Tilburg Carnaval is cancelled: it’s just not the same online

Photo: Jjoosst via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jjoosst via Wikimedia Commons

Tilburg has cancelled its Carnaval celebrations, fearing a repeat of last year, when the event was thought to have been one of the main spreaders of coronavirus in the early stages of the pandemic in Brabant and Limburg.

Carnaval takes place the early spring, on the weekend before the six weeks of Lent, and is perhaps the most important event on the calendar of the southern provinces. The three days of partying always involve parades, costumes, oompah bands and plenty of beer.

The Tilburg carnival association had been thinking long and hard about alternatives but could come up with none that were satisfactory, chairman Patrick Dewez told local broadcaster Omroep Brabant.

‘It is just not feasible to celebrate togetherness and fun online and images of the celebrations would go around the world with everyone pointing the finger at Tilburg again,’ Dewez said, referring to a much-critisised gathering of hundreds of football fans last month where social distancing was not practiced.

Tilburg is the first major carnival town to cancel the celebrations. On Monday, other Brabant cities were still weighing the options but Eindhoven has since followed suit.

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