The Luminosity Beach Festival that will erupt tomorrow around noon on the beach between Zandvoort and Bloemendaal aan Zee, is a bit bigger than the neighbors in the beach houses had imagined. They have been feeling overwhelmed ever since they learned at the beginning of June that they will hear a hefty beat for twelve hours for four days. “This is out of all proportion”, says one of the festival’s neighbors, where melodic techno and hardcore can be heard.
At Beachclub Bernie’s there are white festival tents. Four stages will be erected on the beach in front of the pavilion with large boxes on either side of the main stage. Now the residents of the beach huts around the festival site still enjoy the sun and children play with kites and shovels.
Guarding your house
But in many houses the shutters are already closed. Many campers have already packed their bags, or will do so tomorrow. With the beach chairs under lock and key and photos of how it is now, in case there is damage later. Others stay, to keep an eye on their things on the beach, because they expect that visitors will stroll between their houses, especially after the festival.
Cobi thinks so, too, who is still sunbathing in a nice and peaceful way. She just came to the beach especially from Amsterdam. “I’m staying here to look after my things,” she says boldly. “I don’t go outside during a fight, but when they pee here I do!” Her neighbors Ed and Piet also take into account that the festival visitors will defecate and puke between their houses. “You’re not going to tell me that won’t happen.”
“I don’t go outside during a fight, but when they pee here I do!”
The owners of the beach houses think it is too crazy for words that such a large festival is allowed right next to their homes. And that while they pay enough rent for the piece of beach on which their house is located. But they have been told that they are not real residents and that therefore they need less consideration.
One resident who prefers not to be named is genuinely happy that people in the event industry can get back to work. And she throws everyone a party. “But with five to eight thousand visitors a day, this is too big for this place. And why not notify us of a permit so late? Then I would have planned my days off differently.”
fights
Secretly she hopes that things will get out of hand and that all fights will take place. “Then it’s over and it won’t come again next year.” Just for that fights The neighboring municipality of Bloemendaal did not want to issue a permit for the Luminosity Beach Festival this year.
The four beach house owners’ associations were informed in February that a permit for the festival had been applied for at Beachclub Bernie’s. “Then we were asked if we wanted to think along, but we thought it was on a smaller scale, as when this beach party was already held here years ago,” says Wilbert van Rossum of Kampeervereniging Amsterdam when he started talking with co-owners.
Van Rossum also says that the boards of the association were surprised when the permit was issued at the beginning of June and the size of the festival became clear. “Nine years ago there was only a stage on the site of the pavilion, now it is this.”
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The beach house residents are also immensely annoyed by the long construction and dismantling on the north side of the site. Steel plates have been laid a few meters from the houses, where the forklifts and trucks have been driving to and fro since Friday.
“We had to rescue a group of toddlers this afternoon who were running to the beach here when such a cart drove up the dune at a terrible speed,” says the grandfather of a few playing grandchildren.
Despite his admonishing words, the same car drives into the driveway again during the conversation with NH Nieuws. Fortunately, the organization has placed fences between the beach houses and the driveway, so that Grandpa doesn’t have to sit in fear all day. And a few enforcers who speak to Grandpa include the incident in their conversation with the festival organizers.
“We did not expect it to be this big, but we are awake for next year”
The municipality has organized a survey. The joint boards of the associations of beach houses can vent their unrest. “We have been listened to carefully. They want to find a solution for every problem. But we will evaluate it. We did not expect it to be this big, but we are awake for next year. And we will continue to talk to them. “
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In addition to the nuisance, a number of owners of the beach houses are also concerned about safety on the festival site and on the beach. “The fences run up to the high tide line and emergency services can’t pass at high tide,” said a concerned camper. “This morning a police jeep tried to drive past, but it couldn’t and had to turn around again.”
emergency route
The rescue brigade is aware of the event and the commotion it entails. “In principle, we should be able to pass in front of the festival site. There is only high water at two times of the day and then we can use the emergency route over the festival site,” explains spokesman Ernst Brokmeier of the Zandvoort Rescue Brigade.
“I have not yet received any signals from my colleagues that they are having problems with the accessibility of the site,” he reassures. “We assume that we can do our job well.”
The municipality has promised the owners of the beach houses that the festival will be properly evaluated. “There are always supporters and opponents at such an event,” explains a spokesperson for the municipality of Zandvoort. “A permit has been issued. Clear agreements have been made in it to prevent nuisance and it is well checked whether the organization adheres to it.”