Some are etched into history, written in golden letters as part of a city’s cultural DNA, becoming a benchmark against which everything else is measured.
Had it been a different, more “normal” time, the night of December 8, 1995, would have been “just” another major show by what was then a wildly popular band. But wars, sanctions, and all the big and small evils of those years had placed our country outside the usual path of global tours. A concert by a big, fresh, and red-hot act in Belgrade during the 1990s felt like a dream. Yet that dream came true.
On December 8, 1995, in the Pionir Hall, we witnessed a historic shift. The Prodigy, a trio from the UK at the peak of their energy and fame, arrived as the first prominent international band to perform in Serbia following the breakup of Yugoslavia and the ensuing sanctions imposed on the country by the global community. In a nation where electricity, bread, fuel, and freedom were all in short supply, they brought their own form of liberation: noise. And the song “Breathe.”
A song that had not yet secured its place on the album “Fat of the Land” was performed for the first time in front of 10,000 people in Belgrade that night. The 18-song setlist was a giant energy orb smashing through the walls of apathy. Flares lit up the venue as if it were hosting a football derby – except this time, everyone won.
They opened with “The Trick,” followed by “Break & Enter,” then launched into: “Fire” (Sunrise Version), “Hyperspeed,” “Poison,” “No Good” (Start the Dance)… The finale was explosive: “Firestarter,” “Voodoo People,” “Gabba.”
Support was provided by local acts: Liquid Limbs, DJ Mark Wee, S.T.R.O.B., and DJ Schulz.
Back then, the youth of Belgrade, isolated by war, media blackout, and a government that had abandoned them, found comfort in the fact that they were not alone. With the help of bass, drums, and relentless groove, the audience could feel the collapse of pessimism and the birth of a new energy. A new rebellion.
Just a year later, Belgrade (along with the rest of Serbia) took to the streets. Protests over the rigged 1996/97 local elections filled cities. At night, impromptu sound systems kept demonstrators awake. And blasting from every speaker – The Prodigy. The energy of that night in Pionir Hall continued to ripple through the years, beyond politics and borders. As an urban legend.
Since then, The Prodigy has never stopped coming back to Serbia. Nothing has managed to sever that connection on either side.
Return: The Prodigy at the 25th Anniversary of Exit
We have some idea of what it all looks like today, as we caught a glimpse at this year’s Glastonbury, where The Prodigy performed. As Mixmag wrote, the sound of The Prodigy shatters genres and draws inspiration from chaos, gathering the masses and uniting them in a shared experience of total surrender. The classics hit right at the core, triggering delirium in an exhausted but exhilarated festival crowd. The show is dedicated to all the brothers and comrades who are no longer here, but as they said from the stage, grief and celebration walk hand in hand.
And what can we expect here in Novi Sad? Thirty years later, a bridge between generations is being built. At the 25th anniversary of the Exit Festival, The Prodigy returns – on July 11, to the Main Stage. Their performance is announced as an event that will erase the line between past and present.
The band that forever changed the music scene in the Balkans and the way electronic music is perceived here is coming back to leave another historic mark. On the “Rebel Rave” stage, they’ll be joined by stars of a new techno generation – I Hate Models, Lorenzo Raganzini, and Paolo Ferrara in their final back-to-back set, along with Trym, a French producer known for his explosive live shows.
This concert doesn’t just guarantee a good time – it promises a journey through time and music. An adventure that, just like in December 1995, no one will want to miss.
Author: Miloš Dašić
