De Nacht staat op, a collective of venue owners based in The Netherlands, has announced a joint protest in response to continued COVID-19 restrictions. This Saturday, February 12, all venues that are part of the collective will open their doors and operate in full capacity, purposefully defying government strictures. Amsterdam’s Melkweg, Radio Radio, Shelter, as well as Utrecht’s Ekko are just few of the clubs expected to participate in the protest.
After briefly opening during the Summer of 2021, the Dutch Government once again forced nightclubs to close by 9PM. The rule set in last November after a surge in cases, and operations have yet to fully resume.
“It is frustrating,” said Amsterdam’s Chicago Social Club owner Pieter de Kroon. “Dutch young people need this. Their mental health is bad. And you see more and more illegal parties where it’s not safe.
Throughout the pandemic, the people of the Netherlands have been very vocal about allowing music events including club nights and major festivals to resume. A movement of hundreds of events including Awakenings and A State Of Trance formed “Unmute Us” which marched in the streets of The Netherlands protesting event closures.
Currently, nightclubs in The Netherlands are set to remain closed until March 8, 2022, but other countries around Europe including Sweden and Denmark have recently unveiled plans to lift all COVID-19 restrictions. With this trend and the level of zeal from the Dutch people, it is possible Dutch nightclubs will be open sooner.
