Belgrade Beer Festival Silent This Year Amidst Uncertainty

Belgrade's much-anticipated Beer Festival, a staple marking the end of summer, is conspicuously absent from this year's event schedule. As August unfolds, the usual preparations and announcements are missing, leaving attendees and observers questioning the festival's fate. The Ušće Park venue, typically alive with the sounds of the festival, is instead slated to host only two concerts by international acts: 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

This lack of information fuels speculation about whether the festival is undergoing a conceptual change, is limited to these two foreign performances, or has reached its end. Organizers Belgrade Beer Fest and Skymusic have not provided any official statements regarding the festival's status or its traditional format, which usually features a lineup of popular domestic musicians.

The current uncertainty echoes the events of last year, when a significant boycott by numerous domestic artists cast a shadow over the festival. The "Belgrade Remains" initiative had called for the boycott, citing socio-political contexts and what they described as an "unacceptable situation of normalcy" amidst public unrest. This led to cancellations from prominent bands like Bijelo Dugme and Prljavo Kazalište.

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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.

In response to last year's boycott, Skymusic, the festival's organizer, issued a statement expressing understanding and respect for the artists' decisions. They acknowledged the "political and social situation that has brought much tension and division" and the "serious pressures and threats" faced by performers. The company stated they did not resent artists for sending political messages through their cancellations, regretting that artists, audiences, and music had become "victims of 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.