Will EXIT Festival Return to Serbia? What the Founder Says
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Fans of EXIT Festival have been asking one question since election night: is it coming home? The short answer from founder and CEO Dusan Kovacevic is not yet. He told Festival Insights this week that the team is looking carefully at a return to Serbia, but nothing has been decided.
What the founder has said
Kovacevic called the moment historic and said the changes under way will shape the country’s future. Since the election, he said, thousands of messages have come in from people who want EXIT back. He added that the team is deeply grateful for the support.
On timing, he was cautious. A festival of this size needs a lot of preparation, and the team will keep assessing the situation. It has promised to keep the public informed.
The story so far
- EXIT spent 25 years in Serbia before leaving in 2025.
- In 2026 it ran a World Tour, with events in Montenegro, North Macedonia, Egypt and other places.
- Fans, supporters and media have all asked for a return.
The festival said it moved away because it backed a student uprising across Serbia. It also said it faced immense financial and political pressure aimed at stripping it of its freedom of thought and expression.
Those protests began after the Novi Sad station tragedy in November 2024, when a concrete canopy collapsed and 16 people died. They grew into a wider movement accusing the government of corruption and negligence. The report describes the former president, Aleksandar Vučić, as having been ousted through that student-led movement.
What it means if you are planning a trip
For now, there is no announced date, venue or lineup. EXIT is one of the best-known festivals in the Balkans, and its departure changed the region’s live music calendar, so a return would be watched closely by anyone who followed it through its touring year.
Anything beyond Kovacevic’s words would be guesswork, so it is wise to hold off on booking travel until the festival makes an official announcement. In the meantime, you can look through why EDM lineups are growing or our music festivals section.
Read the full story on EXIT Festival’s possible return to Serbia on RaveConnects. Photo: Mirian Managadze on Pexels.
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