Dutch Government aims to allow festivals from July

The Dutch Government has said that festivals should be possible in the Netherlands from July.

After the Dutch prime minster had previously announced that nightclubs would remain closed until a vaccine was available for COVID-19, a number of festivals and trial events have announced they are planning to go ahead in 2021, following an announcement from the Dutch government regarding live events.

One festival, Liquicity, which is due to take place from the 16th to the 18th July, posted a statement to their website, explaining that the Dutch government had confirmed festivals should be able to go ahead in the country from the 1st July.

“Great news: the Dutch government has announced that they aim to allow festivals after July 1,” the statement from Liquicity said. “In case festivals still get canceled due to changing COVID circumstances, organisers are likely to be compensated for the costs. Festivals in The Netherlands are currently selling out in record pace due to this new government announcement.”

Liquicity also promised full refunds if the event should end up being cancelled — “in case festivals still get canceled due to changing COVID circumstances, organisers are likely to be compensated for the costs” — and another festival, Lowlands, has announced that two trial events will take place later this year, with 3000 participants expected to present negative COVID-19 tests on entry.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Glastonbury 2021 has officially been cancelled due to coronavirus, but festivals of a smaller scale could take place safely this summer with proper coronavirus measure in place, MPs have been told. Speaking to the House of Commons Culture Select Committee last week, Rowan Cannon of festival organisers Wild Rumpus said that, with social-distancing and appropriate safety measures, small festivals should be “as safe as Sainsbury’s”.

“The idea that the festivals can’t go ahead and be socially-distanced is inaccurate,” she continued. “We can absolutely adapt our programming, put infrastructure in place, [and] change the way that we do things, to enable something to happen with social distancing in place.”