The European Festival Report (EFR) 2024, a packed annual summary of the biggest trends, happenings, and initiatives on the continent’s festival scene, was published in December.

In this excerpt from this indispensable guide, EXIT Festival founder & director Dušan Kovačević discusses the festival’s independent status, the impact of rising costs, and the value of face-to-face gatherings for young populations.

How did things go at EXIT this summer?
The 2024 edition was a resounding success, filled with unforgettable moments and unmatched energy from everyone involved. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, reaffirming the unique spirit of EXIT.

This year’s event was packed with unforgettable moments. For me, seeing Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine performing live was a surreal experience. Their DNA is so closely aligned with EXIT’s spirit, and they’ve been on our wish list since the foundation of the festival. I even dove into the mosh pit during Killing in the Name – it was a moment I had been waiting for for 24 years!

Our legendary Dance Arena also lived up to its reputation, with electrifying performances from Carl Cox, Bonobo, and Black Coffee that kept the energy high all night. It was truly an amazing edition, and we’re excited to carry this momentum into our 25th anniversary next year.

“EXIT has been a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of their nationality, race, religion, or background”

What challenges does the festival industry face and how are you overcoming them?
The biggest challenge is undoubtedly the galloping inflation impacting every aspect of festival production. From artist fees and logistics to infrastructure and operational costs, prices have been rising sharply year after year, making it increasingly difficult to balance quality and sustainability.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an independent festival in the current landscape?
Being an independent festival gives us the creative freedom to design EXIT exactly as we envision it, without the pressure of reporting to investment funds or large corporations that now own most major festivals. This autonomy allows us to innovate, take risks, and focus on what truly matters, and not just Excel sheets. For example, had we not been independent, we would never have managed to become the first major festival in the world to take place after the pandemic in 2021.

However, operating as an independent also means navigating the complexities of the industry without the financial backing or infrastructure that larger corporate entities enjoy. In today’s landscape – marked by rising costs and increased competition – it can be challenging to maintain sustainability while continuing to grow.

That said, our independence allows us to stay agile and connect more authentically with our audience, which we believe is one of EXIT’s greatest strengths. It’s a balancing act, but our independence is also our identity – something we deeply cherish and will continue to embrace. I truly believe that independence will become one of the greatest advantages for festivals in the years to come, especially as younger generations increasingly value it.

“In an era dominated by digital interactions, festivals provide a rare space for people to engage face-to-face”

Can you share some of the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) measures or initiatives you have in place to ensure EXIT is welcoming for everyone?
Since its inception, EXIT has been a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of their nationality, race, religion, or background. EXIT played a pivotal role in the early 2000s, bringing together young people from the war-torn Balkan States for the first time in over a decade. This made EXIT a symbol of reconciliation, unity, and hope for a brighter future.

Mental health initiatives have been a core focus for years, as we firmly believe that festivals are vital for the mental well-being of young people – a fact that became especially evident during their absence throughout the pandemic.

We are particularly proud of the Life is Live campaign, launched in partnership with UNICEF in 2023. This initiative addresses mental health by identifying digital dependency as one of the most dangerous addictions facing today’s youth. It highlights the irreplaceable value of real live experiences and the importance of human connection.

In 2024, the campaign evolved to focus on the paradox of our hyperconnected yet increasingly lonely digital lives.

“Festivals like EXIT remain vital cultural touchstones”

What role do festivals play in people’s cultural lives?
Festivals play an immense role on many levels in our societies and have become an essential part of the cultural life of young people. However, if I had to highlight one key aspect, it would be their role as one of the few remaining massive social gatherings for young people. In an era dominated by digital interactions, festivals provide a rare space for people to engage in real, face-to-face experiences. These kinds of experiences are becoming increasingly rare, which is why festivals are more important than ever. They offer a space where people step away from their screens and immerse themselves in the present moment.

In a world where digital spaces dominate, festivals like EXIT remain vital cultural touchstones. They remind us of the irreplaceable value of live, human connection and the joy that comes from truly being present with others.

The third edition of the European Festival Report, from IQ and festival association Yourope, is available to read online for free.

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EXIT chief Dušan Kovačević has given IQ a sneak preview of the Serbian festival’s ambitious 25th anniversary plans following the “resounding success” of this year’s event.

Held at Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, from 10-14 July, EXIT 2024 starred Black Eyed Peas, Tom Morello, John Newman, Gucci Mane, Carl Cox, Artbat and Maceo Plex, among others.

Kovačević says feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive” and praises the “energy and enthusiasm” of all in attendance.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is the ‘Starseeds’ theme of this year’s festival,” he tells IQ. “EXIT began 24 years ago as a youth movement for peace and freedom, and this theme aimed to gather people from around the world who are committed to changing the old matrix of greed, wars, and environmental destruction. Our goal is to unite them in bringing forth a new narrative we call the ‘New Earth’.”

