Harmony of Hardcore, 7th Sunday and Paaspop are strongly opposing a new ‘fun tax’ that could cost the three Dutch festivals more than €300,000 a year. The local municipality plans to introduce a levy of €1.50 per paying visitor per festival day from 2028. The organisers believe the measure is unfair and have now made a striking promise: if the tax is scrapped, they will freeze their ticket prices in 2028.
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Harmony of Hardcore and 7th Sunday are held annually at the De Roost festival grounds in Erp, while Paaspop takes place in nearby Schijndel. Both towns belong to the same Dutch municipality, Meierijstad, which is responsible for local regulations and event permits in the area. The municipality wants to introduce what is officially known in Dutch as a ‘vermakelijkhedenretributie’, a local entertainment levy. Often referred to as a ‘fun tax’, the proposed measure would require large festival organisers to contribute towards the costs of public facilities and municipal services used by festival visitors.
Under the proposal, organisers would have to pay €1.50 for every paying visitor, for each festival day. The municipality expects the levy to generate approximately €307,500 annually. Importantly, this is a tax imposed on the organisers, not a direct charge to festivalgoers. However, the additional costs could eventually be passed on through higher ticket prices.
“It feels like a stab in the back”
The proposed tax has sparked frustration among the festival organisers. Johan Dortmans, director of Par-T, the company behind Harmony of Hardcore and 7th Sunday, strongly criticised the plans in an interview with Dutch regional broadcaster Omroep Brabant. “As organisers, we already have to work incredibly hard to attract people to our events. Now we really feel like we’re being held back. The message from the municipality feels like a stab in the back.”
According to Dortmans, the festivals already cover substantial costs for security, cleaning and traffic management themselves. The organisers also question why the tax would only apply to three festivals. In the Netherlands, events are classified into different risk categories when applying for permits. The proposed levy would specifically target Category C events, which are large-scale events with a significant impact on their surroundings and local traffic. Of the approximately 150 events requiring permits in Meierijstad, only Paaspop, Harmony of Hardcore and 7th Sunday fall into this category.
“It feels incredibly unfair. There are plenty of other events organised in Meierijstad that also require these services. The way the costs are being distributed simply feels unfair,” Dortmans told Omroep Brabant.
Paaspop director Peter Sanders also questions the financial justification behind the proposal. According to him, the municipality’s assessed direct costs for the three festivals amount to approximately €125,000 per year, while the tax would generate more than €300,000. The municipality, however, argues that the levy should also cover indirect expenses, such as road maintenance and the upkeep of public green spaces. The organisers believe they should only be charged for the actual costs associated with their events. “Then just let us pay those costs, and nothing more. Don’t turn us into a revenue stream,” Sanders stated.
Organisers promise to freeze ticket prices
With the Dutch festival industry already facing rising costs and pressure on ticket sales, the three organisers are making one final attempt to persuade the local government to reconsider.
They have jointly promised that if the proposed tax is withdrawn, ticket prices for Paaspop, Harmony of Hardcore and 7th Sunday will remain unchanged in 2028. According to the organisers, this would help keep their festivals accessible and affordable for visitors.
The Meierijstad municipal council is set to vote on the proposal on Thursday, 5 November. The decision will determine whether the three festivals will face the additional levy from 2028 onwards.
