They don’t want to call themselves the rebels of the festival world. But the organizers of the KOZ festival in Deurne are ‘going against the grain’. A ticket for the festival costs 25 euros and a coin costs 1 euro 99. At many other festivals you can easily pay between 3 and 4 euros for a beer. The festival in Deurne attracts 15 thousand visitors over three days. “You get a lot of festival here for a reasonable price,” says Luc Bersch of the festival.
The colorful stage towers high above the meadows near Walsberg in Deurne. The largest stage the festival has ever had, according to Luc. “Normally we would always sit in a tent, but now the stage is 18 meters high.” Construction is now underway for the festival, which starts on Thursday. “We have guys who take a week off specifically for this.”
Because the festival is almost entirely run by volunteers. Only matters such as the construction of the stages, security and first aid are left to professionals. A club of 300 volunteers mans the bar for three days and keeps things running smoothly. The KOZ festival is a non-profit foundation. “We do have a little left over, but that goes to the reserves, because you need a buffer,” says Luc Bersch.
“The cheap beer is our unique selling point.”
An affordable fun festival, where people can enjoy a cheap beer, that is the concept of the organization. “The cheap beer is our unique selling point,” says Luc. “We have risen a bit in price. Last year it was 1 euro 90, now it is 1 euro 99, but we would very much like to keep it that way for the next two years.”
Luc Bersch thinks that few festivals can keep this price so low. “I’ve never seen it myself. Maybe there is a small event somewhere that can get the price a little lower, but I don’t see it in the festival world.”
“You don’t have to spend 100 euros to have a nice day.”
The festival can keep the price low because it does not make a profit. But the artists are also hardly paid. “We use local artists, who play for exposure,” says Luc. Hardstyle DJs make an appearance and cover bands perform. “We are very proud of it, our artists really do their utmost to make something beautiful. A paid artist has three performances a day.”
The festival started as a hobby. “We threw a party in the meadow in 2012,” says Luc. “That was a lot of fun. There were 70 of us, we really know each other. Someone did a light and sound training and for an internship he had to do an assignment. We liked that so much that we decided to do it every year.” Three years later the foundation was established and a permit had to be applied for.
This year too, the festival seems to be sold out. This is not self-evident for festivals these days due to the high costs and ticket prices. Why do people come if there are no big names? “There are many fun activities. A sleek light and sound show. You don’t have to spend 100 euros to have a fun day.”
