Belgrade Beer Fest was once a symbol of the Belgrade summer, an event that gathered tens of thousands of people and turned Ušće into a sea of audience.
We remember the images when rivers of visitors flowed across Branko’s Bridge, carrying energy and euphoria toward a festival that was considered one of the largest and most beloved in the region.
But what happened on the first night of this year’s Beer Fest can hardly be called anything other than a – debacle, City Magazine writes.
Videos of empty performances are circulating on social networks, where only a few dozen visitors can be counted in front of the stage.
Instead of the crowds and atmosphere that were once the festival’s trademark, the audience was met with emptiness, with the feeling that the whole story had lost its spirit.
Even on the festival’s official profile, in the video that conveys the atmosphere from the first night, there are no shots of the crowd and the audience; the camera exclusively captured the stage, performers, and speakers.
There is no trace of drone footage, which is especially popular when this kind of gathering is concerned.
After the first day of the festival was opened by the group E-play, the main stage was given to the band One people, followed by concerts by the bands Osvajači and Ortodox Celts, while Anyushka performed on the Electro stage.
It could be said that the main reason for the poor attendance lies in the organization, which in previous years fell into the hands of Sky Music and their new festival concept, where the emphasis is not on music and performers, but on unlimited beer consumption.
Unlike in previous years, when entry was free and countless types of beer could be tasted at the stands, this season, visitors have to buy tickets that include unlimited beer consumption, and the selection is very limited.
Prices range from 1,990 dinars for regular tickets to as much as 7,990 dinars for the premium VIP package.
This move has obviously turned away a large part of the audience, which was used to an accessible festival and socializing in a crowd, and not to the concept of a closed, elitist event.
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Source: Danas , Photo: IG/belgradebeerfest