At last night’s prestigious European Festival Awards ceremony in Groningen, EXIT Festival was honored with the Take a Stand Award for its “Life is Live!” campaign. Developed in collaboration with UNICEF, the campaign raises awareness and fosters dialogue about the rapidly growing issue of digital addiction among young people. Competing against European festival giants like Tomorrowland, Rock Werchter, and Pukkelpop, the Serbian festival emerged victorious!
This marks the fifth European accolade for EXIT, solidifying its status as Europe’s most awarded independent festival organization. This achievement is especially significant as it coincides with EXIT’s milestone 25th anniversary. Previously, the festival won “Best Major European Festival” twice for its 2013 and 2017 editions. Additionally, the Sea Dance Festival was named “Best Medium-Sized European Festival” in 2015, and in 2019, No Sleep Festival earned the title “Best New European Festival.”
“We live in a world where digital addiction has surpassed all other forms of addiction combined, especially among young people. Our mission is to show new generations that the true beauty of life lies in authentic experiences that no virtual reality can replace, and this prestigious award inspires us to expand the ‘Life is Live!’ campaign globally. It is especially motivating as we celebrate this milestone year, and we are determined to make this year’s festival edition our best yet,” stated EXIT Festival founder Dušan Kovačević.
Research indicates that digital addiction has reached alarming levels, with over a billion people worldwide showing signs of nomophobia – dependency on mobile devices. Excessive screen time, social media usage, and gaming are linked to numerous mental health issues and disorders. Digital identities and virtual worlds have become more important than real life for many, particularly young people. On average, people spend over 20 years of their lives in front of screens, touching their phones more than 1,000 times a day and rarely turning them off.
“Are we more connected yet lonelier than ever?” This is one of the central questions posed by the campaign, which highlights the growing alienation of all generations, particularly the youth. Supported by the marketing agency McCann Belgrade, the campaign has resonated widely. Recognizing its importance, Yourope, the European festival association, endorsed the campaign last year, further amplifying the global wave of awareness about the mental health challenges facing young people and the positive impact of live events in today’s world.
