Max SteventonEXIT’s two festivals in Montenegro attracted around 150,000 attendees from more than 100 countries this summer, according to organisers.
The festival brand staged its first Montenegro event at Long Beach in Ulcinj in July, followed by a three-night Sea Dance Festival in Budva.
The move followed political pressure in Serbia over EXIT’s support for student protests, which led to the closure of the festival’s long-running flagship event in Novi Sad. The organisation subsequently announced plans to take the EXIT brand on an international tour in 2026, with events across several countries.
Montenegro became one of the main destinations on the tour through an agreement between EXIT and the Montenegrin Government focused on developing music tourism. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić previously estimated that the events in Ulcinj and Budva would generate at least 210,000 overnight stays and more than €40m in tourism revenue during 2026.
Artists performing across the events included HUGEL, Charlotte de Witte, Boris Brejcha, Argy, DARA, John Newman, Enrico Sangiuliano, RPR Soundsyste and Marcel Dettmann. Some 122 local artists also performed across the two festivals.
The festival featured a 12-metre sculpture named Ivana; dedicated to Ivana Kovačević, a member of the EXIT team who died last year.
EXIT also held the United for Kids charity evening, which raised funds for a rehabilitation house for children recovering from cancer treatment and a local day centre for children and young people with disabilities. John Newman performed a DJ set at the event.
The Montenegro events form part of EXIT’s 2026 international tour, which has included events across Europe and will continue in Egypt in October with a festival at the Pyramids of Giza.
Earlier this year, when announcing the EXIT to Montenegro project, Spajić said that Montenegro was becoming EXIT’s new home in the year marking the 20th anniversary of the country’s independence.
EXIT founder and CEO Dušan Kovačević said, “Following our departure from Serbia, it was a big challenge to completely transform our business model while already in motion. At times, it felt like upgrading an aircraft engine while the plane was still flying. However, we are extremely pleased with how our international tour has unfolded so far.
“Every festival has been a great success, especially the recently concluded Sea Dance in Budva, and we are grateful to Montenegro for giving us its support when we needed it most. In return, we delivered truly exceptional events and fantastic images that travelled around the world.”