Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Non-members can add the privileges at checkout through our 30 day free trial The fifth stop of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup series takes place this weekend in Hilvarenbeek Beekse Bergen is a new and unique venue on the World Cup circuit and the surrounding safari is home to over 1200 animals Here are three women's favorites for Beekse Bergen:  Clara Honsinger missed the Tabor World Cup opting to hone in her cyclocross skills alongside new EF Education-TIBCO-SVB teammate Zoe Bäckstedt.  Her venture away from the World Cup was confidence inspiring Honsinger won both days of the Coupe de France Cyclo-cross in Nommay.  The conditions this weekend are not tailor made for the mud-loving American champion from the Pacific Northwest but we can expect a motivated showing from Honsinger all the same. Although Marianne Vos placed ninth at the European Cyclocross Championships last weekend in Namur she had a strong start and led the race through the second lap Look for Vos to come back with a top performance at Beekse Bergen as she continues to build up from her late-season start Kata Blanka Vas took a solid fifth place finish at the last stop of the World Cup in Maasmechelen and third place at the European Championships last weekend The 21-year-old is only in her second year as an Elite racer but has been a consistent top-five finisher in every race she has done in the 2022-23 cyclocross season Fem Van Empel remains undefeated in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup this season She also secured the elite European championship title but one has to wonder if the young phenom started her season a bit too hot.  Former world champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado put Van Empel under pressure at the European Championships then took the win at Superprestige Niel - Jaarmarktcross Both Dutch riders are expected to be at the front of the field this weekend but the emerging power dynamic between the two will be one to keep an eye on Get the most important Cycling stories delivered straight to your inbox The body of a 19-year-old man was found at the Decibel Outdoor festival in Hilvarenbeek The cause of death was not known by Saturday evening Police said that the deceased individual was found in the morning in a tent at the camping area of Beekse Bergen Nothing has been ruled out regarding the cause of death but investigators were under the assumption it was a medical incident A spokesperson for Decibel Outdoor confirmed that there was an incident with a visitor at the festival site on Saturday morning “The person in question was taken away in an ambulance Later we heard that the person had passed away.” The spokesperson calls the death “terrible,” and offered “condolences to all the relatives.” March 14 (UPI) -- A visitor to a Netherlands zoo captured video of three bears showing utter fascination when confronted by a bewildering interloper: a pink balloon The curious bears sniff the balloon and swat at it with their paws in apparent attempt to identify the strange floating object The violent examination eventually causes the balloon to pop an event that seems to only further fascinate the furry trio Last year, Beekse Bergen announced with great fanfare that three of its African elephants were pregnant the safari park in Hilvarenbeek made the happy announcement that the third baby elephant was born healthy and strong Baby elephant Tendai was born on Monday to Punda the matriarch of the African elephants in Beekse Bergen “Tendai means ‘grateful’ because we are so grateful for all the healthy happiness in the herd!” Beekse Bergen said on Tuesday The first of the baby elephants to make their arrival was Mosi, born to Pina-Nessi on November 4 “Mosi means ‘firstborn.’ A fitting name because she is the first African elephant to be conceived and born in the Safari Park.” Mosi is Pina-Nessi’s first calf Bongi also became a mother to her first calf “A fitting name for this beautiful second calf in the herd.” All three calves and their mothers are healthy and strong Cheetah cubs were born in Safari Park Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek on Sunday The female cheetah Daria came from France to Beekse Bergen in October as part of a management program And to think that the pregnancy lasts about three months," says head zookeeper Christian Meurrens but it's not unusual for a cub not to survive its first litter A first birth like this takes a little longer anyway and something probably went wrong," says Meurrens Beekse Bergen is the studbook keeper of the European cheetah management program Curator Lars Versteege said that they aimed to find two animals that matched genetically we have the important task of putting genetically good animals together so that we have a healthy reserve population in European zoos We are very happy with these two healthy cubs." The cheetahs will be in the enclosure for the coming weeks it is not easy for young cheetahs to explore the outside world on their own The duo must also grow first so that they are strong enough for the outside world we will also find out the gender of the cubs." there are barely 7,000 cheetahs in the wild there is a very high risk that the species will quickly become extinct "About 75 percent of all