An authentic Vierdaagsefeesten week scoring an 8.2: well-filled squares, clean streets, and a great atmosphere.
Posted: 20 July 2024, 01:00 hour
The Vierdaagsefeesten 2024 was marked by smooth crowd flow, occasional peak moments, and a blend of prominent and local acts such as Bankzitters, Roxy Dekker, and Lee Towers. The festival offered a mix of unique party concepts and cultural events, all in clean surroundings. The atmosphere was authentic, harmonious, and unifying, earning an average rating of 8.2 from attendees, who appreciated the emotional and impressive moments throughout the week.
Great artists and hustle and bustle
This year, big names were also scheduled on various stages, and there were different events and activities that attracted large crowds to the city. On Sunday evening, the traditional fireworks show "Waal in Vlammen" took place, Matrixx Live at the Kade featured performances by Bankzitters, Roxy Dekker, and Snollebollekes, the start of the 4Daagse once again brought cheering revelers to the start of the marches, and the city was busy early on during Roze Woensdag. The city remained busy early on Thursday and Friday as well, but warnings about extreme crowds did not arise.
On the way to 75% recycling
This is the third edition in which the circular cup system is being used at the Vierdaagsefeesten. Introduced in 2022, this system ensured that 58% of all cups were recycled into new cups. Last year, this figure was 66%. The organization expects to reach 75% this year. Whether this target will actually be achieved will be known in about a month, when the final recycling results are available. The portion that cannot be recycled into new cups is used for low-quality recycling, such as for producing roadside posts and other similar plastic items. Not only is the cup project part of the sustainability efforts, but last year the organization also started working with Klimato, an initiative in collaboration with Rabobank to measure the CO2 emissions associated with a dish at the Vierdaagsefeesten, for example at a food stand. This year, a recycling hub was also implemented, where waste was sorted.
Attention to inclusion and fraternity
On Roze Woensdag, extra attention is given to inclusion and diversity, although the organization believes that this is always important. "We are literally accessible to everyone—young, old, city dwellers, friends from afar, Dutch or not, entrepreneurs—everyone comes to the festival. That’s why it’s so special that everyone also gives space to each other, truly comes together, and celebrates and experiences this week together. We saw this sense of togetherness on Wednesday during Roze Woensdag, but it was particularly moving on Wednesday evening during the moment of silence for the commemoration of the MH17 plane disaster that occurred ten years ago—a disaster that brought the Netherlands to a standstill. Visitors, organizers, and artists experienced that silence again. On various stages, the music paused for one minute. After that, the song 'You'll Never Walk Alone' played. It was very impressive to witness and indicative of how the week has gone; it was truly about coming together," said Joris Bouwmeister, director of Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten.
In addition to these initiatives, there was extra programming last week at Plein44, Stadseiland Stek, and Smaakmarkt, organized by Vrijwilligerscentrale Nijmegen, which supports and deploys the 'Maatjes Nijmegen' project. Stichting Vierdaagsefeesten and the associated AmbassadorsClub awarded the initiative a cheque for 5000 euros.
Rating of 8.2
The score for aspects such as the overall rating of the program, atmosphere, and sustainability was collected through the Vierdaagsefeesten app from festival visitors. Approximately 600 people completed the surveys, which resulted in an average rating of 8.2 for the festival. This coming weekend, detailed surveys will be sent to all app users and shared on social media to provide a complete picture and final score. Additionally, starting next week, the organization will send invitations to city center residents to complete a survey.
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