Exit Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia

[anomaly]

I really don't know for sure, but don't think that's true. Serbia changed alot in last few years so i doubt that information. I have some friends in Serbia Tourism Organisation, so i'll ask around.

I don't know for accomodation but i am sure there are no two prices in stores, restoraunts, etc. Food is not expensive, even for us locals, and we are way below your standard. And if you look for a good place to eat you can ask some locals. Novi Sad has a reputation for polite and friendly people. Especialy during the festival. (when everyone is high ) And majority speaks basic english, like me. Maybe taxi drivers are the only one with higher prices for tourists, but their regural prices are ridiculuosly low. You can drive from one end of the town to another for around 2euro. I didn't know this last year so i payed 7.

edit: oh, i forgot the weather. It did rain last year, right after Ian Brown got off the stage. But the temperature was normal, or a little hot, even when it rains. But rain was not the problem, the mud was.

Last year there was so much mud in front of the positive vibrations (reggae) stage, after the rain, that it became a lake. A mudy lake. An ofcorse people juped in it and layed in it.

But i guess it's not even colse to Glasto.

[Karnivore]

Regular ticket price will be around 75 euro, but as i said all informations will be available on oficial website during next week.

Excuse my bad english but i don't know what the word spirit means. Touborg beer, 0.5l is around 0,5euro, and there are cheaper domestic beers which are quite good. I recomend "Jelen," (0.5l - 0,30euro).

And inside the festival as far as i can remember you could buy few sorts of beer, but the price was higher. For 0.5l the price was 2 or 2.5euro.

[What's_it_like_up_there?]

after a bit of research and translation i think i have found out that tickets go on sale on midnight march 5th.

now, the next bit may be right or wrong as it's not the best translation...

first 1000 tickets are 60% discount at 40Euro,

then every 1000 sold after that go up by 3-4 euro (after reverting to normal price, around 80-90euro)...

Is this correct Womad??

Whats the cheapest airline people have found? I was looking at Easyjet and it's looking around £90 - 100 return from london gatwick to budapest. is this the cheapest option d'you think?

[Woland]

Woland, thanks for the info again!

Does the Serbian web page say anything more about acts playing?

[What's_it_like_up_there?]

ah right! that's okay, i was just tring to translate the web page and the info doesn't read too good after - cheers for the info Woland!

[ejkazoun]

Well, looks like exit is going to be awesome. definitely going to crank it.

Tickets are on sale on the 5th of march?, do we know if they are only available on-line?

I would also recommend V festival as the line-up includes radiohead and bloc party.

cheers

[Karnivore]

Woland - does the festival usually sell out - I read somewhere that there were 140,000+ last year - but spread out over the 4 days - how many tickets are usually available?

Thanks, Karn and Em

[wersk]

Are tickets onsale for us English folk yet?

If so where?

I can't understand the website, my Serbian is not so good

[Zextra]

Hi all! This is my first post here...

TICKET RESERVATION FOR VISITORS FROM MONTENEGRO AND COUNTRIES IN THE REGION

(Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania)

Visitors from Montenegro and other countries in the region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania) are able to book tickets for the festival under same conditions as the purchasers from Serbia.

Edited March 7, 2006 by Zextra

[Woland]

Woland - does the festival usually sell out - I read somewhere that there were 140,000+ last year - but spread out over the 4 days - how many tickets are usually available?

Thanks, Karn and Em

[What's_it_like_up_there?]

You can now buy tickets from http://www.exitfestival.com - i got mine last night! flights next...what are other peoples plans? we might fly out on wednesday 5th, do the festival and look around for a few days after coming home the following weds or thursday. I saw budapest was the most popular to fly into, are there any other cheaper budget ones? i suppose the train is only £20 to Novisad so should be okay...

[Esmee]

Hello,

Does anyone know exactly how to get hold of exit tickets and when they go on sale?

cheers

[neal]

Was browsing the exit website just now and noticed a bit about a report in the observer about the festival. Now the website claims, and I quote,

"The Observer is published in 440,000 copies, and each copy is read by approximately 1,160,000 Britons."

My brief calculations indicate that this means that every week some 510,400,000,000 british people read the observer. Amazing. Anyhow I digress slighty. The article clearly states that exit is "the best festival in the world." I can't help but think if a newspaper as popular (see above) as the observer sees fit to make such lofty claims then we are in for one hell of a time this july.

[ejkazoun]

Tickets are now on sale at www.exitfestival.com £52.00 - bargain

[anomaly]

thanks esmee, me and eight friends have just bought tickets.

were thinking budapest on the way there and fly out of belgrade on the back. low cost flights anyone?

Edited March 10, 2006 by anomaly

[sineadberry]

Got my tickets - anyone know about how to sort out staying at the camp site, do you need to get tickets from somewhere (I don't understand the Serbian site)?

S

[Jardajágr]

Exit is nice but no comparison to Sziget.

7 days instead of 4. A beautiful city(budapest), campsite on an island.

Bigger stars(Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, Audioslave,Jamiroquai,Ministry, Beck, Robert Plant,Prodigy,Evanescence,Ministry,Coldcut and many more will follow...)

Every day a star dj(last year: Tiga, Bukem, Luke Slater, van Dyk, Maas,Rush etc. in the dance tent) plenty of smaller tents with different dance music 24/7, world music with absolut superstars of the scene.

96,2% of the foreign visitors from 2005 want to come for 2006(there were 25 000/day of them)400 000visitors last year(maximum 70 000/day). 1000 performances. A Scotsman told me last year that Sziget is much better organised then any british festival.

