Europe has been slower than the US to return to full-capacity shows over the past few weeks, with major festivals such as Tomorrowland – which was supposed to take place from July 22nd – 24th in Belgium – cancelled for another year based on the decision of local governments.
However, EXIT Festival was able to make a big comeback from Novi Sad, Serbia earlier this month, proving that events can be held safely in the region. The sold-out event attracted fans from 70 countries, many coming from farther than Eastern Europe due to a lack of major festivals across the rest of the continent.
Although it was not the first festival to be held since the pandemic, it was by far the largest, with over 180,000 people in attendance over 4 nights.
“This year’s event was more than just a festival, it was a movement of people, ready to do whatever it takes to keep human connections at the forefront of our existence,” Dusan Kovacevic, EXIT Founder & CEO said in a statement. “Festivals are generally made to promote values worth living for and we are determined to prove that festivals can be organized safely even during the pandemic.”
The festival implemented a safety protocol dubbed “Safe Events Serbia” that required fans to provide proof of immunity – whether through vaccination or past infection – or a negative Covid test. For those that were not able to be tested before entering the country, the event also set up a testing facility onsite. Over the five days of the festival, healthcare staff conducted 18,336 tests, only 10 of which (0.05%) were positive. Those who tested positive were barred from entering the venue.
EXIT Festival has since reported that no Covid infections have been linked to the event, based on a research study that was conducted by the Novi Sad Health Centre and the Project Lab association. In addition, Novi Sad has not experienced a spike in infections in the days since the festival.
While the festival’s success is encouraging for the return of live events in Europe, not every event has been so effective at preventing the spread of the virus. For example, the 2-day Verknipt festival held in Utrecht in the Netherlands earlier this month, which was attended by 20,000 fans, has now been linked to around 1,000 Covid cases.
Things are looking up as countries continue to reopen – as of yesterday, England has officially lifted its Covid restrictions, allowing events to return at full capacity – but the delta variant is still being monitored and presents some lingering uncertainty.
EXIT festival presents a reassuring precedent for safe outdoor events of this magnitude, and hopefully many more will be able to follow in its footsteps in the coming months.