A farewell letter to the festival season

Dear festival season, You’re the highlight of my summer. My ultimate feeling of freedom and liberty. My escape from the daily struggles. You manage to entertain us each year, yet it will be different this time around. You’re shining in absence this year which is something I understand, these times are simply horrible. Yet I’m having trouble imagining a summer without your presence. You will be missed terribly. "A summer without any parties - that’s not too hard right?" This is something I’ve heard passing by a lot in the last couple of weeks. Yet these people probably don’t really get it. We’re not just talking about a party in this case. This is about a very deep emotion, perhaps even primal. This is all about freedom. Being together with all your friends. Ultimate enjoyment you could say. Thinking about this pristine feeling which you get from the idea of such an amazing day approaching is already priceless on its own. I’m truly going to miss it. The nerves before getting to the party - which are gone in an instant once you enter the party, the atmosphere, the shining sun, the lukewarm glass of beer in your hand. I will even miss that one crazy hacker who knocks over your beer because it doesn’t really matter right? I can just get a new one. I’m even gonna miss the wet, sweaty backs who are moving past me, just because we can’t imagine how that is because of the one and a half meter rule. I just crave to be close to each other and enjoy the hardest beats together in unison. I will miss our scene which is so unique compared to other music genres. It’s amazing to see how dedicated the crowd is when tracks such as ‘B-Front - Mysterias and ‘D-Block & S-Te-Fan ft. High Voltage - Shiverz are being played. This also applies to the unforgettable weekenders each year to which we look forward every time. And damn, I will certainly miss POWER HOUR. That hysterical moment by which everyone, approximately 60 thousand people, puts their arms around each other and jumps from the left to the right at the command of the MCs, to the rhythm of the beat. What about the inflatables and the confetti, all the craziness happening on stage, all the people who are always hee-hooing - it doesn't really matter. You will only start to miss it once it’s no longer present. This also applies to the weekend of Intens Festival, at which the Brabantse conviviality can be tasted from miles away. At which we are given the choice to be present at the mainstage with 25 degrees or at the stage at which your favourite artist is playing yet with over 50 degrees. Or the choice to go either in the ferris wheel or going mental in the partytent. At this point we will do anything to experience those kinds of dilemmas. Or what about Decibel outdoor, at which you’re walking with blisters underneath your feet since the journey to get some water has turned into a crusade from North to South since you couldn't find your friends. And you know what, as I’m thinking about it those blisters are absolutely worth it as you experience a lot of amazing things on the way! We have never really realised that we were making memories of a lifetime along the way, in fact we were only busy with enjoying ourselves. Yet these are the memories at which we now back upon with lots of love. Everything is different this year. With a broken heart I look back at those long and sunny festival summers. And even though we complained about painful feet, occasional rain, dirty toilets or showers and long, sleepless nights, after parties that got out of control, our situation was alright! What the future may bring is still unclear, but we all hope that this madness is over very soon. I truly hope that we will be standing shoulder to shoulder next year once again and enjoy the music together, preferably with thousands of people at the same time. Hardstyle, baby! Dear festival season, until next time, we will meet again!