human rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
The recent protests by students were sparked by the tragic collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station in November 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 16 individuals. In response, the festival actively joined the protests, providing essential support such as food and supplies, and using its platform to amplify the protestors' voices.
Dusan Kovacevic, the founder of Exit, expressed that the financial penalty of their activist stance is significant, but stated, "freedom has no price." In his announcement regarding the festival's departure from Serbia, he urged supporters to remember what Exit stood for: unity, love, and freedom.
As the festival concludes its history in Serbia, uncertainties remain on whether it will seek a new venue in another country.
With a rich lineup over the years that has included acts like The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, and The Prodigy, Exit Festival has garnered numerous accolades, including two European Festival of the Year awards. Daryl Fidelak, a prominent figure in Serbia's music scene, highlighted the festival’s role in elevating Serbia's cultural standing on the international stage, asserting that it fostered growth in live music and cultural initiatives throughout the region.
As the festival enters its final chapter in Serbia, questions linger about the broader implications of governmental restrictions on artistic expression and cultural celebration in the country.
