It kept waiting in fear but the decision was made. The titillating cultural festival that had to set the city on fire for ten days from 16 to 25 July 2021 is canceled. The City of Ghent is forced to cancel the Ghent Festivities this year as well. Nevertheless, the City is still aiming for a summer and autumn full of activities. To make that possible, more money will be invested in the high-performance fund.
Leaving everyone in uncertainty and postponing the Ghent Festivities to an indefinite date is not a workable solution, neither for the organizers, nor for the city and security services. Moreover, the Ghent Festivities are accompanied by a veritable crowd and letting a hundred thousand people loose in the streets of Ghent and dancing and singing in front of a stage packed together might not be the best idea either. And a watered-down version of the Ghent Festivities would make no sense, according to the city council.
"No Ghent Festivities for the second year in a row, that hurts our Ghent hearts very much. It was a difficult but necessary decision. Organizers now need that clarity to work out alternatives. We will strongly support them in this and do everything we can. to give the Gentenaars a beautiful summer, within what is possible and allowed. "
After the bad news, many people immediately asked for and especially hope that there will be alternatives to their beloved Ghent Festivities. Last month, however, Party Minister Annelies Storms already indicated that this is not an option for her. One option is to turn the Gentse Feesten into a test event, such as the FieldLab Events in the Netherlands.
For the first time, there were no Ghent parties in 2020. A logical conclusion after Prime Minister Wilmès' announcement that no festivals and mass events were held until the end of August. Today all Gentenaars cherish the hope that the parties can continue this year. The Festivities are part of the Ghent DNA and attract around 100.000 visitors every day for ten days.