One month after the cancellation of Defqon.1, Dronten mayor Jean Paul Gebben (also responsible for Biddinghuizen) has spoken publicly about the difficult decision. Looking back, he explains how concerns over the extreme heat started days before the festival and why organizers ultimately had no choice but to pull the plug.
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According to Gebben, concerns began as soon as the first long-range weather forecasts appeared. “When I saw the 14-day forecast, I already started worrying. A week before the festival, the outlook became even more extreme. That’s when we knew this could become a serious situation.”
“At the table were Defqon’s management, the regional medical emergency organization, safety region advisors, and the event’s own medical team, which had built a temporary field hospital,” he told Binnenlands Bestuur. The key question was whether there would be enough medical capacity for more than 72,000 visitors. “The medical professionals told us they could no longer guarantee that everyone could receive safe medical care under these temperatures.” As a result, authorities decided to revoke the permit for day visitors. Around 25,000 people were informed shortly before the festival that they would no longer be allowed to enter the site in Biddinghuizen.
The decision was announced after The Gathering
When the Dutch weather institute KNMI officially issued a Code Red warning the following day, another round of discussions took place. Eventually, everyone involved reached the same conclusion: Defqon.1 could not continue safely. However, that decision was not immediately shared with weekend visitors already on-site. “We wanted to avoid people thinking, ‘Tomorrow it’s over anyway, so let’s go all out tonight.'” According to Gebben, announcing the cancellation during The Gathering could have encouraged visitors to take even greater risks. “That could have created even more dangerous situations. That’s why we deliberately waited until the program had ended.”
“There were no riots”
Following the cancellation, reports emerged claiming unrest had broken out at the festival grounds. According to the mayor, those reports exaggerated what actually happened. “I asked several times what had really taken place. In the end, fewer than one hundred visitors misbehaved.” Some people pulled on fences or climbed onto portable toilets, forcing security to intervene. “But there were absolutely no riots.” In fact, Gebben says other festival visitors confronted those causing trouble. “You can tell Defqon visitors genuinely care about their festival. They won’t allow a small group to ruin the atmosphere.”
“Defqon feels like one big family”
After several years as mayor, Gebben says he has developed a deep appreciation for the festival and its visitors. “When I first became mayor, I knew nothing about the hardstyle scene. By now, I’ve experienced seven editions.” What stands out to him most is the strong sense of community. “It may sound cliché, but Defqon really feels like one big family. The friendliness and respect among visitors are remarkable.”
Hospitals were already full
Even after most visitors had left the site, the situation remained difficult. Only a few thousand people were still present on Friday, yet the medical organization was already under significant pressure. “Even with only about five percent of the original number of visitors still on-site, our medical facilities were working at full capacity.” Those requiring hospital treatment could not always be transported immediately. “People who needed medical care couldn’t be taken to hospitals because they were simply already full.” The extreme temperatures only made matters worse. “We measured temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius on the floor inside one of the festival tents. Near the roof, temperatures climbed to roughly 80 degrees.”
Looking back, Gebben says those circumstances confirmed that cancelling Defqon.1 was the only responsible choice. “When you look at everything afterwards, there really was only one acceptable decision: the safety of visitors and emergency personnel had to come first.”
Images via Defqon.1 / 10K Photography
