De Haan wants a different location for the Beachland festival

The incident was reported to the city council. The mayor of De Haan Wilfried Vandaele then gave this answer: “The Agency for Nature and Forests has imposed new conditions. Due to corona, the festival could not continue for two years. As a result, embryonic dunes have arisen, among other things. We are not allowed to affect them now.”

No admission

“We have informed Blankenberge that we also support those conditions,” says the mayor. “In addition, we have said that from next year we will no longer grant permission for Beachland on our territory, because we believe it is impossible to hold such a festival without damaging the dunes.”

The previous municipal council of De Haan had given Blankenberge permission to organize the festival without having to apply for it every year. According to Vandaele, that commitment is worthless because multi-year commitments must be approved by the city council, and that has not happened.

Zeebrugge?

Because the organization and the publicity for the edition from early July is already in full swing, De Haan is no longer putting a stop to this year. According to De Haan, Blankenberge also realizes that it cannot adhere to the conditions imposed. That is why the festival might move to Zeebrugge.