Exit is nice , I know, but no match for Sziget. A week of fun for 100Eu.

[foxun]

hello, just stumbled upon this post on Google and thought I'd add some of my comments...

firstly, anyone who is considering going to exit will absolutely not regret it. to be honest I couldn't care less if there were no "big" acts/bands on this year at all - it sounds cheesy to say it but the people were the most amazing thing about the festival, they were the friendliest bunch of people ever and really made us feel so welcome. i think that's been said here numerous times already! all sorts of folk there from across eastern Europe, but the Serbians most of all were really pleased we made the effort to come to their country. we got invited back to houses, the welcome at the hotel & restaurants was warm and friendly, and it was a really really nice atmosphere at the festival. none of the dodgy security and chav element that you can seem to get at British festivals.

and yes it rained last year, yes it was a mudbath. essential piece of equipment to take is a torch, i was so glad i brought mine.... some parts of the site were not very well lit and it helps to find your way about in the slidey mud!!!

absolute quality though, the whole thing. DJ Superstar stage last year was my favourite. a little stage covered by trees which just had local DJs playing most the weekend. who needs big acts? festival spirit is enough.

[anomaly]

hello, just stumbled upon this post on Google and thought I'd add some of my comments...

firstly, anyone who is considering going to exit will absolutely not regret it. to be honest I couldn't care less if there were no "big" acts/bands on this year at all - it sounds cheesy to say it but the people were the most amazing thing about the festival, they were the friendliest bunch of people ever and really made us feel so welcome. i think that's been said here numerous times already! all sorts of folk there from across eastern Europe, but the Serbians most of all were really pleased we made the effort to come to their country. we got invited back to houses, the welcome at the hotel & restaurants was warm and friendly, and it was a really really nice atmosphere at the festival. none of the dodgy security and chav element that you can seem to get at British festivals.

and yes it rained last year, yes it was a mudbath. essential piece of equipment to take is a torch, i was so glad i brought mine.... some parts of the site were not very well lit and it helps to find your way about in the slidey mud!!!

absolute quality though, the whole thing. DJ Superstar stage last year was my favourite. a little stage covered by trees which just had local DJs playing most the weekend. who needs big acts? festival spirit is enough.

Edited March 13, 2006 by anomaly

[Woland]

Got my tickets - anyone know about how to sort out staying at the camp site, do you need to get tickets from somewhere (I don't understand the Serbian site)?

S

[foxun]

Booked up around a month ago, flying into Budapest (as I assume most people will be).

Is that the route you took? If so, can you give an approximate cost for train/ coach? What about accomodation?

Any help would be most appreciated.

[anomaly]

yes mate, we flew Newcastle->Budapest, spent a few days there to see the city first. it is pretty awesome and well worth staying for a couple of nights if you can. just watch out for dodgy taxi drivers (of which there are far too many - honestly watch out here, they can spot tourists a mile off and will charge you prices 10x what they should be - even getting into the city centre from the airport is a bit of a joke).

get your train ticket to Novi Sad IN ADVANCE from the ticket office at the train station in Budapest. reason I say to get it in advance is because we saw one Brit who was on the train who got told by the conductor after crossing the Serbian border that his ticket (which he'd just bought on the train while we were rolling through Hungary) wasn't valid for the Serbian leg of his journey, and he'd have to pay an excess fare, some ridiculous amount. our ticket cost us perhaps £15 (if that), and the journey is near enough 8 hours. the passport checks at the border are incredibly tedious and it is hot & sweaty. but well worth it when you arrive.

just beware as there are TWO main train stations in Budapest, only one has international trains - so make sure you don't turn up at the wrong one! you'll notice if you're at the right one, because there'll be loads of folk there with rucksacks and camping mats (mostly Brits!) all doing the same as you - hundreds of people packing onto one small train. it is a bit of a rush so make sure you don't get left behind.

also buy the lonely planet eastern european phrasebook, it will help considerably!!

accommodation, there is plenty in Novi Sad. we stayed at a 4-star hotel which was very cheap. you are spoilt for choice really, just hunt around on the internet or search for Novi Sad Tourist Information Centre.

this year we're flying to Belgrade first, which I'm really really looking forward to seeing, should be awesome if Novi Sad is anything to go by. Woland, you will have to tell us about the cool places to check out in Belgrade! hvala....

by the way I was at EXIT to do a review for a music paper up here (Edinburgh/Glasgow), which you can find the full text of at: http://www.cscot.com/features/read/exit05/

should hopefully whet your appetite a little further! (or bring back memories if you went last year). there's also a link to a gallery of photos as well at the bottom.

[Jamp]

This sounds wicked. Anyone know how easy it is to get to Novi Sad from Balaton (so we can use the cheapo Ryanair flights)? Is it worth staying in Balaton for a few days too?

[mjcolbert]

Hi Woland, thanks for the tips.

Well I have flight tickets and my friend in Novi Sad has just picked up my ticket.

I am flying into and out of Belgrade. A fair bit more expensive but I will be in Budapest the following month for Sziget.

Any tips about Belgrade would be great. I fly in on the Saturday of the 1st and will head up to Novi Sad on the Tuesday. Would be looking for a good bar to watch the World Cup 1/4 finals that night. It's a long shot, ok a very long shot for the aussies to make it that far but you never know. Also maybe a good place to go after with good beer, nice Serbian girls.

Anybody who is going in through Belgrade interested in meeting up to Watch the footy?

Probably train it to Novi Sad and bus it back to Belgrade on the Monday morning after the festival.

Getting extremely exited for this.

[big chrisser]

You can book your place in the camp site from 03. march.