cheetahs live outside protected areas and then come into conflict with livestock farmers which has consequences for the cheetahs," says Meurrens Awakenings will descend upon Hilvarenbeek for the celebratory debut edition of the Awakenings Summer Festival: a three day techno weekender Today the techno powerhouse is revealing the full lineup consisting of 131 acts spread out over three days of pounding beats at the brand-new festival site in Hilvarenbeek For every event Awakenings manages to come up with the biggest and boldest lineup a techno lover can imagine Awakenings has prided itself in booking diverse and encompassing lineups and this time around will be no different Aside from the regular heavy hitters like Charlotte de Witte a slew of rising talent will be making their way down to Hilvarenbeek No less than 27 acts on the line-up are slated to debut at Awakenings Summer Festival this year mainstays in the alternative club-scene for years Other notable names on the lineup are local talents Philou Louzolo and Nicky Elisabeth international upcoming acts Hector Oaks and Adiel as well as global mainstays who will be making their Awakenings debut such as Skream and Denis Sulta Once again Awakenings is putting themselves in the unique position of booking a highly progressive lineup for one of the world’s biggest techno events we cannot wait to be back in the field again This year we will celebrate our 25th anniversary with a completely new festival with a camping site and three days of music with many familiar and new faces It feels like we are getting ready for the next 25 years” says Michiel Tettero Awakenings Summer Festival is the culmination of a quarter century worth of pioneering techno events celebrating the 25th anniversary of Awakenings Pundits can expect a festival with the typical top-quality production with added elements in order to honour the special occasion more stages and more days of partying open up doors for a truly next-level Awakenings experience Techno-lovers can travel to Hilvarenbeek during the last weekend of July from far and wide with the possibility of staying at the camping site or one of the many other types of accommodation offered on site Single day tickets will go on sale later on this year Safari Park Beekse Bergen and the Royal Burgers’ Zoo have exchanged two female cheetahs The female cheetah from the zoo in Arnhem did not show much interest in the male there and the zookeepers hope that the one from the safari park in Hilvarenbeek will be a better match The female from Beekse Bergen is also related to all the males there so swapping with the Royal Burgers’ Zoo will also increase the genetic variety Beekse Bergen coordinates the European population management program for the cheetah so it knows all the bloodlines in the participating European zoos and works to keep the population as genetically varied as possible Males and females only live together during mating season Cheetahs are also quite picky in their choice of partner the female and male in the Arnhem Zoo do not appear to be a good match,” Safari Park Beekse Bergen said The cheetah leaving the Beekse Bergen Safaripark is Bomani, a young cub born at the Hilvarenbeek location. She was part of a group of seven cubs born to two different cheetahs in the park. One of the seven died shortly after birth, and one of the adult females, Sara, fell ill. The other cheetah mom, Kate, stepped up to take care of all six remaining cubs Beekse Bergen's cheetahs were in the news a year later, when one of the animals bit a German teenager. The boy was walking around the safari park with two others when they accidentally wandered past warning signs and over an electrified grid, entering the cheetah enclosure by accident. They took off running when they found themselves near one of the cheetahs. The animal took off after them and grabbed the 17-year-old boy. A park ranger saw the incident and rescued the boy. He was treated and released in an area hospital. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. HomeDestinationsInterestsTop Places to Travel by MonthSearchMenuBest time to go to Amsterdam Searching for a power-packed European techno event It takes place several times a year across different venues Awakenings has New Year and Easter editions at Gashouder (and Halfweg) and the Summer Camping Festival in Hilvarenbeek The events typically last for several days and feature live and DJ acts by rising stars as well as the biggest names of the scene The Awakenings Summer Festival is held ar Hilvarenbeek Friday's schedule runs from 4:00 pm to 1:00 am Camping facilities are available from Friday at 12 pm until Monday at 10:00 am The festival's main site boasts a total of eight stages with the following lineup: On Friday you'll get to experience performances by 999999999 Saturday's lineup includes Adam Beyer & Joseph Capriati Sunday will feature performances by Barry Can't Swim You can choose from various ticket options for the upcoming festival If you prefer to attend on individual days weekend ticket options are available with accommodation The Grand Camping weekend ticket costs €230 while the Relax Resort weekend ticket costs €260 All of the events are restricted to attendees aged 18 and above Awakenings Festival was originally organized 25 years ago as a one-day event in