‘By Being Independent You Can Take Bold Decisions In A Crisis Situation’: Q’s With Dušan Kovačević, Founder, EXIT

To say it was hard getting this year’s 25th EXIT festival off the ground is an understatement. Pollstar has been documenting the struggle faced by its organizers in depth, understanding that the current developments in Serbia are indicative of a wider social phenomenon where young generations, realizing that old structures are failing them, are taking an idealistic stand to inspire positive change.

EXIT got caught in the middle of this clash between the new generations and the old power structures, which almost caused its 25th anniversary to fall through. However, the power of music, and the inherent need for people to gather for a reason, prevailed. EXIT 25 is a wrap, it was an epic celebration, but it was also the last edition for the time being, as organizers find it impossible to hold the festival, while its host country is under autocratic rule. Thus, EXIT, which began as a student protest movement against the Communist regime of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, also came to a close in support of a new student movement.

A full circle moment if there ever was one, and Pollstar reached out to festival founder Dušan Kovačević to talk about it all.

‘Most Powerful Edition To Date’: EXIT 25 Triumphs Despite Intense Government Pressure

Pollstar: EXIT started 25 years ago as a student protest, and it celebrated its 25th anniversary – its last edition for the time being – in support of a new student protest. What’s your state of mind?
Dušan Kovačević: It feels like divine providence, like a full circle has been completed after a quarter of a century. I always joke that the universe, God, whatever you want to call it, is the best director of drama. Nobody else could have thought of another scenario for the 25th anniversary that could have given it as much meaning as what unfolded this year. Unfortunately, because of the government’s retaliation and pressure, we need to take a pause from Serbia until freedom returns – which we all feel will be sooner rather than later.

So, what’s next?
EXIT is one of the last truly independent major festivals, alongside Glastonbury, Roskilde, and a few others, and I’ve said it before: it’s not just some brand that we’ll replicate elsewhere. For us, EXIT is tied to Petrovaradin Fortress, and therefore it will definitely pause next year.

Meanwhile, we’ll be focusing on global expansion. We’ve received many invitations from all over the world after news broke of EXIT leaving Serbia, and we’re currently exploring all our options. By the end of summer, we should have a list of three to five new events we’ll be focusing on. They will be presented by EXIT in Exile, but every event will have its own distinctive brand. We believe in creating a festival brand that is tailored to the destination we visit; that is connected to its history, and becomes part of its future. And once it’s tied to that destination, it stays in that destination. We always work with local partners, the local municipality, to develop new events together. We believe in creating a synergy between our festival expertise, and the power of the local community.

That’s in addition to Sea Star in Croatia, which returns to Umag in 2026, and we also expect a return of Sea Dance to Montenegro.

You’ve taken a big risk challenging the government in order to make this year’s 25th EXIT festival a reality. Others may have caved if the state had ordered them to ban all messages in support of the student protests from their festival site, in order to make sure their event would receive the green light. You didn’t even have a licence to operate two days before gates opened. What are the reasons you decided to take the risk.
For me, the business is but one element of the story. Music can be seen from a spiritual, artistic, cultural, and business aspect. They are all important. Focusing on just one denies the others. The business side wouldn’t be so successful if the artistic side, or any other element, was lacking. It’s really important to have a holistic view of the music ecosystem. Plus, the partners in the business, the agents I’m close to, are people who have a big soul and a big heart. The people I usually speak to are fully understanding and supportive.

What we’ve just gone through only confirmed to us, that it was the best decision some six, seven years ago, to keep EXIT independent. It already showed during the pandemic when we managed to be the first major festival in the world to happen in 2021, and it really showed for the 25th anniversary: that by being independent you can really take bold decisions, and take decisions that are based on the gut feeling if you’re in a crisis situation. If you’re not independent, you won’t be allowed to do that. You would have to obey short term profit logic and avoid big risks.

I truly believe in the power of music, and the power of festivals to ignite positive social change, but also, on an individual level, to support the mental health of people, even the raising of consciousness. Art has had that function for thousands of years.

