EXIT Festival is set to land in Montenegro this summer as a standout moment of its World Tour 2026, bringing two large-scale music events to the Adriatic nation. The project, titled EXIT to Montenegro, is designed to strengthen tourism while accelerating the growth of the country’s creative industries, positioning Montenegro as an emerging hub for European music travel culture.
“Montenegro is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets,” says Dušan Kovačević, CEO and Founder of the EXIT Festival group. “With its stunning nature and vibrant Adriatic coastline, it has everything it takes to become a landmark destination for a new generation of travelers who live for combining world-class holidays with unforgettable live music experiences. EXIT was built on the belief that music and freedom go hand in hand, and we are delighted to bring this spirit to this beautiful country, building a lasting legacy together.”
Welcoming the initiative, Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro, highlighted the project’s expected cultural and economic impact. “The EXIT to Montenegro project will bring two major festivals to our country, making Montenegro an epicentre of the global music scene this summer and delivering exceptional international promotion for our coastline,” he said. “The festivals will welcome visitors from more than 100 countries, generating at least 210,000 overnight stays and over €40 million in tourism revenue in 2026.”
The first event is scheduled for early July during the traditional EXIT Festival weekend, taking place at the expansive Long Beach in Ulcinj. Stretching over 13 kilometres of sandy coastline, the location stands as one of Europe’s most striking beach destinations, offering a dramatic natural backdrop for an open-air festival experience that merges scale with scenery.
The announcement also confirms the return of the iconic Sea Dance Festival in Budva, which this year will take a notable step by becoming one of the first large-scale events in the region to be fully free for attendees. Over the years, Sea Dance Festival has hosted global names including The Prodigy, Jamiroquai, David Guetta, Skrillex, Underworld, Fatboy Slim, Tale of Us, Boris Brejcha, Nina Kraviz, and Amelie Lens, and has been recognized with the European Festival Award for Best Medium-Sized Festival.
Beyond Montenegro, the EXIT Festival network continues to expand its global footprint with events such as the pioneering multi-day festival at the Great Pyramids of Giza, alongside Sea Star Festival in Croatia and Spiral Festival in Malta. Together, these projects reinforce EXIT’s position as one of the world’s most influential festival brands, known for blending music, culture, and location-driven experiences.
The World Tour 2026 follows a turbulent turning point for the organization, after mounting political pressure in Serbia led the festival to publicly support student movements advocating freedom and justice, ultimately resulting in its departure from its original home base. In response, EXIT has repositioned itself internationally, channeling its community and ethos into new territories.
That transition has already been recognized on the European stage, with EXIT named Promoter of the Year at the European Festival Awards in Groningen, adding to a history that includes multiple Best Major Festival titles across both the European Festival Awards and UK Festival Awards. Since its inception, the festival has generated more than €300 million in tourism revenue for Serbia, while also playing a major role in shaping the country’s global cultural profile.
With its expansion into Montenegro, EXIT Festival continues to push its evolution as a borderless platform for live music, tourism, and cultural exchange—anchored in a vision where festivals become long-term engines for place-making and global connection.