The annual Carnaval season officially began on Wednesday across Noord-Brabant and Limburg, drawing tens of thousands of revelers to city centres by late afternoon. Den Bosch—renamed Oeteldonk during Carnaval—welcomed approximately 50,000 visitors by 16:15 for its 11/11 celebrations. A municipal spokesperson described the atmosphere in the provincial capital as cheerfully busy.
In Eindhoven (Lampegat), municipal authorities focused celebrations onto a single pub square. Officials anticipated a quieter evening locally, with many residents travelling to nearby Den Bosch. To counter this trend, local committees in smaller towns expanded their own 11/11 events. Jeroen van Zuilen, chairman of Stichting Carnaval de Moeslander in Schaijk, explained that organizers scaled up local festivities to keep youth and local communities celebrating together in their home village.
Meanwhile, Tilburg (Kruikenstad) reached capacity at key celebration spots. Municipal authorities closed entry to Piusplein and Stadhuisstraat due to overcrowding, directing incoming partygoers to alternative locations across the city.
Celebrations and Safety Initiatives in Limburg
In Limburg, official Vastelaoves celebrations opened in Roermond, attracting between 13,000 and 14,000 visitors by late afternoon. Following a national campaign against harassment launched last week, Roermond established a dedicated “Safe Space” operating through the evening. The facility provided women with assistance, mobile phone charging stations, and a designated point to arrange safe accompanied cycle rides home.
Further north in Venlo, municipal officials reported steady crowds, though overall turnout fell slightly compared to previous years due to poor weather conditions.
@ anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