“And probably the thing I’m the most proud of is the fact that after 24 years we still manage to remain independent.”

Intriguingly, Kovačević says next year’s milestone edition will involve a “quantum leap” as organisers bid to take the gathering to “the next level”.

“We’re planning a quantum leap for EXIT with numerous new features and projects”

“We’re planning a quantum leap for EXIT with numerous new features and projects,” he explains. “Among these are the opening of the EXIT Museum in Novi Sad, launching our own music and tech conference, ‘Bridge’, at our Sea Star festival in Croatia, and a collaboration with EXPO, which will take place in Belgrade in 2027.

“We also plan to release a documentary about the festival and introduce many more exciting initiatives. We’re gearing up for the strongest and most exciting year yet.”

Four-day tickets sold out in advance, and Kovačević describes public demand for the 2024 event – which attracted fans from more than 100 countries – as “exceptional”.

“We introduced several new features to enhance the festival experience,” he adds. “The first major addition was the special Day 0, on which we celebrated the birthday of Nikola Tesla, which essentially extended the festival by a day this year. Our main stage was also renamed to Tesla Universe in honour of the Serbian-American inventor and one of the greatest minds that ever lived.

“Additionally, the open-air cinema made a return to the festival, featuring movies dedicated to Bob Marley, Liam Gallagher and other legends. Petrovaradin Fortress is a great venue for shapeshifting, so this year many stages were expanded and repositioned to accommodate larger crowds and enhance the overall experience.”

“We grew from activism, so it’s equally important for us to raise the consciousness of young people as it is to entertain them”

Nonetheless, EXIT is not immune to the travails of the wider festival industry since returning from Covid.

“By far the biggest challenge for us and the entire festival industry is the inflation of all costs associated with production of the festival,” says Kovačević. “Prices are going up year by year and it’s becoming really difficult to cope with that.”

With the backing of European Festival Association Yourope, EXIT teamed with UNICEF to launch the LIFE IS LIVE campaign, which aims to tackle the problem of digital addiction. And Kovačević is adamant the event will never stray too far from its roots as it moves forward.

“Our ambition for EXIT Festival is to continue evolving as a premier destination for music and culture lovers worldwide, while also shedding light on important social topics, from environmental protection to combating digital and other forms of addiction,” he concludes. “We grew from activism, so it’s equally important for us to raise the consciousness of young people as it is to entertain them.

“EXIT is more than just a festival, it has always been a movement and a community. We are committed to creating unforgettable experiences that bring people together and inspire positive change.”

The 25th anniversary EXIT is set for 10-13 July 2025.

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Continuing our weekly preview of European festivals, IQ gives readers a glimpse of what’s in store this week…

Serbia’s EXIT Festival (10-14 July) kicks off today at Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, under the slogan “Awakening our Superpowers Together”.

Black Eyed Peas, Tom Morello, John Newman, Gucci Mane, Carl Cox, Artbat and Maceo Plex are among the headliners of the 2024 edition.

Meanwhile, the 47th edition of North Sea Jazz (12–14) will take place at Rotterdam Ahoy with 150 acts including Sting, Raye, André 3000, Corinne Bailey Rae, Masego, Sampha, Noname, Jessie Ware and Jamie Cullum.

Festival director Jan Willem Luyken recently spoke to IQ about the secret behind the Dutch festival’s decades-long legacy.

The swansong edition of Germany’s MELT festival will launch tomorrow

From one stalwart festival to the next, the 58th edition of Montreux Jazz Festival is already underway and will run until 20 July.

The Swiss event, which typically draws 250,000 people over 16 days, features Jon Batiste and Henry Moodie and runs until 20 July. More than 30 shows will be livestreamed for free on the festival’s YouTube channel. Read IQ‘s recent interview with organisers Mathieu Jaton here.

Across the continent, Mad Cool (10–13) will return to the Iberdrola Music Venue in Madrid, Spain. Top-billing acts at the festival are Dua Lipa, Pearl Jam, Måneskin and The Killers.

Mad Cool’s Javier Arnáiz and Cindy Castillo recently spoke with IQ about the various changes they have implemented to improve the customer experience, as well as the event’s evolution during its first decade.

Meanwhile, the swansong edition of Germany’s MELT festival (11–13) will launch tomorrow. The 20,000-capacity event will return to the Ferropolis open-air museum, near Gräfenhainichen, Saxony-Anhalt, where it has been held since 1999.

Queens of the Stone Age were forced to pull out of their headlining slot at Pohoda

Over 120 artists will bid farewell to Goodlive’s longstanding event, including Sampha, James Blake, Sugababes, DJ Koze, Romy, Marlon Hoffstadt, Overmono, James Blake, Obongjayar, Romy and Skepta.

Slovakia’s biggest festival, Pohoda (11-13), returns to Trenčín Airport including James Blake, Skepta, Royal Blood, Arlo Parks, Pendulum, Black Pumas and more.

