Following a series of high-profile appearances at prestigious European conferences, the EXIT Festival remains a central topic in the international debate on safeguarding freedom of expression for artists and cultural organisations. This subject will also be addressed in Brussels, where the festival’s founder and director, Dušan Kovačević, will speak at the Parliament of Pop summit, bringing together MEPs, artists, activists, and music-industry representatives from across Europe and beyond.
At the event, EXIT will spotlight the problems faced by artists, bands, and creative organisations that supported the student protests in Serbia, issues Kovačević discussed in greater detail in an interview for the Serbian publication Nedeljnik.
“People across the European festival scene are appalled and in disbelief that such pressure is possible in Europe,“ Kovačević said, emphasising that “all event organisers, from major festivals to the smallest venues, are being banned from staging concerts by bands that supported the students. That’s why we decided to self-organise and alert both the domestic and international public to a problem that threatens to erase almost the entire music scene in our country,” adding that the situation is similar for actors, writers, and other cultural workers. He also recalled that YOUROPE, the umbrella association of European festivals, has called on EU institutions to respond decisively and protect Serbia’s artistic and creative scene, warning that if they fail to do so, Europe could lose credibility in defending its own values.
That Europe and the wider world are closely following developments in Serbia was clear in London at the International Festival Forum on 11 September, where the EXIT Festival, during a flagship session titled “25 Years on the Frontline of Culture & Politics,” was presented as one of Europe’s most significant music festivals, which has managed for 25 years to retain its authenticity and remain a symbol of freedom and youth culture. The panel featured festival founders Dušan Kovačević and Ivan Milivojev, as well as Bridge Conference director Jennifer Cochrane, and was moderated by Maria May, one of the world’s most renowned music agents.
Just a week after the London event, EXIT took centre stage at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, where, on 19 September, the session “EXIT Festival – Music, Freedom, and Politics” was held. In a conversation led by acclaimed music journalist and presenter Amy Zayed, known for promoting inclusion and dismantling prejudices around diversity in society and culture, Dušan Kovačević spoke about the role of art in shaping social and cultural change in the modern world. Zayed described the interview as “one of the most inspiring” of her long career, calling on producers, record labels, and artists to listen and become more socially engaged.
Throughout the autumn, EXIT will remain a key topic at major European conferences such as Amsterdam Dance Event, Future of Festivals in Berlin, Eurosonic in Groningen, and the European Festival Conference in Évora, Portugal.
Photo: Phil Wilson
