I,m really worried reference news reports

I honestly think it will be fine. I have bought my ticket and will book my flights next week when we figure out how long we are stayin in novi sad. Roll on exit!!!

thanks for your msg

Serbia is the last place I want to go at the moment. I'm looking forward to Uni in September and don't fancy getting caught up in some East European war for the sake of a festival. I value my life.

that`s crap.you exaggerate...it can`t be war,and this crisis can`t go for a 6 months more,it will be over soon...

we shall see

hope so for everybodys sake
but i definitely woul not use the word crap
don't you read the papers
what does your local news say

all this is one mad diplomatic war which is controloed by MAD serbian prime minister Kostunica,who put the police on stand by on the when hooligans attack embassies.president of serbia wants to all this go peacefully,but that is not possible until Kostunica leave his command.that will be soon,this goverment is not stable,this crisis is here only because him,cause this diplomatic war for kosovo need to be peacefully,not this way.this crisis will be over in next month,be sure in that.no war,no more attack on embassies and journalists,everybody here knows that,it just need time to this calm down.worst has already past.

Thanks Misha
What about the Russians??
Are they going to play some game with the west using Serbia as a puppet

russians only use serbia to play game with U.S,as always...many people here think that they are "brothers" which will never leave us...that is lie,they don`t admit kosovo only because they have tree of four similiar situation in russia...same talk with spain,who don`t admit kosovo cause problem with catalonia...

Tadic is a Western Puppet, I say we tell the EU to go to hell, we don't need to be part of it when they stab us in the back constnatly.

People will be safe, people don't have a problem with the people, because from what i've read on most boards it seems that a lot of people in this country are against independence. It's the Governments people are protesting against.

Also I'd like to stress it was an extreme minority, estimtes say that up to 500,000 people attending the protest in Belgrade that day and about a 1000 started causing trouble.

Thanks for all adding to this debate

Maybe more can come on board
I certainly feel better when I hear from people like yourselves
after all we are all into music & people that is why we travel & are on this site
Bloody politics & the media
It's the real people that matter
I agree with you on the EU why do you need them anyway
Us Brits are fed up with it all who wants other people from elsewhere telling you what to do

It is Monday, Sunny day in Serbia. Everything goes on like usual
This Kosovo crises is something which has been expected, it will calm down soon.

Rioters are mostly football fans, 500.000 people demonstrate against Kosovo independence peacefully and only 500 hooligans and members of extreme groups made some clashes.

Bloody politics

There are riots in Britain and other EU countries i.e France, Germany all the time and people still happily travel and go to events! I am trying to look positively at the Serbian situation, hopefully it will all be resolved soon and Exit festival will take place and be as brilliant as I have heard it is.

I do agree, the problem of paying a deposit for a hotel/apartment with the risk that something *could* happen and you might not get your money back is risky... I am going to wait for a few weeks and see how everything pans out, then if it seems ok I will pay my deposit then.

I think that these are riots on a different level and is related to politics/Kosovo etc. When does this happen in the UK? Hardly ever. It certainly doesnt happen in the leafy suburbs of Cheshire where Creamfields takes place.

There have been riots in Brixton, Bradford... bombings in London, other terrorist attacks etc. To a non-British tourist at times the UK is not a safe place to travel to, but as UK citizens we know generally it is very safe.
I know you can't compare it exactly with the Serbian situation, but all I'm saying is that sometimes the media can increase scaremongering of things. Like some of the Serb posters have said, out of 500,000 people on the streets 1000 of them caused trouble. Let's just hope the situation diffuses even further and Exit will go ahead as planned.

I agree

But London hasn't been bombed since the second world war & these are sensitive issues where we have not helped & there was a war not long ago
so Serbs are not happy bunnies at the mo.

If anything happens it will be in Kosovo which is well in the South of Serbia, Novi Sad is almost as North as you can get. Don't worry about it. You should only worry if the Americans and Nato start bombing us again. They like doing that and despite what they say they don't aim, they just drop bombs whereever they like, hospitals, bridges, embassies etc.

Exit does actually have a lot of ties to Politics, I believe that's how the festival originiated. You've got to understand though, people in Serbia are very politically aware. It's not like this country where 80% haven't got a clue. You learn to have a political opinion from a young age and you learn from a very young age that Kosovo is special and it means everything to the country.

Let's imagine that immigrant Albanians in London, spread to other less populated areas, they started having 6/7 kids a family and in 50 years time they were the heavy majority because of this and terrorising people to force them to move out of that area. They then decide to declare independence (say Yorkshire) and all the major powers in the world recognise them as a newly formed country whilst they're waving Albanian flags. Now tell me, would people in this country be very happy about it? I don't think so.

Anyways, Serbian people don't forget and can hold a long grudge, we still don't forgive the Turks for 500 years of occupation and it will be some time before Serbs forgive the West. But that's the Governments they'er mad at, not the people. Well as long as those people are sensible and don't provoke.

As for the rioters, even the Ultras of the football clubs in Belgrade, |Red Star and Partizan have came out and condemned the attacks on the embassies and well they're reknown for causing trouble and rioting when there are reasons. The Red Star fans were the ones that started the revolution in 2001 to get Milosevic out.

That's a point.
We all know what has happen in USA on 11th Sept but only couple days after terrorist attacks everything was just like before attacks.
All I am trying to say, it is normal situation in Serbia, Serbs will never recognize Kosovo's independence but 99,9% of Serbs agree that war is not an option which is the most important. It is now more political struggle and it is absolutely acceptably way to oppose Kosovo's independence.

What are you talking about, I'm referring to the bombings on the tube in 2006, not the second world war!

I agree the situation in Serbia could *potentially* be a very serious situation, but I'm just saying that I am sure the media do create a bit of scaremongering themselves.

Whoops absolutely right

although I was referring to a larger event

Media & even people can create havoc on heresay

Heard nothing recently I assume the worst of the storm has past!!
Mind you earthquakes in uk maybe we should all go over there earlier

Since I come from Novi Sad I thought I should drop in a few lines. This is really a peaceful town, and the locals have more and more understanding for foreign visitors as each year passes by. You have to take into account that very few people from Serbia had a chance to travel abroad and to experience cultural differences. Actually, you`ll find most of the people quite friendly.
Politics are ever discussed topic in Serbia, and probably things would be more than calmed down after elections in May. Anyway, it`s way too far from riots, bombing or war.
Venue is a bit tricky since it very much differs from fields which host UK festivals, but liking or disliking it is just a matter of one`s taste.