The fortress of Petrovaradin in Novi Sad (Serbia) gathered more than 200,000 people between 6 and 9 July under the motto EXIT is love and freedom! The festival, a multidimensional journey integrating music, spirituality and an experience so cosmic that this year it reached the far limits of space. What was undoubtedly the best edition to date was marked by an emotional reunion with the band The Prodigy, and the female talent of, among others, Nina Kraviz, Indira Paganotto, Amelie Lens, Senida, Mimi Mercedez, Sajsi M. EXIT celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop with the greatest rap group of all time, Wu-Tang Clan.
Amelie Lens ©EXIT Photo Team.
The overture took place on the Pachamama stage (sponsored by Rosa) with meditative music, an ancient cocoa ceremony in the spirit of the Ada Divine Awakening festival, and the youngest member of the EXIT family, Atina Ljubav Kovačević. This journey took us from the powerful performance of Vylana Marcus in the mts Dance Arena to the opening of the first extraterrestrial festival on the Gorki List Main Stage, ending with a magical finale in the mts Dance Arena, with a beautiful sunrise, emotive melodies and tribal percussions by Keinemusik.
Vyliana Marcus en la apertura del EXIT Festival ©EXIT Photo Team.
Throughout the four nights of the festival the energy of love and freedom flowed, touching visitors and world-renowned music stars alike. Following opening remarks by motivational speaker and philanthropist Aubrey Marcus, The Prodigy delivered a powerful message, opening their performance with the iconic song “Breathe”, and reminded the local audience of their first meeting and live debut of this song in Serbia in 1995, as well as their return to this festival, which is their spiritual home. On the same night, the all-female concept of the mts Dance Arena spontaneously united the two most influential women in electronic music: Nina Kraviz and Indira Paganotto met at the temple of electronic music at EXIT, where they ended up sharing the decks in an eclectic B2B set.
Camelphat ©EXIT Photo Team.
On the second night of the festival, Skrillex surprised tens of thousands of fans on the Gorki List main stage, opening his set with the iconic 1959 local hit “Zvižduk u 8” by Yugoslav music legend Đorđe Marjanović. Simultaneously, a euphoric crowd danced euphorically to Eric Prydz in the mts Dance Arena, in a show that had been a decade in the making.
This modern fairytale, full of surprises, continued on Saturday night headlined by hitmaker Alesso. Vintage Culture received a special treat and a birthday cake in the mts Dance Arena, while the colourful duo Sofi Tukker, captivated by the atmosphere and location of the festival, expressed their desire to stay until the end. Senidah, full of energy, strolled through several stages, finally settling in for Gioli & Assia’s performance at the mts Dance Arena.
Zevin (Gang Beats Stage) ©EXIT Photo Team.
On Sunday, the public crowded the Varadin Bridge to secure the best spot in front of the main stage of the Gorki List for the performance of the greatest hip-hop group of all time, Wu-Tang Clan, who blew everyone away with their rhymes, accompanied by a live band. We hope they keep their word and return for another edition of EXIT.
Another stellar encounter took place backstage, where RZA, the mastermind behind this iconic New York band, and Bege Fank, each after their set, decided to relax with a game of chess while the band members signed Smoke Mardeljano’s tattoo. The connection is hip-hop; everyone loves it, knows it, understands it, lives it, and breathes it, concluded the members of Onyx, another of the groups headlining the culture’s half-century celebration. We’re performing after the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. Can it get more exciting?, said Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike just before they took the stage.
Main Stage © EXIT Photo Team.
At EXIT’s temple of electronic music, the Keinemusik collective offered an extraordinary closing set: Adam Port, &Me and Rampa warmed up the audience with emotive melodies and tribal percussion. EXIT founder and director Dušan Kovačević, who bid farewell to the audience in the mts Dance Arena with his son and father, described the sunrise on this stage as the most magical moment in electronic music.
Claptone, Chase & Status, Hot Since 82, Viagra Boys, Epica, CamelPhat, Burak Yeter, Mahmut Orhan, Mind Against, Agents Of Time, The Toasters, Cockney Rejects, and over a thousand artists and 200,000 visitors enjoyed four days together, and sent a collective message of love and freedom to the universe, whose echo will resonate and resonate…
Registration is now open until 21 July to buy tickets for the next edition from 11-14 July 2024 at the best price, click here.
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