At least 60 Dutch festivals cancelled in 2024
At least 60 Dutch festivals have been cancelled this year, according to national press.
This figure marks a record number of festival cancellations – excluding the Covid pandemic years – writes AD. In addition, only 30 new festivals have been introduced.
In the last week, the UB40-headlined Chillville in Breda was cancelled at the last minute due to “a major shortage of event materials and personnel” and Mañana Mañana in Gelderland, promoted by Superstruct-backed Feestfabriek (Party Factory), announced that it would not return after its 10th edition as “ticket sales are not enough to make the event profitable”.
In addition to rising costs and a shortage of resources, many organisers are grappling with changing municipal and national policies.
Psy-Fi Festival in Oldenzaal suddenly had to pull the plug because the municipality “made a complete change in the zoning plan,” causing the festival to run into serious time constraints.
The BouleVaart festival in Krommenie also had to deal with stricter regulations; in addition to an event permit, an environmental permit and acoustic research were suddenly required. “Everything has made organising more difficult, I don’t think we will ever do it again,” said the organiser.
In addition to rising costs and a shortage of resources, organisers are grappling with changing municipal and national policies
Meanwhile, Amsterdam festival organisers fear that the city’s new permit policy, set to be trialled next year, could lead to bankruptcies.
Set to come into effect in 2026, the new policy aims to give new and smaller events a better chance of getting scarce festival locations in order to “better meet the needs of all Amsterdam residents”.
Events councillor Touria Meliani wants to set up a committee that will determine who gets a place based on substantive criteria. By the end of this year, events would know whether they have a place on next year’s calendar.
Festivals including DGTL, Amsterdam Open Air, De Zon, Loveland and Zeezout have hit back, saying the approach is “too late” and “unworkable” for both new and established festivals.
“You cannot organise a safe and successful festival in six months,” the organisers wrote in a full-page advertisement addressed to the municipality and published in Het Parool last month.
The organisers have launched a petition against the new policy, which has been signed by 18,613 people at the time of writing.
Another major issue on the horizon is the government’s plans to raise the tax rate for the cultural and creative sector from 9% to 21%, which has also prompted a coalition of organisations to launch a joint campaign asking it to reconsider.
“The festival offering is always changing. The audience too. Taste changes, people enter a different phase of their lives”
A statement from the coalition reads: “The proposed increase in the VAT rate will inevitably lead to higher prices, which will put pressure on the accessibility and affordability of sports, media, books, culture and catering for the public. It affects everyone in the Netherlands in daily life and in several areas. It is an additional burden on the valuable free time, club life, curiosity and (mental) health of every Dutch person.”
Despite a raft of major challenges facing the Dutch live music industry, Berend Schans of the Association of Dutch Music Venues and Festivals (VNPF) says there’s no immediate need to panic.
“The festival offering is always changing. The audience too. Taste changes, people enter a different phase of their lives.”
Schans also points to festivals and concerts that sold out very quickly despite the higher prices, such as Lowlands (€325 for a weekend ticket) and AC/DC (€170 for a standing room).
The Dutch festival market isn’t the only one that’s been hit by a high number of festival cancellations. The UK has seen over 40 festivals shut down, while Australia’s festival scene declared a crisis earlier this year.
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Festival news: Expansions, cancellations and lineups
With the 2024 festival season fast approaching, a raft of major events have announced updates on what’s in store this summer.
The lineup for the inaugural edition of KALORAMA Madrid has been finalised, with LCD Soundsystem, Raye, Massive Attack and Sam Smith topping the bill.
The festival is set to take place at the Recinto Ferial Fairgrounds between 29–31 August, the same dates as its Portuguese counterpart, MEO KALORAMA.
Peggy Gou, The Smile, Jungle, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, The Smile, The Kills, Gossip and Fever Ray are also set to perform at KALORAMA Madrid, promoted by Last Tour (Bilbao BBK, BIME).
Wireless Middle East has also fleshed out the programme for its second edition, which has been pushed back from spring to winter this year.
“This change aims to create an even more unforgettable and enjoyable event”
The Abu Dhabi event, set for 23 November at Etihad Park on Yas Island, will be headlined by SZA, 21 Savage and Yeat.
Karan Aujla, Fridayy, Flo Milli, Raf Saperra, Faris Shafi, Dina Ayada, Mazen, Lancey Foux, Seedhe Maut and Stick No Bills are also due to perform.
James Craven, president of Live Nation Middle East, which promotes the event, apologised for the rescheduling but said that it would allow them to curate the best possible lineup.
“This change aims to create an even more unforgettable and enjoyable event, allowing us to curate a lineup that surpasses all expectations,” he said.
The debut edition drew 25,000 fans and was deemed a “huge success” by Live Nation Middle East.
“The success of last year’s Country Bay Music Festival was immensely rewarding”
Also returning for a second edition is the Miami-based Country Bay Music Festival, promoted by Loud and Live.
Scheduled to take place 9-10 November at the Miami Marine Stadium, the second edition boasts headliners Zac Brown Band and Carrie Underwood.