Spaarnwoude—over 100 acts on more than eight stages spread throughout the Velsen Valley The lineups of the festival in the past years included Carl Cox A 21-year-old Dutch woman died after a fall in the Val Thorens ski area, French media reported The young woman fell while skiing on a blue slope and landed on the nearby competition slope The woman was unconscious when the emergency services arrived First responders resuscitated her with a defibrillator before rushing her to the hospital in Grenoble Omroep Brabant reported that the woman was from Hilvarenbeek and worked as a bartender at the football club Hilvaria “She worked every Sunday afternoon with enthusiasm and a beautiful smile behind the bar where she was a familiar and valued face for many members of our club,” Hivaria said “We will miss her warm personality and conviviality enormously.” the weather conditions were good when the accident happened The tour is in support of the band's 2023 LP 'Perfect Saviors' The Armed have announced a 2024 UK and European tour which is set to begin this summer The band will kick off their tour with a performance at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival on May 30 The run of dates will wrap up on July 12 with their set at the Pohoda Festival in Slovakia To announce the tour, the band took to their official X/Twitter account and shared the tour poster with the caption “Let’s get messy”. General ticket sale will commence this Friday, January 26 at 10am local time. Visit here for tickets and check out the full list of dates below Tickets for headliners go up for sale Friday at 10 am local LET'S GET MESSY. pic.twitter.com/DN9WvV3Huv — The Armed (@thearmed) January 24, 2024 The tour is in support of The Armed’s fifth LP ‘Perfect Saviors‘. In a four-star review of the album NME shared: “While their sound has become more accessible it’s also as forward-thinking as we’ve come to expect of The Armed They warp their influences and push them to the brink; beneath incredibly catchy hooks are complex layers of sound giving each song unique scope and intensity If their previous albums sounded like hardcore on steroids and deranged this is the same for their brand of rock-and-roll.” Elsewhere, last year, Wolski, the band’s frontman, reflected on the group’s decision to remain anonymous for so long The Detroit collective’s secrecy surrounding their identities has been a significant part of their artistry to the extent that they had even sent actors to masquerade as them in interviews When asked why they have slowly revealed their real identities to the world for the first time, Wolski told NME that the group “never really anticipated” a time where their anonymity would be such a focus He himself had used the alias Adam Vallely The world’s defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking what’s new and what’s next since 1952 The Awakenings brand has been a household name in the electronic music industry when it comes to techno for over 25 years The summer edition of their festival brought 100,000 attendees with 15,000 visitors staying on the campsite and more than 100 nationalities represented What sets Awakenings apart from other weekend festivals is that it seeks to be more than just your run of the mill festival experience but rather is branded as a techno holiday Awakenings is a vacation experience that combines relaxing and spiritual components such as yoga coupled with music festival essentials such as art installations In this review we’ll dive deep into every aspect of the festival however unfortunately since Sunday was canceled we were unable to capture the full magic of Awakenings and see all of the artists on our must-see-list We arrived at the festival on Friday in the late afternoon after a two-and-a-half-hour car drive from The Hague in horrible vacation traffic with no air conditioning It wWas the perfect weather for a festival but not for a long drive stuck in Friday traffic Getting into the festival was easy with clear signage of where to go and helpful staff leading the way There were even stands along the route from the parking lot to the festival entrance selling cold drinks and slushies Awakenings took place in the beautiful town of Hilvarenbeek located in the North Brabant province of the Netherlands The sun-drenched festival grounds really encompassed the concept of an ultimate techno holiday with stunning lakes and shady woods if you needed a break from all the fun in the sun The stages were connected throughout the festival grounds by bridges crossing the water We were able at one point to take a boat from one side of the festival to the other which was something I’ve never experienced at a festival before You could also take pedal boats and traverse the lake a nice refreshing collaboration between Awakenings and Fuze Tea Walking around the festival there were incredible art installations throughout for example the woods lit up at night with geometric structures at the centerpiece of the festival grounds was a Ferris Wheel where you could get a bird’s eye view of all the action One note though for those who like to wear white shoes or fancy platforms take an extra pair of shoes with you or leave them at home because it did get quite dusty The price for food and drinks were standard compared to other festivals in the Netherlands (around five tokens for 19 euros) There were a variety of food and drinks to choose from such as smoothies One notable detail concerning the food was that in line with Awakenings’ sustainability efforts,  the festival was 100% vegetarian not only for the patrons but for the crew as well The stages at Awakenings are differentiated by letter with Area W being the main stage This did get a bit confusing but thankfully the map in the app made it easy to find each of the stages On Friday four stages were open to the public: Areas V Area V served as the main stage equipped with fireworks and some of the biggest artists in the scene On Saturday all of the stages were open to the public however unfortunately because the festival was canceled on Sunday we couldn’t spend as much time as we would have liked at each of the stages this colossal structure comparable to a stack of skyscrapers which illuminated the sky on Saturday night The second largest stage at the festival was a large wooden architectural spectacle At night fireworks lit the sky (and even some shot out over the crowd which I’ve never seen before!).   Area Y was my personal favorite of each of the stages as it was the home to the harder names in the techno scene This large tent was also equipped with large video screens and of course (even more lasers!) Area U was unique in the fact that it was the only stage that was totally built on the water This stage really gave you vacation vibes as you danced on top of the lake to pulsating techno Area L (the Lab) was located across from a shady woods perfect for cooling down and enjoying some art installations This stage hosted in collaboration with Mixmag and Red Bull was home to some of the emerging talents in the scene Situated behind the main stage was Area X where legends like Nina Kraviz took the stage If lasers are your thing then this area was for you Area C was home to some of our favorite artists like Seth Troxler and Patrick Topping Area D was the Gashouder stage nestled in the woods paying homage to the iconic Amsterdam venue copying the iconic framework of the Temple of Techno an intimate area with illegal rave vibes located in the woods was where you could find some of the hottest names in the local techno scene Awakenings had a state-of-the-art sound system we did not hear of any  issues concerning the sound at any of the stages Each stage had its own set of unique visuals between lasers On Saturday evening fireworks lit up the sky in Area W One major takeaway throughout the weekend is Awakenings’ dedication to the underground vibe This is a notion that is sometimes overlooked or forgotten as electronic music becomes more and more commercial (especially in the Netherlands) Despite the fact that Awakenings is one of the most well-known techno festivals in the world the vibe of the festival remains to be intimate and gives visitors that true underground feeling One example of this was Stage L that Awakenings hosted together with Mixmag Stage L was set up like Boiler Room parties Boiler Room events are infamous for their intimate settings where guests are encouraged not only to dance in the crowd but to dance in the DJ booth around the DJ Boiler Room sets are known for being underground and intimate One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend for me was ANNA Despite the fact it was early on a Friday afternoon she threw down Her energy on stage was contagious and it set the tone for the rest of the evening in Area Y I tried to use the “Shazam” app to look up some of the incredible tracks she was playing but was unsuccessful in finding them If anyone has track names from this set send them our way because it was fire One of the main reasons I survived the COVID-19 pandemic was because of Ben Böhmer’s live-streams To be able to see him live on stage for the first time (and not just on my TV) was a real treat he dropped some of our favorite tracks like Beyond Beliefs A new addition to my must-see list this festival season is Kölsch After stumbling upon his set in the forest at World Club Dome in Germany last month I knew I couldn’t miss him at Awakenings He had us grooving to Deep Inside and Environ His set was a pure mix of deep melodic elements paired with euphoric rhythm I’m eager to see what he has in store for us in the future!   Italian DJ and Producer Debroah de Luca is most known for her energetic stage presence and dark pulsating music and her Awakenings set was no exception She dropped a few of my favorites such as Free Yourself and Outer Halo Her sets are known to take listeners on a journey and looking out into the packed crowd everyone was captivated by her sound Awakenings continues to be a leader in the scene when it comes to accessibility and sustainability for instance the Social Safety hub and the Low Stimulus Sapce are initiatives they hope other festivals will be incorporating soon as well.  