After 25 Years, Organizer Xavier Weijts Ends Vostertfeesten Festival in Bree

After a quarter-century, Xavier Weijts is concluding the Vostertfeesten music festival in Bree. The organizer announced that this weekend marks the final edition of the three-day event, which has averaged 1,500 attendees daily and previously hosted acts like Billie Ocean, the Gibson Brothers, and Golden Earring. Weijts, who started the festival modestly by booking Mama's Jasje, saw it grow from a small tent on his café's parking lot to a significant local event. He decided to stop consciously after 25 years, seeking a graceful exit. "I'm getting a year older, and it's very stressful, as I do most of it alone," he explained. While he has sufficient help during the festival days, the extensive preparatory work, which he handles mostly by himself, consumes significant energy and causes stress. Weijts plans to continue operating his 35-year-old hospitality business and hopes to attend festivals as a visitor next year. He fondly recalls performances by Kim Welten and Billie Ocean as his most cherished memories, and noted Normaal and Romana as the most sympathetic artists backstage. He also shared an amusing anecdote about a performer's unusual demand for a pink mat in the dressing room. The final edition features Davy, Vera, and Erwin van Koerse today, with The Sweet, The Clarks, César Zuidwijk, and two original members of Golden Earring closing the festival on Sunday.

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I'm getting a year older, and it's very stressful, as I do most of it alone.