Yesterday (10 July), it was announced that Queens of the Stone Age were forced to pull out of their headlining slot at the festival due to frontman Josh Homme requiring “emergency surgery”.

And Wireless Finsbury Park (12-14) takes over London’s Finsbury Park this weekend featuring performances by Nicki Minaj, Future, 21 Savage and Doja Cat.

The bill also features special guest Future, plus Ice Spice, Sean Paul, Asake, Gunna, Rema, Tyla, Digga D, Vanessa Bling, Veeze, Ragz Originale, DJ Target and Remi Burgz. Sexyy Red, Fridayy, Skillibeng, Byron Messia, Shallipopi, Strandz, Kenny Allstar, Seani B, Uncle Waffles, Ruger, Teezo Touchdown, Nadia Jae and Snoochie Shy.

Other festivals taking place this weekend include Slottsfjell (NO) 2000 Trees (UK), NOS Alive (PT), Bilbao BBK Live (ES), Cruilla Barcelona (ES) and TRNSMT (UK).

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Marking European Mental Health Week, European festival association Yourope, has called on its members to support the LIFE IS LIVE campaign, which aims to highlight the importance of in-person interaction for preserving youth mental health.

Serbia’s EXIT Festival, which returns to Novi Sad from 10-14 July, and UNICEF have launched the LIFE IS LIVE campaign to tackle the problem of digital addiction. It is estimated that more than a billion people worldwide suffer from digital addiction and that it now surpasses all other forms of addiction combined, including alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics.

The current estimate of the average time spent in front of mobile, computer, and TV screens amounts to an astounding 20 years of one’s life, while the average mobile phone user touches their device 2,617 times a day.

Giving an advantage to digital identity and spending more time online than in the real world, with the illusion of connection and friendship without real closeness has led to young people being lonelier, more depressed, and more anxious than ever before. The rapid evolution of technology has made it challenging for experts to keep pace. As we enter the era of Web3, the Metaverse, and artificial intelligence, the gravity of the issue will only accelerate.

“Music festivals, as one of the few remaining places of mass socialising in real life, have the responsibility to support their audiences”

“The incredible extent of digital addiction represents one of the biggest challenges that humanity has ever faced,” says EXIT Festival founder and CEO Dušan Kovačević. “Music festivals, as one of the few remaining places of mass socialising in real life, have the responsibility to support their audiences and show them that the true beauty of life can only be found in the real world.”

In a message to European festivals, Yourope adds: “The very essence of music festivals is to bring a genuine, authentic, and powerful human experience at the highest level. Considering the potential and scale of just one major festival, it becomes clear what a significant positive impact it can have on the long-term well-being of hundreds of thousands of individuals and even entire generations.

“We are extremely happy to support such an amazing cause like LIFE IS LIVE. Our long-time members EXIT initiated this wonderful campaign focusing on one of the most important issues of our time. Since digitalisation is playing such a big role in the development of our society today, we need to embrace the life we share with others. In person, for mutual benefit, to get inspired, to create memories, to stay sane!

“Festivals are the best possible environment for these experiences. Which means we are the ones that help especially young people to enhance mental health with real life experiences and magical moments they share with friends and will never forget.”

LIFE IS LIVE is offering two different campaign approaches that European festivals can use. “A true story lasts a lifetime” is the slogan for the initial phase of the campaign. Its goal is to underscore the irreplaceable moments which make life authentic and can only be experienced live. The campaign aims to emphasise to young people that seeking these moments in real life is way more important than creating “perfect” photos for socials.

The second step “Last seen” now points out that nothing can replace the feeling of a mutual experience – in person. And since festivals are the perfect place and opportunity for that, they invite young people to share these experiences.

The concept of being “last seen” online has become one of the primary pieces of information people seek about us on social media and other communication platforms. In this digital age, EXIT and UNICEF’s campaign serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of authentic life experiences. When did we last feel adored and loved? When was the last time someone kissed or hugged us? When did we last dance? The message from EXIT Festival and UNICEF is: let’s stay truly connected, because life is live. They ask: Are we, paradoxically, more connected yet lonelier than ever?

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EXIT boss Dušan Kovačević has shared the pros and cons of remaining independent in 2023 – and reflected on the festival’s new spin-off event in Montenegro.

Serbia’s best known festival, the 50,000-cap spectacular pulled in 200,000 punters to the Petrovaradin Fortress in Serbia over four days in July to see acts such as The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan, Skrillex, Eric Prydz, Alesso, Chase & Status, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Nina Kraviz. Its next edition is scheduled for 11-14 July 2024.

EXIT starred in IQ‘s recent feature on ten of Europe’s brightest independent festivals, and Kovačević speaks of the struggles of continuing to go it alone.

“The biggest challenge of remaining independent in 2023 is the increasing costs in the festival industry,” he tells IQ. “Corporate-backed festivals often have substantial financial resources, more marketing power, and established connections that allow them to gain needed funding more easily in the moments of crisis.

