Last summer, all eyes were pointed at the new, spectacular Dance Arena with it’s new awe inspiring stage design and light show. The world renowned stage at EXIT Festival celebrated its first 15 years of existence that were filled with historical moments created by the party insatiable audience together with all the greatest DJs in the world. This year, the Dance Arena will display even more innovations at the magnificent site of the colossal Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia. Techno titans scheduled for Thursday, July 12th confirms the rumors of the most star-studded list of performers so far. Techno Thursday will include the pioneer and leader of the global techno movement, Richie Hawtin, techno power couple Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg, the absolute symbol of Berlin scene, Ben Klock, rising star Amelie Lens and the great techno talent Anastasia Kristensen! Regional and local support will include the rising Croatian DJ Jock, while Dušan Nikolić and Runy, the hometown duo from Novi Sad will ignite Arena’s spectacular machinery!

After a year of touring with his live concept “CLOSE”, which was previewed exclusively at EXIT 2016, Richie Hawtin is coming back to the venerated Serbian festival, but this time for a morning session and a closing set! In a recent interview, the techno heavyweight known also under his Plastikman moniker, announced that he will be taking a short break at the start of this year before continuing to develop this live concept further, which was already voted Best Live Performance by the Ibiza DJ Awards 2017!  The greatest techno couple of all time, Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg, are coming back to the stage they know very well. With three kids and two huge careers, the world media has proclaimed them “the first techno family” and “the coolest couple on the scene”, and everyone wrote about them leaving for Berlin’s Berghain’s dance floor straight from their wedding. One of the symbols of this techno temple will await them at the Arena! After his spectacular “Photon” show left in awe both media and fans alike, the techno titan Ben Klock arrives at the Dance Arena at the point when he can be considered the most accomplished to this date! Since his last performance at EXIT Festival, he won the “Essential Mix of the Year” and headlined incredibly long list of major events all over the globe.

Still, if someone can write a film-worthy story about sudden success, it is by all means the unique Amelie Lens! The Belgian scene heroine was dubbed the future of techno by the likes of Richie Hawtin and Adam Beyer, and her in-demand status is best described by the 27 flights boarded in October alone, plus three sets at ADE 2017, and just as many in the New Year’s Eve with sold out performances all around Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand, while finishing the year with four hits in the Top 20 techno releases on Beatport! Only a year ago she was considered an upcoming act, while today she is by all means a true headliner to some of the greatest events, while being also the resident of the increasingly popular Labyrinth club where she hones her impecable mixing skills in all-nighters. The Russian-Danish rising star, Anastasia Kristensen, has been going through a very similar experience, being already proclaimed the Best Breakthrough Artist by the Mixmag, while her sets are creating a lot of traction with both the media and the rapidly growing number of fans. The Croatian DJ Jock can also join to tell what it feels like when Carl Cox plays your demo on Ibiza, then publishes it by his label and invites you to perform alongside him. No wonder the Croatian DJ is invited to play the Arena after being chosen as the Best Regional Producer! The honor to open this year’s edition and start the new era of the EXIT’s Dance Arena goes to homegrown duo Dušan Nikolić and Runy, who both are rising local stars whose days are yet to come.

EXIT Freedom 2018 presents 5 festivals in 5 countries!
After the EXIT Summer of Love gathered the four festivals in a row last summer, EXIT Freedom 2018 will represent an even greater festival achievement, putting together five festivals in five countries: EXIT, Festival 84, Sea Star, Revolution and Sea Dance. Tickets are sold via exitfest.org, while the official tourist agency of the festival, exittrip.org, offers tourist packages containing tickets, as well as accommodation and transport options!