One of the leading international specialized media outlets for the concert and festival industry, IQ Magazine, reported on The Prodigy’s major concert, held on August 13 at the Grbavica Stadium in Sarajevo, and assessed the event as an important milestone in returning Bosnia and Herzegovina to the map of major international tours. In the article titled “Breakthrough Sarajevo Prodigy show ‘last piece’ of Bosnian touring puzzle,”IQ Magazine states that this is the first international stadium concert of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the famous performance by U2 as part of their 1997 PopMart tour.
Promoter Ivan Milivojev, a seasoned professional in the regional music industry and a veteran of the EXIT festival, pointed out to IQ Magazine that The Prodigy concert is proof that Sarajevo can become an important stop on future regional tours by international performers. “I have worked in this market for 30 years, and this is the last piece of the puzzle that was missing. Sarajevo is a few hours away from Belgrade and from Zagreb. It is literally a midpoint between them; it fits perfectly,” Milivojev stated.
According to them, the concert’s successful realization showed international agents, promoters, and booking agencies that Sarajevo has an audience, energy, and organizational potential to host major musical events. Although developing a new regional touring route will take time, the concert sent a really important and encouraging message to the industry.
“Maybe not right now; people need time, but this is a very good sign. There was a feeling that this was something truly special because it opened up Bosnia for future tour plans. Agents and promoters now see a new opportunity for organizing concerts here,” Milivojev said.
IQ Magazine especially looked back on the atmosphere that marked the concert, as well as the audience arriving from different countries of the region. Milivojev described this moment as an emotional experience that, in addition to music, had a powerful symbolic value. “The concert felt like Yugoslavia. To see all those different nations arriving at the same event. We didn’t need English to understand each other. Everyone can speak in their mother tongue. When I saw so many different cultures in one place, I was truly happy,” he said.
IQ Magazine also drew attention to the practice of not serving alcohol in stadiums, which is unusual for the international concert industry and stems from an insufficiently clearly defined legal framework for public gatherings and the service of alcohol. The world magazine also turned to infrastructure, administrative and security challenges that followed the organization of an event of this scale, including the concern of one segment of the public regarding the protection of the Grbavica stadium pitch. Despite all the challenges and concerns due to a large number of visitors, the magazine stated that the concert ran smoothly.
The IQ Magazine report confirms the broader international significance of The Prodigy group concert. Sarajevo proved to be not only a city with an audience eager for top-tier music events, but also a potentially important stop for the regional touring route connecting Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Belgrade.
“The Prodigy” concert was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Canton Sarajevo, the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo, general sponsor BH Telecom, as well as other partners and sponsors who recognized the importance of this project.