“We cannot forget the pandemic’s impact on the industry, and a great shift it made when it comes to consumer expectations. We are often required to adapt rapidly to high demands whilst facing financial challenges that we inherited from the pandemic period.”

“Independence allows us to think and grow beyond the financial reports”

Kovačević adds that rising costs such as artist fees, security measures, and logistical expenses, are a further strain on resources.

“Without the backing of major sponsors or investors, it can be challenging to maintain a sustainable business model and deliver a high-quality experience while keeping ticket prices fair,” he adds.

Nevertheless, Kovačević suggests the hard work is well worth to enable organisers to stay true to spirit of the event.

“Independence allows us to think and grow beyond the financial reports. Excel sheets are not the ultimate God of the festival, creativity and artistic expression is,” he says. “This way we get to cultivate the spirit of the festival that made it so magical in the first place. Freedom is undoubtedly the biggest benefit. We take a lot of pride in retaining artistic freedom.

“One of the most important things to us is growing and nurturing the soul of the festival. Even though we face a lot of competition in the region and the world, remaining independent allows us the freedom to express our vision, provide unforgettable experiences, be a part of the positive change in our community, and society as a whole without having to worry about short-term financial influxes that would limit us significantly.”

EXIT events in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, UAE, Netherlands, Turkey, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Slovenia were visited by around half a million people in 2022, making it the largest number in the festival’s history.

“Ada Divine Awakening holds a unique place within our rich festival and event portfolio, as it authentically transforms and uplifts people’s lives”

While it was announced in June that EXIT’s Sea Dance spin-off would be leaving Montenegro, the team debuted the Ada Divine Awakening in the country last month on the island of Ada Bojana. Billed as offering “a powerful festival experience that combines life-force awakening retreat, educational workshops, incredible music & art, mindfulness and much more”, artists included Mose, Murray Kyle, Joseph Pepe Danza, Mushina and Tebra.

With a dedicated emphasis on ecology and environmental conservation, Ada Divine Awakening forged a partnership with the “Every Can Counts” project. In addition, organisers, attendees and volunteers came together to collect nearly two tons of waste from almost a kilometre of untamed beach in collaboration with the City of Ulcinj, Ulcinj Riviera, and DOO Komunalne djelatnosti – Ulcinj, along with the Remedies 20t Challenge initiative.

The intimate 500-cap gathering attracted attendees from more than 40 countries and will return from 13-18 September next year. Kovačević reveals plans are already afoot to expand the concept overseas.

“Ada Divine Awakening holds a unique place within our rich festival and event portfolio, as it authentically transforms and uplifts people’s lives,” says Kovačević. “It quickly grew into one of the leading consciousness and intimacy festivals in the world and we will be partnering with like-minded promoters to cast ADA magic through numerous spin-offs worldwide.”

Meanwhile, EXIT’s talent and management agency Echosystem, which was established earlier this year, recently announced that one of its clients, 17-year-old electronic music artist LANNA, has signed to CAA and will be represented by agent Maria May.

“I am very excited to take over supporting LANNA’s career,” says May. “As a strong proponent of supporting young female artists, I believe LANNA has the potential to reach the stars very fast.”

The full list of ten of the best indie gatherings appears in Issue 122 of IQ Magazine.

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Sponsorship is a key revenue stream for festivals, whilst music and arts events are excellent ways for companies and charities to expose their messages to receptive audiences. In an excerpt from IQ and Yourope’s European Festival Report, we profile some of the most innovative partnerships in 2022.

Roskilde: Culturography
Commercial partnerships are key for most festivals, with many companies eager to benefit from the association with a festival brand and access to its audience. However, it’s important to create an activation that not only aligns with the company’s goals but matches the audience’s expectations without damaging the event’s reputation.

But how do you ensure your partnership brand is met with approval by festivalgoers? How do you know the partner you’re working with won’t be viewed negatively by them? And even if they are receptive to your brand/message, how do you calculate the success of the activation when the measurements of success are not as sophisticated as they could be.

Well, thanks to a new big data collaboration with Aalborg University’s techno-anthropologists (yes, they do exist), Roskilde festival in Denmark might have solved these issues.

Together they have created a new online open-source platform called Culturography, which enables organisations to understand and visualise how their target group – and the broader public – engages in different aspects of societal issues online.

Roskilde’s online tool analyses social media posts from fans and the public that show where interests of different groups of people overlap

The online tool analyses social media posts from fans and the public that show where interests of different groups of people overlap. This use of big data enables festivals to understand whether a brand and its activities are a good fit.

“Every time we engage in a commercial partnership, there are three basic steps that we go through. There’s finding the partnership, signing the partnership, and then monetising it. This method was very helpful for all three,” says Roskilde’s head of partnerships, Andreas Groth Clausen.

