Since its inception, the festival’s economic impact has surpassed €270 million. These figures come from an annual study conducted by TIM Centar in Novi Sad, analyzing audience demographics, economic effects, and the festival’s contribution to tourism, including visitors from Serbia, the region, and abroad.
In July 2024, EXIT attracted more than 210,000 attendees from 120 countries, with international visitors making up 67% of the total audience. Remarkably, 83% of those surveyed stated that the festival was the sole reason they visited Novi Sad, reinforcing EXIT’s role in positioning Novi Sad and Serbia as key destinations on the global tourist map. The largest groups of foreign visitors came from Hungary, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Austria, the Netherlands, the UK, Romania, France, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, with guests from as far afield as Mexico, Australia, Argentina, India, and Senegal. Within the region, the majority of visitors hailed from Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This year, 46% of festival-goers were attending for the first time.
On average, visitors spent €592 in Novi Sad and Serbia during the festival, a €25 increase from the previous year. Tourists from Western Europe spent an average of €832, while those from Eastern Europe spent €688, representing a substantial increase of €64 compared to the previous year. Visitors from outside Europe had the highest average spending at €981, nearly €88 more than last year.
Beyond its economic impact, EXIT also contributes significantly to the international promotion of Novi Sad and Serbia. For over two decades, visitors, performers, and prominent media outlets have shared their impressions of the festival’s hospitality, its unique location at the Petrovaradin Fortress, the outstanding organization, the music program, and the beauty of Novi Sad and Serbia’s tourist offerings. This international media exposure is considered invaluable.
The average age of those surveyed this year was 25.3, consistent with last year’s figure of 25.5. Highly educated individuals, including students, comprised 72% of the audience. The top five stages included Tesla Universe, mts Dance Arena, Visa Fusion, No Sleep, and Gang Beats.
This year, the festival placed a particular emphasis on mental health through messages of support and empowerment displayed across the Petrovaradin Fortress. These initiatives included the “SRCE” Center and the “Life Is Live” campaign, which sparked conversations with attendees about mental health and digital addiction. Notably, 87% of respondents felt that EXIT had a positive impact on their mental well-being. The study also revealed that attendees spend an average of 4.6 hours a day on their phones, highlighting the need for increased awareness of digital addiction, a topic EXIT plans to continue addressing.
The research was conducted by “TIM Centar” in Novi Sad, with a representative sample of 1,354 attendees, exclusively those who purchased tickets. Individuals working at the festival were not included in the study.
