The eyes of the whole world were focused on the EXIT festival this July! This year's edition attracted the attention of the world's largest media - from the British BBC, Guardian and IQ Mag, through the American Billboard, Veriety and Pollstar, to the famous Chinese platforms and media WeChat, Sina Weibo and Guangming Daily, whose text on social media shared an incredible million times. They reported Exit as the first major festival to take place since the start of the pandemic, reuniting people, and bringing a smile back to their faces. Reputable world media also reported the words of the heads of health institutions, who pointed out that holding Exit did not worsen the epidemiological situation in Novi Sad, as well as the results of scientific research at the festival, which showed that with certain restrictions it is possible to organize a safe mass music event. pandemics.
Already on the first day of the festival, July 8, the leading American music media Billboard announced that EXIT went down in history as the first major European festival since the beginning of the pandemic, "after a series of false beginnings for music festivals across Europe." All this, according to the famous Billboard, "adds to the EXIT festival on an already rich tradition and reputation".
This year's edition of Exit reminded the authors of Variety, one of the world's most prestigious magazines that reports on the entertainment industry, of a quote from Sun Tzu's book "The Art of War" - "in the midst of chaos there is an opportunity." Variety notes that EXIT took this message seriously, and managed to organize the largest music festival in Europe since the beginning of the pandemic. They described this year's edition of the festival as an extraordinary event that brought smiles to tens of thousands of people in the middle of a pandemic, despite numerous obstacles. Variety did not fail to mention that a large number of DJanes performed at this year's Exit, of which Amelie Lens, Charlotte de Witte, Insolate and Tijana T were prominent.
It was the Serbian DJane Tijana T and the founder of Exit, Dušan Kovačević, who announced for BBC World News the opening of the festival doors live in a program that is watched by as many as 112 million people a week, in more than 200 countries! EXIT was announced to all BBC viewers as "the first major international music festival in 2021". One of the most famous BBC presenters, famous DJ and producer Pete Tong, recalling one of the performances from Exit in 2009, pointed out: “Broadcast 12 years ago, this performance originates from probably the best DJ stage in the world, at one of the best festivals on the world. We are talking about the legendary Exit in Serbia, which takes place within the walls of a medieval fortress overlooking the Danube, and which brings a post-covid return this weekend. "
After the first day of the festival, the most important British music magazine NME announced that EXIT is returning this summer to celebrate 20 years of existence. "We're back!" - the NME conveyed the exclamation of the main stage headliner DJ Snake, as well as the emotional impressions of the headliner Arena Charlotte de Witte - "Exit's mts Dance Arena is one of the most amazing outdoor stages in the world, and the atmosphere is, especially in the early in the morning, when the sun rises over the walls of the Fortress, truly magical. " This prestigious magazine reports on Exit regularly, so in July it conveyed the message that holding Exit will be "one of the important symbols of Serbia's victory over the pandemic." The same message was conveyed by the renowned IQ Mag, DJ Mag and Ticketfest. Mixmag, a British electronic music magazine with a long tradition, reported on the celebration of 20 years of the festival, presenting EXIT as "the biggest music event since the beginning of the pandemic", which took place alongside "some of the biggest names in electronic music".
The team of Pollstar, one of the leading professional magazines about the concert industry at the world level, has arrived in Novi Sad and has a tradition of 40 years! "Pollstar arrived in Novi Sad to witness the first European festival after almost 18 months of silence on the continent," the authors of this magazine wrote. They added that 180,000 visitors came to the "spectacular Petrovaradin Fortress", and that the festival was "a feat made possible by a well-designed security concept and tireless negotiations with decision makers". They called this year's EXIT a "historic event", and pointed out: "EXIT remains a symbol of Serbia's independence, its hospitality and revolutionary spirit. "Again, in 2021, he achieved something revolutionary, celebrating his 20th anniversary with a mass of people eager for reunification," wrote the great Pollstar. The magazine also did an exclusive interview with the founder of Exit, Dušan Kovačević, immediately after the festival, with a quote that will be remembered: "If we are determined enough, there are no obstacles that will prevent us from being together, safe."
The safety of Exit visitors was also a topic in the leading Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, and that text attracted a lot of attention, and reached the second place of reading in the whole country. This daily reported the preliminary results of a scientific study from Exit, and the words of the director of the Novi Sad Health Center Veselin Bojat that scientific research, as well as the daily movement of the virus shows that there was no mass infection at Exit. The eminent Algemeen Dagblad stated in the title that this represents hope for all festivals.
Exit was heard in China as well! The well-known Beijing daily Guangming Daily reported on the festival as a "big music event held every year in Serbia", adding that this year's edition has a "different meaning". This news has been shared more than a million times on Chinese social networks!
The interest of foreign media for this edition of Exit was among the greatest in the history of the Exit, as reported by The Guardian, The Sun, TagMag, Dancin Astronaut, QZ, Vice, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Euronews. The festival was followed by more than 350 media from countries around the world, including, in addition to European countries, the USA, Brazil, India, China, Mexico, Australia...
What the founder of Exit, Dušan Kovačević, really announced in an interview with IQ Mag in April, really happened: “The first EXIT was held after a decade of wars and poverty in Serbia and the Balkans. After that decade of isolation, the desire for a normal life among people led to an explosion of positive energy, which was so strong that it created the legend of Exit that is still retold today. Due to the pandemic and the fact that people have been living in abnormal conditions for more than a year, it seems as if history will repeat itself, so this year we expect a very strong positive charge that will make this year's EXIT one of the most special editions of the festival.