Belgrade Beer Festival's future uncertain amid silence and two foreign concerts

Belgrade's iconic Beer Festival, a traditional end-of-summer celebration, is conspicuously absent from this year's event calendar. As August begins, the usual buzz surrounding the festival is replaced by silence, with no official announcements regarding its traditional format. Instead, the usual venue at Ušće Park is slated to host only two concerts by foreign artists: Judas Priest on August 28 and Dire Straits Legacy on August 29.

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From the Beer Fest - not a trace, not a sound

The uncertainty surrounding the festival's fate raises questions about its future. Is this a consequence of last year's artist boycott, a shift to a different concept, or the festival's definitive end? The organizers, Belgrade Beer Fest and Skymusic, have not responded to inquiries about whether the festival will be held or if it will consist solely of the two scheduled foreign performances.

Last year, the "Belgrade Remains" initiative called for a boycott of the Beer Festival, citing the "unacceptable situation of normalcy" amidst broader socio-political tensions. Jelena Radović of the initiative criticized the festival's evolution, noting a shift from a free event to one with controlled entry, and expressed concern over an emphasis on excessive alcohol consumption rather than the music program, which she described as "meager in quality."

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From a free festival to a festival with controlled entry, there have been incidents due to uncontrolled alcohol consumption. This year we have a gift for Belgrade residents - with the purchase of a ticket, they can consume an unlimited amount of beer, which emphasizes drinking beer and getting drunk, not the music program which is of rather meager quality.

Several prominent domestic artists, including Bijelo Dugme, Vlatko Stefanovski, and Prljavo Kazalište, canceled their performances last year. At the time, the festival organizers, Skymusic, stated they "fully understand and respect" the artists' decisions, acknowledging the "political and social situation that has brought much tension and division" and the "serious pressures and threats" faced by performers. They added that they did not resent artists who believed their cancellations sent a political message, expressing regret that artists, audiences, and music had become "victims of political polarization."

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We are aware of the current political and social situation that has brought much tension and division. Unfortunately, many artists today face serious pressures and threats, and we fully understand and respect the decisions of those who have canceled their performance this year for these reasons.