The Social Safety Hub is a concept implemented by Sexmatters and is accessible for visitors who at any point throughout the festival feel unsafe or need guidance or advice regarding a difficult situation that they or their friends are experiencing But also visitors that just have questions or are interested in the topic are more than welcome to come over for a chat The low stimulus space is a partnership with HandicapNL and Philips TV & Sound and is an area of the festival where guests can go to relax in a quiet and safe space or access the care that they might need throughout the weekend The low stimulus space consisted of small lounges with TV screens showing calming images with noise canceling headphones featuring ambient playlists that DJs made specifically for these rooms there was also an option to listen to white noise or to have total silence Next to the low stimulus space was a care room with a bed and medical caretakers from HandicapNL available to those who need it These important aspects of the festival demonstrate Awakenings’ dedication to making the festival accessible for everyone and making all ravers feel welcome and comfortable especially people with a disability who would maybe choose to stay at home if such services weren’t available for them on the festival grounds. it was clear to me from the very beginning that sustainability is crucial to the festival and the brand overall Awakenings implemented the recycle token system where upon entering the festival you’re given a recycle token then with every drink purchased you either need to provide a recycle token or bring your cup or can back to the bar (otherwise you pay a fee on your next drink) This system ensures that the grounds are clean as it encourages visitors to hold on to their cup rather than throwing them on the floor Awakenings reuses the same wood from the stages each year and repurposes it in different ways even the wristbands for entrance were made from recycled material which also adds to its sustainability efforts Awakenings is one of those festivals that encompasses so much more than just music It’s a brand that is committed to not only major causes such as sustainability and accessibility but also representation and diversity within its line ups The Awakenings line up this year had artists from all over the world many of whom were female it’s amazing to see so many talented female artists taking the stage and we hope that other festivals follow suit the festival was cut short due to inclement weather the organizers made the tough call to cancel the final day of the festival Visitors were notified before the start of the festival and those camping were evacuated for the international visitors that couldn’t go home yet shelter was provided on-site I luckily was home (about to leave actually) when I received the news I did see that instructions were given via email regarding refunds and other important information for those camping It is always a tough call to make when it comes to canceling a festival but safety should always be at the forefront and we will definitely be coming back next year!  Luckily for us Awakenings will also host a total of 9 events during Amsterdam Dance Event coming October. Full line ups will be released Wednesday July 19th and tickets will go on sale on Thursday July 20th at 20:00 CEST via Awakenings Credits: Editorial content from our partner EDM-Housenetwork Photo: Rob Engelaar ANP/HHA drone photo of the fire Photo: Rob Engelaar ANP/HHThe main complex in the Beekse Bergen holiday park in Hilvarenbeek has been destroyed by a fire following a gas leak No-one was injured in the blaze which sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the sky and has destroyed the building completely The complex included a restaurant and covered swimming pool The fire is thought to have started in the kitchen The holiday park is next to the safari park with the same name but that remains open to the public and the animals were not in danger We could not provide the Dutch News service without the generous support of our readers Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days We could not provide this service without you Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey The number of crimes registered in the Netherlands increased by about 7 percent last year compared to a year earlier The police recorded a total of almost 797,000 criminal acts There was a higher number of crimes reported in about 60 percent of municipalities the crime rate is still lower than before coronavirus according to an analysis by ANP based on police figures which were updated on Monday the number of registered crimes fell almost continuously the second year of the coronavirus pandemic the number of offenses reached the lowest level since the current method of counting began the analysis of the increase in 2022 will show a strong influence from the relaxation of coronavirus measures at the beginning of last year "The increased crimes include many offenses that are directly related to the reopening of shops catering and the increase in mobility," said a police spokesperson Of the group of high impact crimes - a collective name for crimes that have a major impact on the victim and society - the police noted an increase in the number of home burglaries (3 percent) cases of assault (13 percent) and street robberies (7 percent) Other robberies fell slightly by 2 percent compared to a year earlier The number of reports of cybercrime remained more or less the same at around 14,000 the number of cybercrime cases rose sharply the number of registered online crimes increased fivefold The number of registered crimes rose in six out of ten municipalities This number rose the fastest in Hilvarenbeek