A vast number of stars from the world of music spent the end of July near Lake Krupac near Nikšić, the second largest city in Montenegro. The most popular rock bands from the former Yugoslavia performed at the music festival called Lake Fest. This was the first year of the three-day festival and attracted more than 15,000 people.

"Though this was the first time the festival was held everything went according to plan," said Marija Vujović, the public relations officer for Lake Fest in an interview with Southeast Europe: People and Culture.

The audiences arrived from all over Montenegro, as well as from neighbouring countries and enjoyed listening to well-known bands from the region such as Partibrejkersi, Zabranjeno Pušenje, Dubioza Kolektiv, Elemental, Letu Štuke, and Darkwood Dub.

A number of rock bands from Montenegro were also invited to perform on the festival’s stage. Društvo Skrivenih Talenata is a Nikšić-based band. The band is better known as DST and have held cult status in Montenegro ever since they first started 19 years ago. Dragan Lučić, the bass player in DST, was quick to point out that their performance at Lake Fest was the best one they have ever had in their long career.

"I cannot recall a time when DST gave a better performance. This is the kind of concert we have been waiting for. A festival in our home town, the best audience ever, and the sound quality was splendid. There was no way things could go wrong and we really wanted to give a very good performance for our audience," Lučić told Southeast Europe: People and Culture.

Lake Fest also had a side programme. The most notable event was organised by the artistic director of the festival, the painter Nikola Simanić. He invited artists to build sculptures on water, some of which will remain on the lake after the festival.

Not even the unusually cold weather and scattered showers could spoil the fantastic atmosphere in Nikšić. According to Lučić, the festival was important for the city where people were once used to a much higher standard of living. He said "An event of this kind is important not only for music but for the whole society".

He already has ideas about the next Lake Fest but says that as far as bands from the Balkans are concerned, next year's edition could not be any better than this year's.

“There is already a list of foreign bands we would like to welcome here next year. I hope this year will only be a promise for things to come and that next year we shall have an even greater amount of support from institutions, sponsors and individuals, which will ensure that the festival carries on," said Marija Vujović, the spokesperson for Lake Fest.