House festival Music On has been cancelled at the last minute this weekend. The two-day event was scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10 at the Meerpark in Amsterdam East and was completely sold out with 20,000 visitors.
One hour before the scheduled opening, the municipality of Amsterdam revoked the permit.
The reason: a different tent than originally permitted
Organiser Loveland had received permission for a specific type of tent, a so-called Sahara tent. Ultimately, a different tent stood on the site. The organisation asked the municipality to amend the permit, but the Environmental Agency issued a negative safety opinion regarding the structure. Despite consultations regarding additional measures, that opinion remained in place.
According to Mayor Halsema, who is ultimately responsible for public order, the safety of visitors, staff, and artists could not be guaranteed as a result.
Loveland went to court, but was unsuccessful
In an emergency digital hearing, the organiser attempted to reverse the decision. However, the preliminary relief judge ruled that the municipality had intervened justifiably. Loveland founder Marnix Bal spoke of 'a fatal blow' and pointed out that, by his own account, his company has been building tents for thirty years without incident. Operations Director Wouter Muurlink later stated that the company will survive the financial blow.
The grounds at Meerpark are closed, and the entire program has been cancelled
Both the municipality and the organisation urge visitors not to come to the location. The municipality calls the cancellation unfortunate for the visitors but defends the decision as the correct conclusion in the interest of safety.
This may not yet conclude the case legally
Whether Loveland will take further steps, for example, through legal proceedings or a claim for damages against the municipality, is unclear at the time of writing. There is also uncertainty regarding the handling of tickets: the festival states that a team is working to communicate with those affected, but whether and how refunds will be issued has yet to be announced. Consequently, the final word on Music On 2026 has certainly not been spoken yet.
Source: Photo: iStockPhoto 930137908, De Telegraaf, NOS, Amsterdam, Music On