Nijmegen and Haarlem showed the greatest increases last year compared to 2021 ANP concluded on the basis of police figures that many more drivers had been caught driving under the influence last year More and more batteries from electric bicycles are also being stolen 19 August will bring the high point of your festival summer: Decibel outdoor 2017 natural landscape of the Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek will be divided among a variety of stops a really Hardcore closing number never previously performed on the Decibel main stage this forms the epicentre of Decibel outdoor Dance with us in Pussy Parade; you might even choose to spend the end of your festival day here because the final show at the Pussy lounge will be more magnificent than ever with the best of Jump and Freestyle in the mix The real diehards can enjoy the hard sound offered by Hardcore4life Darkness4life has indoor and outdoor stages you will find the four hardest stages of the festival On the shores of the Beekse Bergen lake you can enjoy the best of what Hardstyle can offer We put the gear into in reverse and drive back in time with remember back2school is divided between indoor and outdoor stages to get even more out of the broad spectrum of Early Rave and Millennium Hardcore With remember you can enjoy the best Hardstyle Classics takes you back to the ‘nineties with the best Oldschool music For those who can’t get enough from one day of festival you’ll get the most from your Decibel weekend Have three full days of festival madness and camp with your friends on the Decibel camp site Make sure to get your ticket in time – this event is not to be missed Get all your friends together and prepare for your ultimate destination: Decibel outdoor For more information about Decibel outdoor and ticket info, go to www.decibeloutdoor.com WEBSITE BY BHUGE We use cookies to give you the best experience on our site You can find more information about the cookies we use or turn them off in the settings This site uses cookies to provide you with the best possible user experience Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing when you return to our site and helping our team understand which parts of the site you find most interesting and useful Strictly necessary cookies must always be enabled so that we can save your cookie preference settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this site you will need to enable or disable cookies again The three-day festival Decibel Outdoor in Hilvarenbeek will happen as planned this weekend a spokesperson for the Decibel Outdoor organization said after consultation with the Hilvarenbeek municipality The police unions announced on Tuesday that no police officers will be deployed to the festival as part of labor actions for a better collective bargaining agreement The festival organization hired security personnel from a private security company to check visitors when they arrive at the festival The security officers will also take over the supervision the police usually do at the festival and there will be traffic controllers to guide traffic The municipality and festival organization emphasize that the police will still respond for disasters and emergencies they deploy 300 officers to the event every year "These are not people who are continuously working for Decibel" stand along the access routes and are deployed at the control room." He emphasized that the festival still has a zero-tolerance policy "We have certain standards and values we pursue the security officers will seize the drugs and the offender will be asked to leave the festival site The Decibel spokesperson is disappointed that the police action is happening now we want to focus on elements that make the experience better At the same time we respect the police and their right to strike." The municipality also told RTL that they have a lot of appreciation for the police and the work they do and their remuneration must be proportional The municipality said they're surprised that Decibel was chosen for the police action because the police always find it a fun event to work with A body was discovered in a canal near Biest-Houtakker during the Decibel Outdoor festival in Hilvarenbeek, Noord-Brabant, according to a police report on Monday. This marks the second death associated with the hardstyle music event, following the discovery of a deceased man in a tent within the camping area on Sunday We hebben in een kanaal bij Biest-Houtakker een overleden persoon aangetroffen onderzoek moet uitwijzen of het de vermiste man is On Monday, the police announced a 23-year-old man had gone missing. His friends alerted the police at 01:45 a.m. early Monday, stating they had lost contact with him, AD reported With no contact established by Monday morning Both police and festival security initiated a search the police reported the discovery of a body in a canal near Biest-Houtakker An investigation is underway to determine if it is the missing individual Lichaam gevonden in zoektocht naar vermiste festivalganger Decibel Biest-Houtakkerhttps://t.co/UyLVR57sty This is the second death linked to this year's Decibel Outdoor Festival a 19-year-old man was found dead in a tent at the Beekse Bergen camping area where the festival takes place Although efforts were made to resuscitate him