This past weekend, Unity84 Festival marked a significant milestone: the 40th anniversary of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, bringing together thousands from across the region in a celebration of unity, love, and freedom! This collaboration with Garden of Dreams became the latest addition to the EXIT festival family and was headlined by global electronic music stars Hot Since 82 and Lee Burridge, with the prodigious talent from Serbia and the region, Lanna, Sarajevo’s leading duo After Affair, and a host of brilliant local DJs, all spreading a message of ultimate unity and harmony.
Symbolically, the event in Sarajevo and on the Bjelašnica Olympic Mountain celebrated one of the greatest achievements of the former Yugoslavia, completing the big heart that EXIT’s festivals draw on the map of the region.
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The two-day festival heated up the atmosphere in Bjelašnica, where the party kicked off on Saturday morning, setting the stage for an unforgettable afterparty the following day. The main event at Dom Mladih on Saturday, March 3, was led by the internationally renowned DJ Hot Since 82, who brought the heat, and the legendary English maestro Lee Burridge, who filled the packed venue with incredible energy and got thousands dancing. As the rhythm and power of unity moved even the evening’s headliners, Lee Burridge himself stayed to dance with the crowd during HS82‘s set, having relinquished the DJ booth to him!
Lanna, a wunderkind of the Serbian and regional scene and the first signatory of EXIT Echosystem, a comprehensive center for developing global music stars, captivated the audience with an opening act that made for an unforgettable evening, earning the title of the true symbol of Unity84 Festival. The young producer, who had already performed at EXIT and a Garden of Dreams event at just 13 years old, returned a few years later to the two regional organizations’ joint festival as a rising star under the management of the renowned Maria May, who also represents David Guetta.
Showcasing the spirit of unity, Sarajevo’s leading DJ duo After Affair, known in the region for organizing the Garden of Dreams event series, delivered a surprise B2B set with Lanna, closing out Saturday night at Dom Mladih and sending a powerful message of ultimate unity and harmony. The fun then moved to the official afterparty at Silver & Smoke, led by local talents Bonjasky, Rajot, More Than You, and ME.N.U.
The daytime events on the Bjelašnica Olympic Mountain — a precursor to Saturday evening’s main event and the afterparty the following day — were led by an impressive local DJ lineup featuring Adnoir, Andrej Jelić, Calkins, Coem, Davor B, Eela, Fedja Knajdl, Jasa, Machado, and Nemesia.
Unity84 Festival completes the large heart that EXIT events draw on the map of the region, as showcased in an animated video symbolically set to “Universe,” a track by one of the region’s most successful producers, Space Motion.
Forty years ago, with the Winter Olympics, Sarajevo became a symbol of unity, positive energy, camaraderie, and fair play. Unity84 Festival has revived that spirit and paid tribute to this anniversary’s rich history and significance for the entire Balkans, promising the start of a new tradition celebrating eternal love, peace, and unity.
