Amsterdam's new event policy met with criticism from residents and organizers alike
Amsterdam’s new events policy is meeting a lot of resistance from both festival organizers and resident groups. Organizers are concerned about the feasibility and administrative red tape of the new policy. Residents worry about the impact on their parks, AT5 reports.
According to alderman Touria Meliani, the policy should allow a wider range of new events, better distribution, and more involvement of residents. The city also made some changes to locations used for festivals. The Flevopark in Oost, for example, will remain a festival location, but the visitor capacity will be cut from 15,000 to 10,000. However, the park will be available for three, in stead of one, large events per year.
Organizers of existing, well-established festivals worry that they’ll soon fall by the wayside. “You also have to keep an eye on organizers who have been organizing events for years,” Coen van Dongen, founder of Mystic Garden Festival in Amsterdam and member of the Amsterdam Events Association, told AT5. “The policy seems to be mainly aimed at giving opportunities to new, young organizers. That is a nice idea from the municipality, but this plan actually creates uncertainty. Having to pitch your plans every year is not feasible for many smaller companies.”
Van Dongen added that established festivals cannot simply be replaced by other parties. “It is not that easy to set up a festival with the same quality and safety. That requires time, experience, and above all, continuity.”
Kevin Bonet, the operational director of Loveland, is particularly concerned about the location profiles in the city’s plans. “The picture that emerges from this is really sad at many locations. It seems as if every few years, the possibilities of event organizers will be hacked, while the regulatory burden of the municipality is only increasing. If you look at all the restrictions in all areas that have been imposed on us over the past ten years, it feels disproportionate and not in line with the municipality’s intention to keep festivals accessible.”
The residents' group Friends of the Flevopark is also critical about the city’s plans, specifically for the park. “10,000 visitors is still enormous. It has direct consequences for biodiversity and the natural tranquility that Flevopark offers,” Martine Lijtes of the group said. “There may only be three large events a year, but the impact starts earlier. The preparations, the trucks that drive back and forth. The damage caused by such an event is difficult to repair.”
