This year, from 6 to 9 July, EXIT Festival will present for the first time some of the most talented bands from the nearby countries of Central and Eastern Europe, names that promise to soon become big new pop discoveries, among them Badfocus from the Czech Republic, Dina Jashari from North Macedonia, Manna from Estonia and K not K from Romania!
In the early hours, on the popular Visa Fusion Stage, each day, for the first time at the Festival, one great international attraction from the selection for the HEMI Award will be presented exclusively, which will delight the audience with a high-quality, modern expression in which digital electronics, live instruments and voices are connected, whose originality often surpasses similar bands from the Western countries.
Badfocus from the Czech Republic will perform on Thursday, 6 July. A spectacular, atmospheric electronic band, with one member playing several instruments, will blow away your imaginations of what a live performance can be like. Macedonian Dina Jashari, a rising southern neo-pop star, will introduce herself to the audience on Friday, 7 July and take you to the highest emotional spheres with her unique warm vocals. Northern electronic artist Manna arrives from Estonia on Saturday, 8 July, bringing a wild, provocative extravaganza that attracts attention wherever she performs, while Sunday, 9 July is reserved for Romania’s K not K – a quirky witty duo with a satirical-entertaining approach to pop music.
The selection of these four special bands is the result of the work of a joint jury of the HEMI initiative from the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, who singled them out from a short selection of nine of the best Eastern and Central European new bands, belonging to various genres. The HEMI competition was held at the beginning of the year and an expert jury from nine European countries initially selected 27 bands, including three of ours: Maika, Ljubičice, Nataleé. From this number, one group from each country was later selected, which best represents the new forces from that particular music scene. Then the best bands have been invited to perform at festivals in each of the partner countries. The HEMI music prize will be awarded to the group that will perform at the most concerts in 2023.
The Hub for the Exchange of Music Innovation (HEMI) project was founded in 2020, as a form of cooperation in the field of 10 partners from nine countries of Central and Southeastern Europe (CSEE). It is supported by the Creative Europe programme, the City Administration for Culture of the City of Novi Sad, and the Ministry of Culture. HEMI helps young people’s creativity, notonly musically, but also in the business field, through support for start-up companies within the Incubator and Accelerator programmes. A record seven exciting and innovative initiatives in the field of music industry and related activities came from Serbia this year, with projects that will be developed in the coming period!
In addition to the concerts of the selected bands, during EXIT Festival, all participants of the HEMI projects will also present themselves at the HEMI Corner, in the OPENS State of EXIT Zone, every evening from 9:30 p.m. Visit the half-hour presentations, talk to our young entrepreneurs, and meet all the musicians who make up the HEMI selection 2023 right after their concerts! Find out that there are young people like you everywhere, those who want and are able to make their dreams come true.
EXIT says through the HEMI initiative: The World is large and at your fingertips, and you are a part of it!
