According to Westermann, that clarity also means a hard blow to festival entrepreneurs. “They now know for sure: we have been without turnover for a long time.” He predicts a turnover decrease of 4 billion euros. “It evaporated in one fell swoop.” In a normal year, the Dutch events industry accounts for a turnover of over 7 billion euros.
With the cancellations, he fears the loss of some 48,000 jobs. “Of the more than 60,000 people who work there now, from light and sound people to stage builders, many will lose their jobs.”
1300 cancellations
Nearly 700 festivals with more than 3,000 visitors have been canceled by the measure. In total, according to Westermann, there are about 1300 art and culture events that will not take place between April and September. That means, according to him, that 20 to 24 million visitors will see their festival, concert or fair go to waste this year.
Many events consider alternatives. For example, theater festival Oerol on Terschelling is thinking of a festival in “alternative form”.
Events are also postponed until next year:
–
