Mechelen (Eurotoday) – Event organizers express dismay over Mechelen’s decision to close the iconic Nekkerhal by 2032, calling it a major loss for the cultural and events scene.
They must now find a new venue for their gatherings.
“That is not easy, just find a hall of 18,000 square meters to organize a jumping”,
says Gunter Van Lent of Jumping Mechelen.
Plans for the next six years have been made public by the city of Mechelen. Closing the Nekkerhal in 2032 is one of the most ambitious schemes.
Every year, the Nekkerhal hosts a number of popular events. Consider the BRAS flea markets or the yearly Christmas leaping. Now, they need to find a new place.
The organizers respond with disillusionment.
It is also unfortunate, according to operator Easyfaires, that the hall may be going extinct. Since 2015, they have been running the hall and hosting events there as well.
“We have done our utmost. When we took over the hall, there were 16 events per year, now we have about 50 events in the hall”,
says COO Alain D’Haese.
This is also bad news for Jumping Mechelen.
“It will not be easy to find a new location,”
says Gunter Van Lent, chairman of Jumping Mechelen.
“Fortunately, 2032 is still a long way off,”
he says.
“In the meantime, we have been in the Nekkerhal for 42 years, hopefully we can still hold our 50th edition there. We also want to stay in Mechelen, so hopefully alternatives will come our way.”
Ivo Van Itterbeek, co-organizer of the ‘BRAS flea market’ is also shocked.
“The Nekkerhal is a hall with a good occupancy. I am completely taken aback.”
Van Itterbeek, who is the director of Daedalus, an events company, is an expert on the Nekkerhal in Belgium.
“There have been years when we spent half of our weekends in the Nekkerhal with our events. It’s a shame when such an iconic hall disappears.”
The Nekkerhal’s weariness was another observation made by the organizers.
“I think it was a matter of making big expenses or selling the hall,”
Comments
5 responses to “Event Planners Displeased with Nekkerhal Mechelen Closure”
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Closing the Nekkerhal? Brilliant move, Mechelen! Who needs a cultural hub when you can turn your city into a ghost town by 2032? 🎉🤦♂️
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Oh, brilliant move, Mechelen! Who needs an iconic venue when you can just host flea markets in someone’s garden? 🎪✌️ Good luck finding 18,000 square meters of “jumping” magic—maybe we can rent a field with a bouncy castle instead? 😏
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Closing the Nekkerhal? Brilliant move, Mechelen! Who needs a beloved venue for all those events when you can just make planners hunt for a new “expansive” spot in a city this size? 😂🥳
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Oh, perfect timing! Just as we were all planning our 2030s, the city decides to make us play hide-and-seek for venues. 😏 Good luck finding a 18,000-square-meter hall in Mechelen, lads – might as well ask for a unicorn while you’re at it! 🦄
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Closing the Nekkerhal, eh? Brilliant move, Mechelen! I mean, who needs a venue that’s been hosting events for decades when you can just slap on a “sorry, not sorry” sign and call it progress? 😂
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