EXIT Festival is returning to Petrovaradin Fortress after a student-led movement for freedom and justice won a historic election in Serbia, ending more than a decade of political dominance by Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling party.
Founded in 2000 as a student movement fighting for democracy and peace, EXIT grew into one of Europe’s leading music festivals and a global symbol of unity. Twenty-six years later, the festival publicly backed a new generation of Serbian students protesting for freedom, justice and accountability. Political, security and financial pressure then stopped it holding its traditional edition at the Fortress in 2026.
Founder and CEO Dušan Kovačević said the festival had to stand with the students, even if that meant sacrificing everything the team had spent their lives building. “Now, thanks to the courage and perseverance of Serbia’s students, freedom has returned to our country,” he said. “And after taking EXIT’s spirit around the world, we are finally coming home!”
The original plan was a full-scale return in 2028, because a Fortress edition needs about 18 months of preparation. Fan response changed that. In an emotional Instagram post, EXIT said people simply could not wait that long, and neither could the festival. The grand comeback is still scheduled for 2028, but a special edition will already bring people together at the Fortress next July to celebrate freedom, unity and love.
That July date fulfils a promise made this summer. During the days EXIT would traditionally have taken place, the festival and Novi Sad students gathered at Petrovaradin Fortress. EXIT raised a banner reading “STUDENTS ARE WINNING”. Students hung another beside it declaring “NEXT YEAR AT THE FORTRESS”. At the time, nobody knew whether freedom would return soon enough for those words to become real.
The year away was not quiet. EXIT delivered eight events across six countries, including Montenegro, Croatia, Malta and Spain. The run culminated in the Starlight Festival at the Great Pyramids of Giza in October 2026, which drew more than 40,000 visitors from 114 countries. Earlier in the summer, EXIT to Montenegro staged free beach festivals in Ulcinj and Budva. Those two events later drew around 150,000 people from more than 100 countries.
EXIT remained one of the most vocal supporters of the student movement throughout, using its own social channels and other initiatives despite severe threats and pressure. That included the detention of Dušan Kovačević’s brother this May, on the eve of one of the largest student protests in Serbia.
The Fortress itself is already part of EXIT’s story for UK festival fans. The 17th-century site hosted Wu-Tang Clan in 2023, alongside names including The Prodigy and Skrillex, when the festival ran from 6th to 9th July.
Concept, line-up, exact dates and ticket sales for the special 2027 edition will be announced soon via EXIT.
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