Jett Rebel, Merol and Typhoon will be on the main stage of the Drenthe Liberation Festival at the Baggelhuizerplas in Assen on May 5. DJ La Fuente, singer Dotan and Mell & Vintage Future will also perform.
The organization of the festival announced this on Thursday evening. Director Nathan van Gelder is happy with this year’s programming. “I am extremely proud of it. These are all acts that could also be on the main stage of Lowlands.”
The Drenthe Liberation Festival will also be expanded this year with a blues stage and street theater. Just like last year, Defense is also present. For example, there will be a climbing tower, visitors can sail with the navy on the Baggelhuizerplas and the air force, army and military police show what they have to offer.
‘We belong to the top’
Van Gelder is proud that the organization has once again managed to book well-known names this year. “It is known that some Liberation Festivals are having a hard time financially. I don’t want to be negative about my colleagues, but that is not the case with us. The Drenthe Liberation Festival is now one of the top liberation festivals in the country. While ten years ago we were still the ugly duckling.”
Van Gelder hopes that several major artists will one day ensure that the audience is spread out. “Otherwise the audience will come for that one A-artist, as happened with Kraantje Pappie in 2022.”
That edition became the most visited edition ever for the Drenthe Liberation Festival. Suzan & Freek’s performance also attracted a large number of visitors that day. The organization even had to close the entrance gates twice because no one could enter the site, while there were still long lines at the entrance. Traffic towards Assen was also stuck.
It is not the intention for that to happen again, says Van Gelder. “Since 2022, we have organized the site differently and take crowds more into account. The main stage is now easier to see from several places on the site. And last year it was also very busy, but there were no problems.”