Dustin Lynch, Chase Rice, Diplo presents Thomas Wesley, Chris Janson, Parmalee, Gabby Barrett, Chayce Beckham, Niko Moon and Redferrin are also due to perform.
“The success of last year’s Country Bay Music Festival was immensely rewarding,” says Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud And Live. “As a first-year festival, we not only hosted a premier country music festival in Miami featuring stellar artists, but also provided an exceptional experience for our music fans and partner sponsors. The festival reaffirmed our city’s reputation as a vibrant playground and established Miami as a must-visit destination for country music enthusiasts from around the world.”
Elsewhere in the country music sphere, Florida’s Kickoff Jam (30 Aug – 1 Sept) has been cancelled.
“We are going to cancel Kickoff Jam and provide refunds”
Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood and Alabama were due to headline the 2024 instalment at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach.
“After the success of Gulf Coast Jam [held May 30-June 2] this past weekend in Panama City Beach, we realised the weekend after Memorial Day is a much better time to host a festival,” Kickoff Jam producers stated in a post on the festival’s Instagram page. “So, we are going to cancel Kickoff Jam and provide refunds.”
Needtobreathe, Lauren Alaina, Restless Road, Randy Houser, the Oak Ridge Boys and Rhett Akins were also due to perform.
Meanwhile, Dutch festival Mañana Mañana has announced that its upcoming 10th edition will be the last.
The festival, promoted by Superstruct-backed Feestfabriek (Party Factory), will bid farewell between 13–16 June in Achterhoek, in eastern Netherlands.
The organisation indicates that despite all efforts, ticket sales are not good enough to make the event profitable.
Swiss new music festival Radar is expanding with new locations and more days
“In the week before the festival starts, we had to make a difficult decision: Mañana Mañana 2024 is the tenth, but also the last edition,” Feestfabriek wrote in a statement.
“We want to be honest with all the dear and loyal visitors who have been looking forward to next weekend for months. That is why we choose to inform visitors and other involved parties in advance about this incredibly difficult decision. We don’t want to go out like a night candle, but like a crackling campfire with all our friends around it: we are going to make it a fantastic farewell party with laughter and tears! Let’s say goodbye to this unique discovery festival with a party. And for those who have never experienced our wonderful event, this is the last chance.”
In more positive news, Swiss new music festival Radar is expanding with new locations and more days.
The Gadget-promoted event will return to Langstrasse Zurich for two days, 13 and 14 September, showcasing 25 national and international acts performing in eight locations.
Earl Sweatshirt, Swim School, SKAAR, Fiona-Lee, Chubby Cat and Somebody’s Child are among the acts set to perform at Radar.
Venues include Frame, Gonzo, Zukunft, Bar 3000, Alte Kaserne, Waxy Bar, Plaza and Longstreet Bar.
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Superstruct makes first acquisition since pandemic
Providence Equity-backed Superstruct Entertainment has bought a majority stake in Dutch festival and event organiser Feestfabriek (Party Factory) – the company’s first acquisition since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
Feestfabriek is responsible for organising the largest paid-for festival in the Netherlands, Zwarte Cross, which combines music, motocross, comedy and theatre, as well as grassroots festival Mañana Mañana, which has been running since 2013.
Superstruct will add the two festivals to its impressive portfolio, which includes one of the world’s biggest festivals, Sziget Festival in Hungary, Budapest, as well as Wacken Open Air in Hamburg, Germany, which was the company’s last acquisition, in August 2019.
Neither Superstruct nor Feestfabriek has disclosed the terms of the new deal.
According to a statement from Superstruct, nothing will change for visitors to the festivals and employees of the Feestfabriek, nor for the parties that the Feestfabriek works with.
The company also says there are no plans to change Zwarte Cross, Mañana Mañana nor any other activities of Feestfabriek.
“Superstruct works from the philosophy that local core values, creative aspects and specialties that characterise an event will always be respected, so that the events remain truly unique.
“We trust the Feestfabriek team to continue doing it as it has been up to now. It is a long-term partnership and we look forward to working together,” the company’s statement reads.
“We trust the Feestfabriek team to continue doing it as it has been up to now. It is a long-term partnership”
The statement says that the companies combined network of events offers ‘broad possibilities’ associated with programming, international partnerships, new events and joint purchasing.
Feestfabriek owners, Hendrik Jan Lovink, Gijs Jolink and Ronnie Degen, say: “We are pleased that in these difficult times the continuity of the Feestfabriek is guaranteed and we look to the future and growth opportunities with confidence!”
Co-founder Hendrik Jan Lovink has announced plans to step down after 30 years at the company.
“We have really managed to build something special together, the Zwarte Cross is rock solid and the Feestfabriek can continue for years to come on all fronts. That is why this feels to me (however contradictory it may be) as the right moment to be able to leave the Feestfabriek and to focus on other beautiful things that life still has to offer me and my family,” he says.
Lovink will leave after this year’s addition of Zwarte Cross, which has been rescheduled to 23-26 September and relocated, though a new location is yet to be determined.
“With this relocation ahead we can’t say with certainty that the event will take place in 2021. There is uncertainty for everyone… the size of the Zwarte Cross is not exactly helping in this case,” the statement reads.
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