EXIT was a "perfect 10"

31/07/2009

This year, Serbia's EXIT featured more than 600 performers and an audience from almost 60 countries.

By Sasa Ilic and Milena Petrovic for Southeast European Times in Novi Sad -- 31/07/09

The Dance Arena stage was one of the most popular at this year's EXIT festival in Novi Sad, Serbia. [Sasa Ilic and Milena Petrovic]

There are few, if any, music festivals in the world that began as political statements. The EXIT festival, first held in 2000 to protest the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, has been held annually at an 18th-century fortress, overhanging the banks of the Danube, where the party lasts till the late morning hours.

The festival, which took place from July 9th to the 12th this year, drew more than 100,000 people from almost 60 countries to the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad for the tenth straight year. The four-day festival included 600 performers from more than 40 different countries.

"We [expect] guest arrivals from 54 countries and we expect 20,000 to 25,000 visitors from Great Britain alone," festival public relations chief Sagor Meskovic told SETimes before the festival kicked off.

The Main Stage hosted bands such as Madness, The Prodigy, Manic Street Preachers, Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen, as well as Patti Smith, Kraftwerk, Moby and Korn.

Of the remaining 27 stages, visitors spent most of their time at the Dance Arena and Fusion Stage. Performers on those two stages included Richie Hawtin, Etienne de Crecy, Eric Prydz, Darren Emerson, Carl Cox, Max Romeo, Buzzcocks and Mando Diao.

Apart from music, EXIT audiences had the opportunity to enjoy the latest politically-themed films, and dozens of stands hosted by different governmental and NGOs that promoted ecology, the fight against AIDS and European values.

One main concern this year was safety. To that end, areas in front of the most popular stages were considerably smaller than in the past and divided by fences. Another concern was swine flu. "All measures suggested by the Provincial Health Secretariat were undertaken to alleviate the impact of H1N1 flu. We provided sufficient quantity of protective face masks and increased the number of taps with potable water," EXIT General Manager Bojan Boskovic told SETimes.

A poll by Belgrade daily Blic showed that audiences thought the best three performances this year were by Korn, The Prodigy and Moby.

"It's a great honour for me to perform here, on this festival's 10th anniversary. As far as I know, this is the only festival that arose from a public protest and I am, therefore, even more glad to be here," Moby said during his performance.

The fans were also happy. "EXIT is a European meeting where we can hang out and relax to the rhythms of music from all over the world. It is a music event where it is no good to sleep," Annie Pedrono of France told SETimes.

"These four festival days are the best days of my life. Exit is a perfect 10!" Norwegian Ole Bamle said.