“Normally, when I present the idea of a partnership with Roskilde Festival to a company, it’s just me, and I’m hoping that the person I’m talking to is a fan of a particular festival or can see the idea. With this digital database, we can actually tell them what our audience is interested in. We can show them our fans are really engaged with some of their competitors, but they’re not interacting with them. So, the starting point changed significantly when we introduced these visualisations to our partners.”

The tool also helps the festival and the brand design an activation onsite that hits the appropriate demographics, by identifying the key touchpoints certain groups are interested in. This minimises the risk of running an activation that doesn’t chime with festival-goers.

As a non-profit organisation, Roskilde festival is making the software available to everyone. But there’s still some development required – currently the data is interpreted by experts from the university, whilst the goal is to develop the software further so that it removes this requirement.

“Trasholution” incentivises people to pick up litter by gamifying the process

“That’s the last challenge for us – to build a tool that’s just plug-and-play for everybody. As good as it is right now, it’s still a work in progress, but we can make it even better. We are going to do that in the years to come,” says Groth Clausen.

FKP Scorpio: Trasholution
FKP Scorpio festivals Hurricane, Southside, Highfield, and M’era Luna launched a new concept for waste management in summer ‘22. “Trasholution” incentivises people to pick up litter by gamifying the process – and it was used to benefit social causes, too. Every full rubbish bag was counted by the festival and triggered a donation of €1 to social projects in the region of each festival. This was live-tracked and visible for all festivalgoers, further motivating them to hand in their rubbish. As soon as a donation goal was achieved, the German company launched the counter for the next one.

“This is so important because if the festival waste is separated cleanly, its recyclable materials can be sorted out much better and returned to the material cycle,” says FKP Scorpio managing director Stephan Thanscheidt. “So, we’re achieving two good things with one concept: donations for social causes, as well as more sustainability.”

Flow and Polestar
As one of the world’s first carbon-neutral festivals, Finland’s Flow fest is renowned for its environmentally friendly credentials. So, it was especially important for them to work with brands that shared its ethos.

Polestar’s commitment to bring 100% electric premium car products to the world, led them to partner with the Superstruct Entertainment-owned event to bring their brand statements to Flow’s highly eco-conscious fan community.

With a campaign aimed at building brand awareness and affinity in Finland, Polestar gave selected ticket holders exclusive drives to the festival as well as pairing with Tiilikello venue for an exclusive art installation, matching both the festival and brand’s minimalist image.

At Latitude and Wilderness, professional Bacardí mixologists offered cocktail-making classes for attendees

Live Nation and Bacardí
With 2022 being the first full year back after the pandemic, Bacardí partnered with Live Nation in the UK to join the celebrations for the return of festivals, signing a multi-year deal to be the official spirit partner across ten events.

A drinks brand could be considered an expected sponsor for a festival, which was exactly what inspired Bacardí to create spectacular spaces full of thoughtful surprises and touches.

The partners created physical spaces that became destinations in their own right at festivals. Each was tailored to the festival audience’s tastes and preferences, such as Casa Bacardí (at Reading, Parklife, and Wireless), a two-story dance destination programmed with world-renowned DJs and premium rum cocktails; or Haçienda Patrón (at Wilderness and Latitude), a Tulum-inspired space.

Bacardí also used its spaces creatively by inviting fans to experience its brands in new ways. At Latitude and Wilderness, professional Bacardí mixologists offered cocktail-making classes for attendees. Bacardí also programmed established and up-and-coming DJs at Casa Bacardí to support its Music Liberates Music initiative, an ongoing programme designed to champion underrepresented voices in the music industry.

The results reached 3m in-person attendees and 10m followers on social media.

Jay Williamson, VP of marketing partnerships for Live Nation UK, said: “The Bacardí team truly understands how live music is one of the rare things that can bring people together, and the opportunity to work with them this summer on creating lifelong memories for fans was an incredible privilege.”

Wacken Open Air partnered with brewery Krombacher to put together a band made up of rare native species under threat

Wacken Open Air and Krombacher: Growling Creatures
Have you ever heard an endangered animal sing metal? Well, now’s your chance. This year, German festival Wacken Open Air partnered with brewery Krombacher to put together a band made up of rare native species that are under threat: Growling Creatures.

To raise awareness of the plight of these animals, three songs featuring the calls of a variety of animals were released by the ‘group.’ Nest Destroyer included the sounds of the cuckoo and grey shrike over a melodic death metal tune. The brown hare and lynx contributed to metalcore banger Furry Inferno. And the female bison and grey seal joined together for death metal song Small Number Of The Beast.

The songs were released on Spotify and videos were posted on YouTube and social channels, as well as running on stage screens between bands. Band T-shirts were also sold.

All proceeds from the campaign will be donated to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) of Germany.

