EXIT withdraws from planned Nexus festival near Kyrenia castle

Kyrenia, Cyprus. Serbian festival company EXIT on Thursday announced its withdrawal from the planned Nexus festival near Kyrenia castle, saying it did not want an event carrying its name to place communities on opposing sides.

The festival had been scheduled for September as part of EXIT’s international programme.

Reason for withdrawal

EXIT said it had initially believed music could provide a meeting point for people on a divided island, drawing on its roots in the Balkans as a movement for freedom and peace.

The company apologised for disruption caused by its involvement and said it had come to understand that the historical and political context surrounding Kyrenia was more sensitive than it had initially realised.

“From the beginning, our intention was to bring people closer together,” EXIT said, adding that it did not want an event bearing its name to become “yet another reason for people to find themselves on opposing sides”.

Concerns over venue

The proposed location near Kyrenia castle prompted political opposition in the Republic, with officials and political figures arguing that an international event at the historic site could contribute to the normalisation of the situation in the occupied north.

EXIT said it had been aware of the Cyprus conflict and the division of the island for more than five decades, but acknowledged that it had not fully understood the extent to which the consequences continue to be felt.

Consultations

The organisers said they had seen international artists and global brands hold events in the north in recent years and believed music could offer a space for people to meet and connect, as it had done in the Balkans.

Following the Nexus announcement, EXIT said it listened to concerns from people representing different perspectives and consulted institutional bodies in Cyprus before reconsidering its participation.