Serbia's EXIT Music Festival Resumes With Pandemic Rules

Thousands of concertgoers lined up in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad to attend the 20th edition of the EXIT Music Festival. After being canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event was back this year at the Petrovaradin Fortress, with the gates opening up on July 8. People had to either show proof of being vaccinated for COVID-19 or provide a negative PCR or antigen test result. One of the event's organizers, the United Festivals of Serbia, has launched a nation-wide campaign promoting the vaccination of young people. This year, the EXIT Music Festival has reduced its capacity with only 20 stages instead of the usual 40. The festival was founded in 2000 as part of a student movement fighting for democracy and artistic freedom in Serbia and the Balkans.