The cancellation of the “Nexus,” which was scheduled to take place on September 18, 2026, at the occupied Kyrenia Castle, has been officially announced by the Serbian production company “EXIT,” following the political and social uproar it caused.
In a statement, the company apologizes for the upheaval it caused and explains that the events it organizes aim to promote freedom and peace in the Balkans, which, once achieved, became a symbol of unity among people from countries once divided by war, as well as a powerful force for promoting mutual tolerance, reconciliation, and coexistence among different nations, cultures, and religions.
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Read the statement in its entirety:
“EXIT was founded 26 years ago as a student movement for freedom and peace in the Balkans, a region that, in the late 1990s, experienced the bloodiest conflicts in Europe since World War II. Once peace and freedom prevailed, that movement evolved into an international music festival, earning Serbia three awards as Europe’s best major festival, more than 300 million euros in tourism revenue, and invaluable international exposure.
Over time, EXIT has become a symbol in the Balkans of the coexistence of people from countries once divided by war, as well as a strong advocate for mutual tolerance, reconciliation, and the peaceful coexistence of different nations, cultures, and religions.
On November 1, 2024, an unprecedented tragedy shook our hometown when 16 people lost their lives after the canopy collapsed at the recently renovated Novi Sad train station. Shortly thereafter, massive student protests against corruption erupted, demanding justice and accountability for the lives lost. EXIT supported the new student protests, with the result that Serbia’s authoritarian authorities—despite everything we had contributed to the country over the past decades—effectively forced us to leave our own homeland.
Since then, we have received a large number of invitations from various parts of the world to bring the energy and experience of EXIT to new destinations. For this reason, this year we are organizing major events from Montenegro, Croatia, and Malta, all the way to the first multi-day, multi-stage festival in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza. One of the invitations we accepted concerned the Nexus project in northern Cyprus.
Although we were aware of the conflict that took place more than fifty years ago and the division of the island that followed, we had not fully grasped how deeply its consequences continue to be felt to this day. We discovered that in recent years, many international artists and global brands had held events in the northern part of the island, and we believed that music, as has so often been the case in the Balkans, could serve as a space where people could meet and connect.
After the event was announced, it became clear that the context surrounding this particular project was much more complex and sensitive than we had initially realized. We listened to the concerns that were raised, spoke with people representing different perspectives, as well as with institutions in Cyprus, and seriously considered what EXIT’s presence might mean beyond the event itself.
In particular, we recognized the profound historical and emotional significance that Kyrenia and Kyrenia Castle hold for the Greek Cypriot community. Although the event was not scheduled to take place within the castle walls but in the immediate surrounding area, this does not alter the broader context or the symbolism of the location itself.
For all these reasons, we express our sincere and deep regret that we agreed to participate in this endeavor, and we wish to inform the Cypriot public that EXIT has decided to withdraw from it.
This was not an easy decision for us. Since we left Serbia, EXIT has been operating in an extremely challenging business environment, and withdrawing from a project that is already underway entails serious legal and financial consequences. However, based on everything we have learned and understood in the meantime, we believe this is the responsible and correct decision.
Our intention from the very beginning was to bring people closer together, and under no circumstances do we want an EXIT event to become yet another reason for people to find themselves on opposing sides. Coming from the turbulent region of the Balkans, we know very well that cultural projects do not exist in a vacuum, especially in places where the past remains deeply present.
This decision is not directed against any community in Cyprus, nor against the people or the cultural scene of any part of the island. We hope there will be another opportunity to come together under circumstances where the focus can be on the people, the music, and the experience we share.”
