EXIT Festival has announced a “global tour” of events taking place next year in light of its previous confirmation that it will leave its home of Serbia after 25 years.
The festival confirmed in June that, after its 2025 edition, it will no longer be hosted at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Serbia due to “financial and political pressures”. Instead, EXIT will be heading out on tour with events in Malta, Croatia, Macedonia, Egypt, and India.
The decision to leave the Fortress came in response to what the festival described as “undemocractic pressures” from Serbian authorities over its support for student protests. These protests, and a subsequent general strike, took place after a concrete canopy at a railway station building in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people and prompting widespread accusations of government negligence and corruption.
When the Serbian government withdrew all funding funding for the festival, EXIT launched a crowdfunding campaign in August to raise the €1.5 million needed to keep the festival alive.
Dušan Kovačević, EXIT CEO & Founder statement: “After 25 years at the Petrovaradin Fortress, EXIT is now spreading its wings to the world. We aim to unite continents through our festivals and carry the spirit of freedom wherever we go. For us, music has always been more than entertainment – it’s a powerful force that brings people together and builds bridges between nations and cultures. Our mission is to awaken new generations to believe that a better world is possible, and that it all starts with each one of us.”
The news was announced during EXIT’s recent ADE event, which was held high above the Dutch city at the Crane Faralda.
EXIT Festival will hit a number of countries throughout 2026, beginning in Croatia and Macedonia in June, Egypt in October, and India in November. The final stop on the tour will see EXIT return to Serbia, but this time it will bring the No Sleep Festival to the capital city of Belgrade.
Controversially, the Egyptian leg of the tour is said to be held against the backdrop of the Great Pyramids of Giza. The announcement arrives just weeks after the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) called for the suspension of large-scale music events at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.