Tens of thousands attend Rotterdam Summer Carnival

The Summer Carnival in Rotterdam took place in a good atmosphere, according to the organizers and the police. Tens of thousands of people followed the street parade in the city center, with Queen Larisa and King Gillian at the head of the float. A spokeswoman for Rotterdam Unlimited, the organizer of the event, looked back on a "fantastic edition," which was also thanks to the good weather. "It was a big party all over the city. Nothing negative, just happy people."

The police were also satisfied: "It's nice, the atmosphere is good," said a spokeswoman. There will not be an evening program on the Coolsingel this year, but several parties will be held throughout the city after the street parade.

Last year, the Summer Carnival was marred by several shootings and stabbings. As a result, it was decided to move the event to the evening hours. The city council no longer wanted a large, open party without admission controls. Several clubs continued to organize parties.

By early evening, the police had made eight arrests on Saturday: two for brawls, the others for other public order disturbances. The police spokeswoman confirmed this was a low number compared to normal weekend days.

The street parade took place for the 40th time this year. This highlight of the event has also been on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage since this year. According to the organization's spokesperson, some groups have been taking part the whole time.

The popular Summer Carnival in Rotterdam focuses on bringing together different cultures through tropical carnival expressions similar to those in the Antilles. The first editions of the Carnival took place in Utrecht in 1982 and 1983, where several Antillean carnival associations from Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Amsterdam held a parade on the Jaarbeursplein. Since 1984, the colorful Summer Carnival has been held in Rotterdam.