Selfie sticks banned from Lowlands, Pinkpop

Big Dutch festivals such as Pinkpop, Lowlands, Pitch, Down the Rabbit Hole and Best Kept Secret banned selfie sticks from the festival premises, 3voor12 reports. At the same time two big American festivals Coachella and Lollapalooza banned selfie sticks and other sticks and poles from the festivals stating "selfie sticks are annoying and dangerous." The US festivals claim that while seflie sticks are fun for social media, they are an eyesore for those nearby, and will not be tolerated anymore. MOJO spokesman Bente Bollmann stated on behalf of Lowlands, Down the Rabbit Hole and Pitch that selfie sticks constitute a considerable irritation among concertgoers. By waving phones in the air, festival visitors are quite possibly ruining the concert experience for other visitors and the constant picture taking ensures that people are more concerned about themselves than the concert, according to Bollmann. Safety is an important issue for the festival organizers as well. "We are not that much afraid of someone using a selfie stick as a weapon, but when you are in a crowded tent, swaying with a steel pole, you can accidentally hit someone in the eye," Bollmann comments. Taking pictures with a mobile phone or with a camera without an interchangeable lens is still allowed, and some artists even encourage audience members to share their pictures and video on social media. Bollmann understands that even this might annoy some festival visitors, but wants to remind that for others it is very important to document and share the concert experience, and that is why cameras and phones are not banned entirely.