Nisville Festival organizers: Over 1,000 performers expected, yet again no support from Culture Ministry

Organizers of the Nisville International Jazz Festival, set to feature over 1,000 performers from August 8 to 16, have expressed frustration over the continued lack of financial support from Serbia's Ministry of Culture. Festival Director Ivan Blagojevic described the effort required to organize such an event, particularly in southern Serbia, as demanding "a certain amount of masochism." Over the years, the festival has hosted more than 5,000 programs, featured 20,000 performers, and attracted approximately four million visitors.

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If you want to organize arts festivals, especially in southern Serbia, you need a certain amount of masochism. The result of that effort over the years has been more than 5,000 programs, 20,000 performers, and roughly four million visitors.

Despite the absence of support from the Ministry of Culture, the festival benefits from significant backing from the City of Nis and the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism has increased its budget for Nisville by a third and recognized it as the top-rated festival in its funding competition. "The city recognizes that we don’t just boost its image, we fill hotels and contribute to other sectors of the local budget," Blagojevic explained. He added that the Ministry of Tourism views Nisville as a major player in the creative industry and a key component of Serbia’s tourism offerings.

Blagojevic sharply criticized the Ministry of Culture for denying the festival production funds from the state budget for what he described as the umpteenth time. The official explanation provided was that Nisville could proceed using its own resources. This stance leads Blagojevic to question the very purpose of the Ministry of Culture: "It raises the question of why a Ministry of Culture even exists if it cannot fulfill its primary function of distributing these necessary funds."

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The city recognizes that we don’t just boost its image, we fill hotels and contribute to other sectors of the local budget. Likewise, the Ministry of Tourism has identified us as a major player in the creative industry and a key part of Serbia’s tourism offering.

The festival's success and its economic impact on the region are evident, yet the lack of support from the cultural ministry highlights a disconnect. The organizers' reliance on local and tourism-focused funding underscores their efforts to sustain the event despite systemic challenges within the national cultural funding structure.

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It raises the question of why a Ministry of Culture even exists if it cannot fulfill its primary function of distributing these necessary funds.