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Flanders to make decision on festival season ‘as late as possible’

The Flemish gov, which recently announced a €60 million cancellation pot, had previously promised a decision on the summer by the end of March

By IQ on 05 Mar 2021

Graspop Metal Meeting is the first major Belgian festival to cancel its 2021 event

Graspop Metal Meeting is the first major Belgian festival to cancel its 2021 event


image © Wikimedia Commons/DirkVE

Flemish minister-president Jan Jambon says he will wait as long as possible to make a decision on whether domestic festivals can take place this summer.

Jambon was quizzed on the matter of whether festival season could resume in the Flemish parliament yesterday but failed to give concrete answers.

“If I can arrange with the sector that they can wait a little longer, then I would like to take all the time I have,” Jambon said, according to The Brussels Times.

However, Jambon is now under pressure from the live sector to whom he promised to make a decision by mid-March at the latest as to whether or not summer festivals could take place after cancelling in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“If I can arrange with the sector that they can wait a little longer, then I would like to take all the time I have”

The minister-president said he first wanted to get a clearer picture of the progress of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout and also receive the results from the Netherlands’ Back to Live test events, which he says would play an important role in Flanders’ decision.

The Flemish government recently designated a total of €60 million to help the region’s organisers kickstart preparations for this summer’s festival season, however, metal festival Graspop became the first major Belgian festival to cancel its 2021 edition because of the uncertainty surrounding the summer.

Other major festivals in Flanders, including Rock Werchter, Tomorrowland, and Pukkelpop, are still waiting to hear the government’s decision.


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