Ghent Festival sees more noise complaints but less waste; harassment reports surge

This year's Gentse Feesten festival in Ghent registered a rise in noise complaints and official violations, according to the city's end-of-event figures. City services recorded 41 complaints about noise disturbances, up from 32 last year. Consequently, 18 official reports (processen-verbaal) were issued for exceeding noise limits, a substantial increase from the 9 issued in the previous year. Two dedicated 'horeca coaches' engaged in 72 conversations with hospitality operators regarding issues such as noise levels and the ban on glass containers outside of licensed terraces.

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18 official reports were drawn up for exceeding the noise standards.

In contrast to the noise issues, waste management company Ivago reported a marginal decrease in the total amount of waste collected during the festival, down 0.3 percent to approximately 362 tons. Notably, the volume of glass collected dropped by 11 percent, suggesting a potential shift by organizers towards reusable materials. However, the amount of street sweepings from public areas increased by 21.5 percent.

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a total of 362 tons of waste were collected during the Gentse Feesten.

Significant increases were also observed in reports to the festival's cross-border behavior reporting point. This year, 74 reports were handled, compared to 51 last year. Of these, 37 related to sexual harassment, a sharp rise from 19 the previous year. The remaining reports concerned general inappropriate conduct or individuals seeking a safe space. The increased reporting may be partly attributed to the reporting point's higher visibility and the introduction of a mobile support team for the first time.

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37 had to do with sexual harassment, compared to 19 last year.

Medical services provided by the Red Cross saw a similar number of attendees seeking assistance as last year, with 2,294 visitors treated primarily for minor injuries like abrasions. A total of 193 festival-goers required transport to Ghent hospitals. Hotel occupancy rates during the 10-day festival were slightly lower than the previous year, averaging 83 percent compared to 86.8 percent. Dutch visitors formed the largest group of hotel guests at 31 percent, followed by Belgians (25 percent) and Germans (17 percent).

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2,294 visitors were cared for at the first aid posts.