“The audience response as well as the media was very positive,” says festival spokesman Peter Klapproth. “All three songs were professional produced and went down well in the metal scene. The campaign created a reach of over 8m, which made the whole cooperation very successful for all parties involved and most importantly created the awareness for the endangered species.”

The partnership was such a success that plans are already in place to continue it next year.

Emerging artist Madalena Pequito ran a workshop of festivalgoers that positioned art as a pillar for sustainability

MEO Kalorama and Underdogs
While audiences filled their ears with music from the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Arctic Monkeys, and Disclosure, new Portuguese festival MEO Kalorama also filled their eyes with art, thanks to a partnership with Lisbon-based cultural platform Underdogs.

Promoter Last Tour invited the art organisation to undertake three different initiatives that involved several people from the Underdogs’ diverse roster of Portuguese and international artists.

The first part of this collaboration was a large-scale intervention by Portuguese visual artist AkaCorleone called Temple of Sound, which saw the entire main stage decorated with work, as part of his ongoing Temple of Light project.

Elsewhere, an art gallery was built dedicated to displaying over 30 exclusive Underdogs artworks by a diversity of artists, including Felipe Pantone, Okuda San Miguel, Tamara Alves, Vhils, Wasted Rita, and many others.

And sustainability was a key theme for the third intervention – emerging artist Madalena Pequito ran a workshop of festivalgoers that positioned art as a pillar for sustainability. She invited the audience to illustrate the 17 sustainable development goals established by the United Nations.

Jazz in the Park bought six GoPro cameras, which festivalgoers borrowed for 45 minutes at a time to record their experience

Jazz in the Park and Mega Image
Most people who work on festivals never get to experience it as audiences do. But for its 10th anniversary in 2022, Romanian festival Jazz in the Park set about changing that. Thanks to a partnership with supermarket Mega Image, the festival bought six GoPro cameras and set-up a station that saw people borrow a camera for 45 minutes at a time and record their experience. The 180 people shot 96 hours of footage, which was edited into a “People’s Aftermovie,” which was released on social media.

“We were a bit nervous about people’s response[s] to being invited to film,” admits festival founder and manager Alin Vaida. “But the cameras were used almost all the time. People love the opportunity to just fool around and film their family, their preferred concerts, and so on. After the first day, people started asking about where they could get the cameras, and there was a good level of interest in the activation.”

The resulting film is unlike any traditional marketing movie, showing the event in a truly authentic manner, as even some of the ‘less desirable’ elements of the event, (such as the poor weather on the first two days) were included.

Communications manager Sergiu Topan says when the first draft arrived from the editor, he ran into Vaida’s office and shouted “It’s great!”

Vaida adds: “We are a relatively small office, and it’s usually quite noisy. But when the team got the video, there was just seven minutes of total silence. People were trying to be poker-faced about it, but I could see some of them wiping away tears. It was amazing. Watching the film was the first proof in 10 or 11 months or more that we had done something brilliant.”

He says sponsor Mega Image’s response was “really good.” So much so that there are now plans to increase the budget next year so they can buy more GoPros and have more people involved. “The word-of-mouth regarding the brand activation was excellent, too,” he adds.

EXIT’s fortress walls were painted with words of emotional and psychological support

EXIT and mental health
With global events such as the pandemic, the economic crisis, and the war in Ukraine continuing to impact people’s lives, organisers of EXIT Festival in Serbia had a special focus on mental health at the 2022 edition.

The walls of the festival site’s fortress were painted with words of emotional and psychological support, while the messages were also presented on the screens of the big stages.

Many people have encountered anxiety, fear, depression, loneliness, and other related difficulties in the past two years. This is why the festival further strengthened its relationship with Novi Sad-based suicide prevention and mental health support organisation Srce Centre. The festival has worked with the centre for years, and this year the partnership was extended to bring more mental support locations to the fortress, namely at the Foodland, the OPENS State of EXIT zone, and in the EXIT camp.

And it’s not only the audience that could get help. EXIT says it is the only organisation in the music industry with two mental health experts on the team throughout the year. Over the course of the festival, other psychologists and psychotherapists were onsite to support the backstage teams and performers whenever needed.

The Power Hour sees attendees gather at Defqon.1’s main stage for 60 minutes of DJs mixing high-energy tunes

Defqon.1 and Red Bull
One of the key moments during Dutch hardstyle festival Defqon.1 is the Power Hour – which sees attendees gather at the main stage for 60 minutes of DJs mixing high-energy tunes with lightning transitions – it’s an intense moment that sees the audience go crazy.

Festival organiser Q-dance (a brand of Superstruct Entertainment-owned ID&T) partnered with Red Bull to make this year’s Power Hour truly something to remember. Opening with Red Bull athlete Bicho Carrera, it featured an aerial display that included multiple Red Bull assets such as an aerobatic flight and the helicopter from The Flying Bulls.

