Tervuren has found €140,000 for the Hee Tervuren music festival, booking popular Flemish artists such as Berre, Zornik, and Niels Destadsbader. But councillor Elmo Peeters (Groen+Vooruit) is raising concerns over the budget and noise levels for the 5-6 July event. Peaks are expected to exceed Flanders’ 100-decibel limit, possibly lasting until 3am on the town’s central square.
“It’s striking that money can be thrown at Hee Tervuren. But hiring a lawyer to defend the town’s open spaces was previously deemed too costly,” Peeters says. He pointed to internal documents listing €18,500 (excluding VAT) for stage rental and €21,735.38 (excluding VAT) for hiring a sound system. It’s unclear whether additional costs for cleaning, police, electricity, and potential repairs are factored in to the bill of €140,000, just over €6 per resident.
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“We are investing in a community event, a musical folk festival on the Flemish national holiday in Tervuren’s market square,” said Mayor Thomas Geyns (OpenVLD, Voor Tervuren), defending the big spend. The 28-year-old Flemish liberal also retorted that previous town administrations—led by N-VA, CD&V, and Groen+Vooruit—spent over €200,000 on legal battles against “citizens and businesses”, apparently in defense of Tervuren permitting rules.
Flemish Green Peeters criticises the mayor and aldermen for ignoring internal advice to cap the noise level at 95 decibels. “Exposure above 80 decibels can cause hearing damage over time, and even brief exposure above 100 decibels can be harmful,” he warns. And Peeters cited a friend who still suffers from tinnitus, sleep disturbances, and concentration problems after frequenting Brussels’ Fuse techno club some two years ago.
Town hall, however, weighed noise regulations against the desire for a strong festival lineup. Organisers may also be able to direct stage sound towards Brussels, Stokkel, Kraainem, and Wezembeek, potentially reducing Tervuren discontent.
Despite their differing views, both Geyns and Peeters are expected to attend on 5-6 July. Geyns recalled his first festival experience as a 15-year-old in 2012. “That was also on the Markt,” he told town council last year. “When I was 14, my mum wouldn’t let me go.”
Over the years, Hee Tervuren has hosted major acts such as Clouseau, Arno, K3, and Laura Tesoro. And this year hosts Berre, Zornik, and Niels Destadsbader. But political disputes surface regularly. Five years ago, then-opposition councillor Geyns hit the local press with calls for then finance alderman Mario Van Rossum’s resignation over alleged untruths. That was also linked to a five-year, €563,000 event contract for the music festival.
Van Rossum passed on his alderman position to Kristina Eyskens, daughter of a former prime minister. And the Flemish Catholic Van Rossum (CD&V, Voor Tervuren) now serves as chair of the town council and the ethics committee.
Auteur: Dafydd ab Iago. © Artikel en foto’s zijn gelicentieerd © 2024 voor Tervuren+ onder de Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-licentie.
