MONTENEGRO CALLS GARI

With an amazing performance by the absolute leader of the world electronic music Pol Kalkbrenner, the curtain of the fifth Sea Dance Festival was rang down. During the three nights and days, more than 47 thousand visitors from almost 30 countries of the world passed through the festival gates at the hidden gem of the Adriatic coast Buljarice in Budva. The celebrating, fifth edition of the festival will be remembered for great concerts and parties of a whole new festival.
Yet, the OPENS’s story is much more personal.

“Sea Dance Festival surprised us all this year, mostly for the new location, since that Buljarice are really one of most beautiful and the greenest beaches in Montenegro. We are very satisfied with the new festival year, and SDF was there to somehow close the whole story in the region”, Nina Latinović, OPENS Event Coordinator says.

“Young people exchanged their own experiences from Novi Sad with our volunteers, they had the opportunity to meet Novi Sad, searching for the symbols of OPENS, using VR glasses, to get some rest from the festival crowd at OPENS CHILL zone or to play more than seventy games on X BOX. Those who wanted to make someone happy with OPENS postcard had the opportunity to write the postcard with our OPENS stickers at our zone and to send it to the desired address. My greatest impression from the festival was the phenomenal energy of young people who were indirect, relaxed, interested in story about OPENS, communicative and willing to try all activations at our zone”, Jelena Karać, OPENS Youth Activity Assistant adds.

During the four days, tens of thousands of musical pilgrims passed through the festival gates, tirelessly having fun at the festival zones, with several stages being filled with dance music and fans who were looking forwards to the great summer open-air festival! And in the heart of the festival, there was the OPENS zone.

“I am very proud of the work on the OPENS zone, since I met many new, interesting people, both from Montenegro and Serbia who visited festival, I saw that people were amused by receiving something for a played game… I simply realised in those moments that people are always trilled by small things if you give them something with a smile. Young people had fund at the zone, I realised that since that they returned every day, many of them stayed there for a longer time period, they communicated with us about Novi Sad, the title, what we organised… At the festival itself, there were people who passed the zone, we even took photos with some of them, it was an unforgettable
experience” Miladin Neštić, OPENS volunteer says.

“Only people from Novi Sad knew about OPENS, but there were those who did not know. When we explained them that, they were surprised because – we live in Serbia, is that really possible? The amusement was visible among people, on their faces, in their behaviour… They were very satisfied the second day, because the organisation was amazing, the performances were great, festival venue was amazing, everything was great!” Mima Perković, another OPENS volunteer says.

The visitors arrived in Montenegro from more than 40 countries of the world, from the whole region and from almost all EU countries, as well as from remoted destinations such as Argentina, Columbia, Chile, but also Russia, Finland and China! More than 70 performers closed the spectacular program of this year’s festival, and the biggest headliners did not manage to resist the magic of the cost! Next year, Novi Sad will be a go to place for all young people from the region. We expect more than half a million young people from whole Europe who will be included by OPENS programs along with the young people of Novi Sad. Therefore, the festivals of EXIT family are important stops on that road.

Young people should have the key role in the creation of stability, peace, dialogue, tolerance and good neighbouring relations. That belief is deeply included in the spine of OPENS, moreover that is the fourth pillar at which we stand – Different young people in different societies. And the festivals in the region can be a great start to that. 

For now, we will put the festival glitter, activations and polaroid photos away. At least until the next year, when even more exciting  dventure is coming.