With its eclectic lineup featuring leading artists from various genres, a multitude of stages catering to every musical taste, and spectacular parties at the legendary mts Dance Arena, EXIT continues to earn prestigious accolades year after year, including this latest honor.
This year, EXIT climbed one spot higher, having ranked 9th on last year’s DJ Mag list. This improvement is a testament to the festival’s unwavering quality and standing as a global brand.
“Sunrise sets in the bowels of EXIT Festival’s vast mts Dance Arena are the stuff of legend. But this award-winning Serbian event is so much more besides. Beginning life as a student protest in 2000, EXIT has become a true destination festival, returning each year to its home in the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, on the banks of the River Danube,” DJ Mag wrote about EXIT. The impressive mts Dance Arena, one of EXIT’s main highlights, has hosted numerous electronic music icons, many of whom regularly feature on DJ Mag’s list of top DJs. This year, the arena promises a treat for electronic music fans, with a first-ever b2b set by Argy and Vintage Culture, alongside performances by Carl Cox, ARTBAT, Avantika, Black Coffee, Bonobo, Human Rias, I Hate Models, Inner Sense, Klangkuenstler, Maceo Plex, and many more.
Voting for the best festivals in the world took place globally, with a record-breaking turnout. According to DJ Mag, most votes came from the USA and Europe, with the highest numbers from the UK, Italy, Romania, Germany, and Belgium, followed by India, Thailand, Brazil, and China. This indicates that EXIT, with its 8th spot, is a favorite not only among local fans but also among audiences from the farthest corners of the world. The festival giants that EXIT surpassed include Burning Man, Coachella, Sziget, and many others. EXIT’s Sea Star Festival, which took place just over a month ago in Umag, ranked 64th.
However, as DJ Mag rightly points out, EXIT is not just about having a good time.
“Activism is still a core part of the EXIT ethos; the festival has worked closely with organizations such as the UN World Food Programme and UNICEF and has recently been combatting digital addiction and mental health issues among young people with its Life Is Live campaign,” the article highlights.
What sets EXIT apart is its commitment to a multi-genre approach for nearly two and a half decades, featuring the best mainstream and alternative electronic music alongside top-notch pop, rock, hip-hop, trap, as well as reggae, drum’n’bass, and other music styles. With over 40 stages during its four-day run, there’s something for every ear.
Due to its distinctiveness and diversity, EXIT is a multi-award-winning music festival, boasting numerous titles such as “Best Major Festival” in 2013 and 2017 and “Best European Festival” at the 2007 UK Festival Awards. It was also named the Best European Festival for 2016 by the leading European tourist accolade “Best European Destinations,” awarded in collaboration with the European Commission. In 2017, the Regional Cooperation Council selected EXIT as Southeast Europe’s Champion of Regional Cooperation.
DJ Mag, a British magazine with a three-decade legacy, was established as a monthly publication dedicated to electronic music. It is distributed in several countries, including the USA, Spain, France, Italy, China, and the Netherlands, and these types of lists are its hallmark.
