EXIT Festival, formerly based in Serbia, has announced a fundraiser after what it says is a result of “publicly supporting the current mass student protests in Serbia.”
The festival says it has faced “fierce government pressure and complete withdrawal of over €1.5 million in public co-funding and government-controlled sponsorship,” since showing its public support for country’s student-led anti-corruption protests, which occurred after the Novi Sad station collapse in November 2024. The tragedy claimed 15 lives.
The festival says its goal for the crowdfunding campaign is to “ensure the immediate stability of the festival organisation” and “protect over 100 permanent jobs”.
In June, EXIT Festival pulled out of Serbia, and announced its potential final year in the Balkan nation. In 2025, the festival previously stated welcomed “more than 200,000 visitors from around the world.”
Dušan Kovačević, EXIT Festival group founder, says: “The recent EXIT Festival is of immeasurable importance – a historical moment when one music festival boldly stood up against fierce governmental pressure aimed at silencing our freedom of speech and suppressing our support for Serbia’s brave students. We stood stronger than any attempt at state repression and demonstrated that unity, solidarity and love still triumphs over fear, and that art cannot be silenced.
“Through this crowdfunding campaign, we are standing up for the independence of an entire organization and the people behind it. We strongly believe this is a moment for the music industry to unite, protect one of its own, and demonstrate that collectively it is stronger than any government in the world.
By defending independence and freedom for EXIT, we defend the freedom of all artists, music professionals, and organisations in the music industry who might face similar pressures anywhere in the world. Because the fight for freedom for one is the fight for freedom for all.”
The public can donate to the fundraiser here.
