Amsterdam authorities have announced to impose new restrictions especially when it comes to new outdoor and warehouse events starting next year.
The new bill, which was passed last year and will likely come into effect in January 2018, will include new sound and location restrictions for festivals: it will measure volume levels onsite – so promoters won’t be allowed to exceed sound limits – and readings will be taken at the front doors of houses located close to festival sites as well onsite.
The new bill will also concern the city’s 82 outdoor event and warehouse locations in Amsterdam, which means that promoters will be allowed to host three events per year. The 21 most high profile locations, which include NDSM Docklands and Museumplein have been labelled as tailor-made “location profiles“, in order to make permit application process smoother.
“All the promoters are happy with the results,” Amsterdam’s Night Mayor Mirik Milan told Resident Advisor. “It will cost them more money but they’re happy that they don’t have to stop [putting on events].”
“At the start of the process the city asked us if the scene could do with 20 to 25% fewer festivals in the Amsterdam area,” added Milan. “This was of course no option for us because it would kill a lot of boutique festivals that maybe only organize one or two events a year. Keeping the scene open to all operators big and small was our goal from the beginning.”
“The goal of the whole mediation process was to have less lawsuits against festivals,” said Milan. “Almost every time a major festival takes place you have a lawsuit. Next year, the lawyers can look to these meetings and see that these issues were discussed and policies were agreed upon.”
Amsterdam is also currently planning to raise tourist taxes.