During the left-to-right moment, which sees the whole crowd dancing from side to side, the Red Bull helicopter joined in, hovering from left to right, too. Additional activation included special Power Hour-branded Red Bull four-packs, which were sold onsite and in the campsites and included an illuminated LED cup.

This moment was captured in video and generated significant reach and viewership over digital platforms on both Red Bull and Defqon.1 channels.

“We had almost 4m (organic) total online reach and counting,” says Q-dance brand partnerships manager Jack van Mourik. “When answering the question ‘How would you rate the Red Bull show moments during Power Hour?’ the average score was an 8.59 out of 10 in our Defqon.1 survey and was experienced as ‘very positive.’”

At Ab geht die Lutzi Festival and Rocken am Brocken, a small PENNY.Festivals Kiosk was set-up

Many festivals and PENNY
For many years, German supermarket brand PENNY has supported the German festival scene – most prominently with its sponsorship of Parookaville. But for the return after Covid, it wanted to expand its help. So multifaceted festivals platform Höme used a survey of 37,000 festivalgoers to find out how the 2,150-store company could offer the best support. What they discovered led them to develop a broad range of activations across multiple festivals under a new sub-brand, PENNY.Festivals.

Alongside its activations with Parookaville, which include two big stores, the DJ-Tower with its legendary pre-party on Thursday and up to 20,000 visitors, the brand ran smaller and different modules at 16 festivals.

Among the activations were the PENNY.Festivals Shuttle, which saw festivalgoers at Burning Beach and Happiness Festival able to leave the festival site free of charge, drive to the nearest PENNY branch, and stock up on food and essentials. At other events, such as Ab geht die Lutzi Festival and Rocken am Brocken, the smaller PENNY.Festivals Kiosk was set-up; while elsewhere the PENNY.Festivals Food For Good Foodtruck offered vegetarian and vegan food. A number of festivals had digital partnerships.

And it wasn’t just audiences that benefitted from the support. PENNY also supported November 2022 conference Festival Playground, which brought together 150 different festivals of different sizes and genres.

“With this new concept, PENNY is once again strengthening its position as a reliable partner and supporter of the German festival industry,” says Höme’s Laura Pfeiffer.

“The response from the audience was great. For example, the Kiosk was always almost completely sold out after the first day (even though we ordered more than twice as much from the first to the second time). PENNY saw recognition at a huge variety of events. Our Instagram channel reached 10,000 followers within seven months. Festival attendees, especially from smaller festivals, are always happy to find our services at these events because it’s unusual to find big brands like PENNY there.”

Pfeiffer says this new approach is part of a three-year plan with the brand. “The first year was all about testing. Next year is all about improvements and taking the learnings from the first year to another level. Last but not least, the issue of scalability and the long-term implementation should also not be ignored.”

Read the European Festival Report in full below.

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Exit Festival 2021, which took place in Novi Sad, Serbia, from 8 to 11 July, did not lead to a significant increase in new cases of Covid-19 at either a local or national level, despite attracting more than 40,000 people a day, organisers have confirmed.

Exit – which monitored infections for two weeks after the festival as part of a safety protocol, Safe Events Serbia, under which it went ahead (which, among other things, limited entry to those who were vaccinated against Covid-19, had antibodies, or presented a negative test) – found that in the 14–15 days after the event, infections did not increase significantly in the Vojvodina region or Serbia as a whole.

There were just 12 new coronavirus cases in Novi Sad connected to Exit Festival after seven days, despite the estimated 20,000 foreigners from 70 countries who entered Serbia to attend the event, organisers tell IQ.

In fact, the vast majority of new cases in the city were connected to weddings, and not to Exit Festival, which was not a place of significant infection, according to Vladimir Petrovic, director of the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina.

“In the period from 12 to 18 July, 12 cases were registered in Novi Sad that could be traced back to Exit Festival, ten among visitors, and two with family members of visitors,” Dr Petrovic told Euronews Serbia on 20 July. “All cases were accompanied by a mild clinical picture and were treated at home.”

The vast majority of new cases in the city were connected to weddings, and not to Exit Festival

“In the last week, a total of 84 cases have been registered in Novi Sad, and most of them, after epidemiological investigations, were found to have attended weddings organised across the country,” he added.

David Guetta, Sabaton, Charlotte de Witte, Nina Kraviz, Paul Kalkbrenner and Solomun were among the overseas artists who performed at Exit Festival, the biggest major international festival since the pandemic began.

Exit co-founder and CEO Dušan Kovačević comments: “Research from Exit proves that even during a pandemic, a means and a model can be found according to which even the largest events can take place completely safely. This research is our contribution to the struggle of the entire music industry for far better treatment in Europe and other countries than has been the case so far. We have proven that we have been treated unfairly in the past, and that there are no longer any arguments and justifications that can allow gatherings at sporting events, in cafes or shopping malls, and not at concerts and festivals.

“I call on our entire industry to, just like we have fought and won in Serbia, join forces and fight for the fair treatment of our industry on an international level.”

