Exit, the festival that has upset the Serbian authorities, faces possible exile.

From the top of a tower, a clock with its hands reversed—the large hand marks the hours and the small one the minutes—indicates that it is already eleven o'clock at night in Novi Sad, Serbia's second-largest city, located 80 kilometers from Belgrade. A wave of young people advances on foot across the Varadin Bridge, heading for the Petrovaradin Fortress. There, where trenches and sentries once stood, Exit has been held for 25 years, a festival that transformed that former military base into a temple of music and freedom. The atmosphere buzzes, but one image cuts through the air of those present: sixteen chairs are lined up across the bridge's entrance. On each one lies a white rose and a sign with a name. Beneath it, a pair of shoes. They are all different in size and wear, but those who wore them shared the same fate: all those people died on November 1, 2024.

The 25th edition of Exit—one of Eastern Europe's most important music events, founded in 2000 as an act of youth resistance against the Milošević regime—could be the last to be held in Serbia. Novi Sad, its host city, has become the epicenter of the student protests sweeping the country since the collapse of a concrete shelter at the central train station, killing 16 people last November. The festival publicly joined the student movement's demands for the resignation of the responsible minister and a thorough investigation into the disaster, which was "the straw that broke the camel's back," following various acts of corruption within the government led by President Aleksandar Vučić. In retaliation, the government withdrew state funding for the event.

Anti-democratic pressures The government withdrew state funding from the event that supported student protests against the Vučić government.

Despite the difficulties, the festival managed to hold its latest edition from July 10-13, with a lineup that included artists such as The Prodigy, Sex Pistols (with Frank Carter), Tiësto, Eric Prydz, Solomun, DJ Snake, Boris Brejcha, Amelie Lens, and Nina Kraviz. The labyrinth of stone arches, staircases, and brick walls of the imposing Petrovaradin Fortress—larger than the Vatican or the Principality of Monaco—housed nearly 30 stages, ten fewer than in previous editions. The decor was influenced by the political climate with protest murals and graffiti created by students. Some of them had to be replaced after being vandalized in the early hours of the morning, after the event had already closed for the day. The students even had a stage named after them, called Free Students , where local artists such as the punk band Afazija and the indie rock group Afotička Zona performed.

The opening act for this edition was Italian singer-songwriter Gala Rizzatto, with her song "Freed from Desire ," which was adopted as the anthem of the protests. "My love has no money, she has strong beliefs," the artist intoned in front of a euphoric audience that raised their arms to the beat and loudly chanted "Pumpaj," a word repeated throughout the demonstrations and which, in Spanish, roughly translates as "Let's go!" or "Go all out!"

“It's a huge signal to Europe and the world that we're here, ready to fight until we win,” said Aleksa Savić of the University of Novi Sad and Filip Ljubović of the University of Belgrade. “Exit is one of the ten biggest festivals in Europe, and the government, instead of thinking about the thousands of tourists and the money this brings to Serbia, is willing to destroy one of its biggest brands.” According to them, the situation is an example of how “everything is crooked” in Serbia. “If they can do this to Exit, imagine what they can do to something smaller.” Recently, the government retaliated against a driver who offered a free ride to students. “The police smashed his car windows and arrested him. That's what they can do.” A video of the incident circulated on social media.

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The students are calling for the release of public radio and television from the control of the Vučić government, as they should serve the citizens, not the authorities. They also demand more investment in universities and cultural heritage, key sectors for Serbia's future and currently threatened by a lack of funding and the deteriorating rule of law.

Exit has a history rooted in a context of change and hope. “It wasn't created solely as a musical event, but as a platform for young people's struggle for freedom,” they state on their website. A reminder of the power of youth willing to change the world for the better after the wars in Yugoslavia and the country's isolation. From its earliest years, the festival brought to Novi Sad some of the most famous names of the era, such as Liam Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys, Massive Attack, Cypress Hill, The Cure, and The White Stripes.

From July 10 to 13 The lineup included artists such as The Prodigy, Sex Pistols, Tiësto, Solomun, DJ Snake, Boris Brejcha, Amelie Lens and Nina Kraviz

At Exit, it's practically impossible not to discover new music, as it's easy to literally get lost among the multiple stages and sound offerings that range from techno to reggae, Latin rhythms, hip hop, and rock.

Among the musical highlights of this edition was The Prodigy, who paid tribute to their late vocalist Keith Flint with visuals during Firestarter, and closed the encore with a bang with a performance of Smack My Bitch Up . On the Dance Arena stage, Japanese DJ Yousuke Yukimatsu mesmerized the crowd with a selection of intense rhythms, including Work (Steve Rachmad Remix) , a powerful remix celebrated by lovers of underground techno , and Eyes That Seek (Kaos Venture 2022 Mix) , a dark piece that embodies the deepest spirit of rave . On that same stage, Serbian producer and DJ Space Motion thrilled the audience with his version of the Brazilian classic Baianá . Late in the morning, after 6 am, Solomun—one of the most influential names in the global electronic scene—accompanied the sunrise.

There is talk of a possible move of the event next year to the Egyptian pyramids as a new venue, although the unique atmosphere and historical significance of the fortress will be difficult to replace. “The only way we could continue the festival beyond this year would be to give up our freedom to avoid political influence,” said Dušan Kovačević, founder of Exit, explaining that the festival requires around 15% state funding to remain accessible, but that it contributes around €25 million to the Serbian economy each year. “And we cannot accept being threatened.”

Despite the difficulties, the festival managed to close this year with an attendance of more than ten thousand people. Whether this marks the end of one year or the end of the entire festival, cries of "Pumpaj" still resonate throughout the fortress. The political decorations were vandalized, but the sixteen chairs remained intact throughout the event.