Beer bikes are being banned at some of this year’s Carnaval celebrations under moves to ensure events in the country’s southern cities this weekend pass off safely.

Maastricht, Tilburg and Breda have been welcoming more people each year, local councils told ANP, but the growing popularity of Carnaval has raised concerns.

Maastricht has seen an increase of between 20 and 30% compared to pre-pandemic year 2019, a council spokesman told the news agency, although no exact figures are available.

“Friday and Sunday are peak days, so we have measures in place to remove beer bikes and food booths to other locations, and no bikes can be parked in the small streets. Big floats will also come under stricter rules,” he said.

Tilburg, which takes on the name of Kruikenstad (jug city) at Carnaval, has seen more people coming to the celebrations in the last two years and has ordered more rubbish bins and portable public toilets for beer drinkers caught short.

Breda (Kielegat, named after a farmer’s smock) has increased the number of allocated party locations, a council spokeswoman said.

Den Bosch, which goes by Oeteldonk (home of the Van den Oetelaars, a common local name) during Carnaval weekend, is also expecting large crowds on Saturday and Sunday and will be cordoning off certain areas in the city.

Eindhoven (Lampegat, or bulb city for obvious reasons) is expecting no problems controlling the crowds but will be keeping an eye out for overcrowding during the main parade on Saturday.

Silent on terror link

Maastricht and Eindhoven are not commenting on whether the measures are linked to the current threat level, which was raised to “substantial” by the Dutch counter-terrorism unit NCTV in December. However, Sittard, Breda and Den Bosch have installed extra anti-attack bollards.

The terror threat level was raised shortly after two teenagers were arrested in Germany last November suspected of planning an Islamist attack on a Christmas market, prompting fears that other cultural events in Europe could be targeted.

Wet weather may dampen this weekend’s celebrations, Weeronline said, but “there will be some dry spells”.