The first carnival evening in two years, also the first ‘old-fashioned’ night out late into the night in ages, went smoothly in Brabant. That is to say: many polonaises and meters of beer, no major disturbances. A spokesperson for the municipality of Tilburg speaks of ‘a relaxed evening for the boas’.
“If we can really go out again, I’ll be drunk for three days.” Who doesn’t have a boyfriend, girlfriend, colleague, neighbor or aunt who once sighed like this. Maybe you sighed yourself once. And Friday night there was that moment. No more corona closing times, but make it through for everyone who wanted to. And then it is also Carnival. Carnival!
That many people seized the opportunity to drink a beer or two, three, eleven, spokesperson Irma Galema of the municipality of Tilburg confirms. “Here in the city it was a cosy, united gang. Especially outside many people were on their feet, on the street there was a nice party. Inside it was a little less busy.”
Whether that is because people are still a bit wary of full bars is difficult to say. Galema: “We always like to celebrate Carnival outside here.”
For the boas who were on the street on Friday evening, it may have been a matter of switching again. “The emphasis was on the corona measures for two years. Now it is again about usual catering controls regarding noise, for example, and a possible grim atmosphere on the street.” But that grim atmosphere did not materialize: “There have been no disturbances. It was also a relaxing evening for the boas.”
This image is confirmed by the police. A man from Dordrecht (23) and a man from Rotterdam (25) were arrested around half past one on Friday night when they tried to break open shutters at Central Station in Breda. A few hours later, a man from Zwijndrecht (19) and one from Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (22) also made an attempt. There is really not much more to say about the evening, says a police spokesman in western Brabant. It was even quieter among the police colleagues in the east of the province, where ‘no significant incidents’ happened.
“Celebrate carnival especially in your own village or city. And don’t come here from above the rivers this year.” That was emphatically the call. According to Galema, Tilburg traditionally attracts little public from outside the province. “And if they were there Friday, we didn’t notice.” To add with a laugh: “Then they behaved like real people from Brabant.”
Breda is always very popular, especially with nightlife crowds from the Rotterdam region. But municipal spokesperson Jeanette Eikelenboom says: “The call to celebrate carnival in your own area seems to be followed. It was a ‘normal’, pleasantly busy night out here.”
Eindhoven and Den Bosch hope to be able to answer questions about the course of the first carnival evening later this Saturday.