With the 15th edition of EXIT Festival taking place this year, the world famous Serbian party has many surprises up its sleeve. Along with one of the biggest back-to-back lineups of any festival in the world (and could quite easily be the biggest), EXIT is once again heading on a world tour.
The next stop on this epic tour of music and madness takes place tonight, May 9th at The Loft in Barcelona, which is hosted by FACT. Born and headquartered in Barcelona, FACT doesn't bill itself as a promoter or agency, rather human group that lives and breathes dance music. This ethos has seen FACT become a worldwide leader in the industry, throwing parties around the globe with the biggest and most well respected names in dance music since 2010.
So it makes perfect sense that an organisation such as FACT would team up with one of the world's best festivals, EXIT, which also sets itself apart from the rest with a history steeped in human freedom and expression. We caught up with FACT resident Rick Maia, ahead of tonight's party at The Loft to find out more about the history between FACT and EXIT, their relationship, and what's in store for the future.
Can you tell us a bit about your relationship with EXIT and what you do for them? Our relationship with EXIT is a close one. This year we are working together on two EXIT events in Barcelona as well as running the official after party for them during the festival, which is called Flowthing.
How did the relationship between FACT and EXIT come about? EXIT has always been an important destination on the world-clubbing calendar, so 3 years ago we decided to go and be part of the action. We setup an after-hours on the Danube, which has been running every year since. The success of the first 2 years lead us to partnering with EXIT last year and making it the festival’s official after party.
What are some of your best memories of EXIT? The dance arena is always incredible. I remember being there last year when the sun came up during Dixon and Amê’s set, and at this point of realisation, the whole crowd went mad. We’ve also had some unforgettable experiences on the FlowThing boat parties with some unexpected back-to-back sessions in the mix too.
What does EXIT mean to you, and why do you think it's an important festival? EXIT is a chance for a multicultural crowd to meet and celebrate all types of electronic music in an incredible location. And let’s not forget the sunshine too. What else could you ask for?
Can you tell us a bit about what you've got planned for FACT's part of the EXIT tour? The first event is this weekend and we’ve invited Serbian legend Marko Nastic to headline. Marko has been resident on the EXIT Dance Arena since day one, so it made sense to have him as a special guest. We’ve also invited Jamyo & Andy George from the UK to play alongside our resident Angulo and EXIT Tour resident SE7EN.