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Not content with Exit Festival being one of the only major festivals in Europe going ahead this summer, Serbia’s Exit will launch a new open-air event, Sunland, in Bulgaria next month.

Nina Kraviz-headlined Sunland will take place on Perla Beach, on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, from 29 to 31 July. Sunland joins the a festival family which also includes Sea Dance (Montenegro), Sea Star (Croatia), No Sleep (Serbia), Revolution (Romania) and F84 (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

In addition to the new event, Novi Sad-based Exit has also announced plans for a new nightclub in Changsha, China, dubbed Exit Effinity, and a partnership with Space Miami in the US, which will host an Exit-themed party this summer.

Exit announced last month will offer the coronavirus vaccine to international guests who attend its flagship event on 8–11 July.

Newly announced for Exit Festival 2021 is Jonas Blue, who joins previously announced acts including David Guetta, DJ Snake, Meduza, Paul van Dyk, Nina Kraviz, Sabaton and Paul Kalkbrenner.

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July’s Exit Festival, which is on course to be the first major international festival of 2021, has announced 20 new additions to its line-up.

Joining the Serbian festival’s 20th-anniversary event are acts including Sabaton, Meduza, Asaf Avidan, Artbat and Hot Since 82, who joined previously announced performers such as David Guetta, DJ Snake, Tyga, Eric Prydz, Four Tet, Solomun, Boris Brejcha, Paul Kalkbrenner, Nina Kraviz, Honey Dijon, Metronomy and Sheck Wes. View the full 2021 line-up here.

Exit returns to Petrovaradin Fortress, on the Danube in Novi Sad, from 8 to 11 July.

The new additions come as the mayor of Novi Sad confirms that Exit will be allowed to go ahead with no social distancing restrictions, providing guests can provide proof of vaccination against Covid-19 or a negative rapid antigen test. Tourists can already travel to Serbia with a negative PCR test, and it is expected that testing to enter the country will no longer be a requirement by June.

Made possible due to the high vaccination rate in the Balkan country, “his year’s Exit will be a symbol of Serbia’s victory over the pandemic,” says mayor Miloš Vučević.

“We are very excited about … the opportunity to finally celebrate life together”

Dušan Kovačević, Exit Festival CEO, adds: “We are very excited about this news and the opportunity to finally celebrate life together with our audience from the whole world. Considering all the difficulties we have been facing for over a year, we already feel that the big bang of positive energy will create new dimension of the festival experience and make this year’s Exit unique in the history of the festival.

“However, we must remain responsible in the coming months and we’re calling for all of our visitors who have the opportunity to get vaccinated before the festival – as, no matter what, the health and safety of all visitors, artists and the crew is our top priority.”

Today (29 April) sees Exit launch its buy four, get five offer for groups of friends, in which the fifth ticket is given free of charge with four purchased tickets (€435).

Read IQ’s recent interview with Kovačević here.

Dušan Kovačević: “Exit 2021 will go down in history”

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Serbia’s Exit Festival will be held according to plan in July 2021, despite the cancellation of Glastonbury Festival and uncertainty over the festival summer elsewhere in Europe, organisers have said.

Dušan Kovačević, the festival’s founder, says he remains “optimistic” about celebrating Exit’s delayed 20th anniversary on 8–11 July, citing Serbia’s successful vaccination programme and the high proportion of the population who already have Covid-19 antibodies. Serbia is currently vaccinating around a million people, or 15% of its population, every month, and health experts say at least 40% of Serbs are likely already immune to the disease.

Exit was famously one of the last festivals to cancel last year, though it did still have a live audience for its hybrid (part-physical, part-livestreamed) Life Stream event.

Artists performing at Exit 2021, many of whom are rolled over from last year, include David Guetta, Tyga, DJ Snake, Eric Prydz and Four Tet, Nina Kraviz, Paul Kalkbrenner and Metronomy, with more still to be announced.

“The safety of all our visitors, artists and staff is of course a priority,”

“We are very optimistic about the possibility of celebrating Exit’s jubilee in 2021,” comments Kovačević. Given what we have all been through in the past year, the euphoria at this year’s festival can only be compared to the explosion of positive energy at the first international Exit in 2001, which occurred after a decade of isolation and conflict in the Balkans during the 1990s. It was this release of huge repressed energy 20 years ago that led to the creation of the legend of Exit as a festival with the most exciting atmosphere, where performers have some of the best performances in their careers.”

Other festivals to have already indicated they will push ahead this summer include Frontier Festival in the Netherlands and Albania’s Unum Festival, the latter of which will make use of mass testing for Covid-19.

“The safety of all our visitors, artists and staff is of course a priority,” adds Kovačević, who says Life Stream proved it is possible “to host a Covid-secure event with health and safety measures at the highest level.”

Exit 20 takes place 8–11 July 2021 at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad. Tickets start at €109 for a four-day pass.

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