Festivals and concerts to go ahead in the Netherlands this summer!

The last 12 months have been devastating for the global electronic music community, but there have been some recent glimmers of hope – including the latest development in the Netherlands. 

Recently announcing the third stage of its de-escalation program, the country’s health minister’s latest round of updates includes a green light for ticketed concerts and festivals to return from early this month, the NL Times reports.

The news is particularly hopeful for two of the leading electronic music events in the region, ADE & Lowlands. 

According to Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge, contact tracing app Coronamelder will be a vital element for safely ushering in the return of live music. The platform will generate admission tickets, popularly dubbed “corona passports,” when attendees upload their negative test results to its interface.

Fully vaccinated people, de Jonge added, will, for the most part, be allowed to bypass this requirement. If all goes well, the government plans to announce more restriction lifts on June 30th. 

It has also led to increased interest from other countries in the region. Neighbours Belgium, for example, have expressed their enthusiasm over giving large festivals the nod – sooner rather than later. As their plans for a 2021 Tomorrowland still hang in the balance, the Netherlands will likely serve as a guinea pig and influence others around them.