The modern festival started with Woodstock. People gathered for a reason, and they still want to do this. There’s not many events left that are trying to nurture the heritage of the people that came before us. And for me, being able to do that is the biggest advantage of being independent. It can be challenging in situation like this, when there is no big daddy that can give you a check to solve a problem. But, on other hand, it really gives you the freedom to develop the brand in the way you feel is right both for society and for the organization.

‘For Freedom!’: EXIT Festival Announces Final Edition In Serbia Amidst Undemocratic Pressures

Do you think the massive student protests of Serbia, which are essentially against government authority getting out of line and turning into autocratic rule, may inspire similar movements around the world?
I truly believe the new generations are becoming increasingly aware, especially having in mind the state of the world right now, with wars, environmental destruction, and everything else. What happened in Serbia got the whole society united, or, let’s say, the more conscious part of society united in support for the students. There was something divine in it.

Everybody who decided to stay out of it, for business or any other reasons, really doesn’t understand the direction in which the world is headed. I feel that what happened in Serbia will start to happen more and more everywhere in the world. It was organic, young people, between 18 and 23 years old, who are simply idealistic and fighting for ideals. Nobody’s paying them to do that.

This will be a new trend. The hippie movement was a reaction to the war in Vietnam. Today, we have wars all over the world, including a war with nature that, again, not everybody understands. The kids understand this much better than their parents.

EXIT truly took a stand this year, which reminded me of the Take A Stand award, handed out annually by European festival association Yourope during the European Festival Awards. EXIT has won it in the past. Without wanting to take anything away from previous recipients, the reasons why the award got handed out in previous years seem almost insignificant compared to the kind of stand you took this year. Is it time to up the ante when it comes to what constitutes “taking a stand”?
It’s great you mention this, because I actually want to talk with Yourope in the coming days to explain that EXIT, a Yourope member, is in real danger, and explore ways in which the association can help its members when they face a situation like this. If what EXIT did takes the meaning of this award to the next level, then why not. Going forward, let this award be about the extent of the bravery a festival displays. Say, an unknown event, some obscure festival that gathers just 300 people, manages to stop Rio Tinto from opening another mine on European soil, let them win the Take A Stand award, and let them benefit from the exposure it gives them. If what we did this year can elevate the meaning of the award, I’m all for it. I’ve always said that the Take A Stand Award is one of the most important categories of the European Festival Awards, alongside best major festival, for instance, and maybe a few more.

Now that EXIT has celebrated its epic 25th anniversary, but it’s future is uncertain, what’s your call for the rest of the biz?
This really is an opportunity for the music industry to show its strength. There are so many ways, in which the music industry can support EXIT; so many ways for us to go through this victoriously, and I’m sure, that through the great connections we have with artists and agencies, we will feel this support and the solidarity within the music industry.

I think this whole story would make for an amazing Netflix documentary: a big, major festival gets in trouble by an unfair, and undemocratic authoritarian government, but the entire music industry, players from all over the world, different people, different stakeholders, step in, and basically save one of their own. It would be such an inspiring documentary to watch.

I kept saying during the pandemic, how surprised I was that the music industry accepted to be undermined to such an extent, when football, for instance, was allowed to return much earlier, just because of the business that’s in football. I remember being live on BBC, demanding to know how it was possible that, in the UK, there were 30,000 people at the football, but no concerts were allowed from taking place. Did the virus prefer music over sports?

The music industry needs to understand that, together, we are stronger than any government in the world, whether that’s the U.S., Russia, or even China. What we did in Serbia can serve as inspiration to our U.S. peers in particular, because what’s happening in the U.S. right now is so similar to what’s been happening in Serbia. And, as I mentioned earlier, the modern festival started with a movement that was most active in the U.S.. The U.S. has this huge heritage in social activism through music festivals, and I would definitely like to see that to come alive more. If needed, we will come to the U.S., and do a festival together with somebody on the ground, and take a stand there as well.

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