Widely crowned as a temple of electronic music, this stage hosts over 25,000 fans each year who unanimously claim this is their favorite spot on the Petrovaradin Fortress. This is the stage where the festival is traditionally seen off; with the first rays of the sun on Monday morning, everyone knows that EXIT is over, and the magic of the Arena makes going home the hardest task. Many famous personalities, including Miloš Petrović, Marko Nastić, Jelisaveta Miletić, Lanna, Bojan Perić, Micka Lifa, Nemanja Kostić, and many others, have expressed their excitement about this year’s mts Dance Arena program, its ambiance, and energy. Each of their statements is a unique testament to the fact that the mts Dance Arena makes the EXIT festival special.
The festival’s opening night, July 6, will see the mts Dance Arena dominated by powerhouses of the female electronic scene. Nina Kraviz, Amelie Lens, Indira Paganotto, Tijana T, and Miju are set to electrify the crowd with pulsating techno beats. The rising star of the local electronic scene, Lanna, will provide the icing on the cake. “My favorite stage at EXIT? Well, that would be the Dance Arena,” she said, adding that she’s excited to see Eric Prydz and feels honored to perform on this stage with girls she admires.
Actor Bojan Perić can’t wait to hear his crush Amelie Lens’s set: “To start, there’s the Dance Arena and that all-female lineup on Thursday. Plus, my celebrity crush is performing, so there’s no way I’m missing that.” Podcaster Jelisaveta Miletić underlined her delight at seeing an increasing number of female performers on the electronic scene. “I’m thrilled to see more and more women breaking through in this field,” she said, confidently predicting an electric opening night, having previously experienced an Amelie Lens live performance.
Actor Aleksej Bjelogrlić said, “The Dance Arena embodies EXIT for me,” expressing his eagerness to hear Hot Since 82’s set. Marko Nastić, a DJ and a leading figure in our country’s dance music scene, echoed this sentiment, adding that the Arena is undoubtedly the grandest stage for dance music here. Actor Miloš Petrović Trojpec reminisced about the unique ambiance and location of the stage and the unrivaled view from the stands. “The sheer aesthetic of the Dance Arena, those stands, and the view from the stage is something I believe is unparalleled in most places around the world,” he elaborated, adding that he comes to the Arena with his crew every year.
“The energy, the crowd, everything that unfolds there is simply indescribable,” Nemanja Kostić from Blic TV shared, asserting that this stage undoubtedly has the most breathtaking mornings. “The energy peaks at that moment on the Dance Arena,” he added. Actress Miona Marković shared how she always dances her heart out on this stage and explained that these moments feel almost ritualistic: “Witnessing the sunrise with such a massive crowd dancing for hours, it’s almost like a sacred ritual.”
Last year’s Survivor participant and fitness instructor Maša Kuprešanin can’t wait to hear Hot Since 82, Nina Kraviz, and Marko Nastić, while others, like radio journalist Luka Matić, are looking forward to the overall program of this stage.
DJ Cosmic G, who will be performing at the mts Dance Arena for the first time this year, thinks this experience is hard to find elsewhere. “I believe there’s no phenomenon like this not only in Serbia but all of Europe,” he remarked. The sunrises over the stage, he says, make it invaluable: “Every sunrise at the Dance Arena is priceless.”
Everyone agrees on one thing, and that is that the mts Dance Arena offers a guaranteed good time, hours of fantastic music for dancing, a program interwoven with the best DJs on the scene, and an incredible diversity from the hardest techno to melodic and irresistible house. DJs Luton and Šćepine Vragolije best summed up this stage’s impact on the audience. “As you leave the Dance Arena, you just feel this pull to return,” they said.
From July 6 to 9, the EXIT Universe, backed by Gorki List, will welcome renowned acts like the band on the world’s most in-demand tour, The Prodigy, rap gods Wu-Tang Clan, Grammy record holder Skrillex, world’s top electronic-music act Eric Prydz, as well as Nina Kraviz, Amelie Lens, Indira Paganotto, Alesso, Viagra Boys, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Claptone, Keinemusik, Hot Since 82, CamelPhat, Ben Böhmer live, Agents Of Time live, Mind Against, Chase & Status, Sofi Tukker, LF System, Mahmut Orhan, Burak Yeter, Ignite, Wolfbrigade, Midnight, Cockney Rejects, Exciter, Massacre, The Toasters, Dry Cleaning, Rudeboy, and many others.
Tickets can be found here.
