Carnival season opened across Brabant with celebrations and traditions

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Brabant’s carnival season was inaugurated on 11 November with parties, polonaises and beer across the province, with the official carnival due in 87 days. Merel Meijer from Hank won the “Carnival of Your Life” event after a difficult period following the death of her son two months earlier. In Schaijk, the event was held for the first time, with about 700 carnival groups celebrating in a red-and-blue tent. In Heense Molen, Lowie decorated his homemade roadside display in carnival style and entertained passing motorists.

The Den Bosch music group De Kikvorschen marked its 99th anniversary by attending the annual service at St John’s Cathedral for sick and deceased Oeteldonkers and lighting a candle at the Sweet Lady. Visitors from outside Brabant, including friends from the Randstad and students in Den Bosch, also joined the celebrations, saying they valued the province’s conviviality, joy and solidarity.

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Opening of the carnival season in Brabant

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The carnival season began on 11 November, the traditional Eleventh of the Eleventh, with celebrations across Brabant. In Oeteldonk, carnival was due to be officially opened at 11.11am, while live coverage also came from Huibuukeland and Uden and a bus toured the province. Rain, cold weather and a forecast of possible freezing temperatures led many revellers in Oeteldonk to move into pubs, although the Market remained busy despite the weather.

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Start of the carnival season in Schaijk

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Schaijk celebrated 11 November for the first time with a carnival event in a red-and-blue tent on the square, attended by about 700 people. The event marked the start of the new carnival season. Organizers said they wanted to keep local young people and other carnival-goers in the village rather than seeing them travel to larger celebrations elsewhere. Visitors said the local event offered a quieter and more convivial alternative.

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Carnival season opening on 11 November in North Brabant and Limburg

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The carnival season was opened on 11 November in North Brabant and Limburg, with cities becoming busy by late afternoon. In Breda, the planned Bredase Night Horeca Crawl was cancelled after the municipality said an organised pub crawl would conflict with measures intended to manage and spread visitor flows. No permit had been sought or refused; the organisers cancelled after discussions with the municipality. Individual cafés could still hold activities within their hospitality permits, and ticket holders were to receive refunds. In Tilburg, the municipality, hospitality sector and carnival foundation agreed that visitors of any age could be refused entry or removed for nuisance, visible alcohol or drug influence, unsafe behaviour or another security risk. Later that evening, Tilburg said its city centre was full and closed several streets and squares to further visitors.

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Elfth of the Elfth carnival opening took place in Tilburg

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The Elfth of the Elfth, the traditional opening of the carnival season, took place in Tilburg with minors allowed onto the party grounds under tightened safety arrangements. The municipality, the hospitality sector and the carnival foundation agreed that people causing nuisance or visibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs could be refused entry. More NIX18 teams addressed minors drinking alcohol, while support teams assisted security staff with enforcement. Security officers checked minors’ identification and said they had refused entry to two adults who were too drunk. Children and teenagers attended alongside adults, while first-aid workers treated several incidents. A young person was brought in with hypothermia after drinking, three intoxicated teenagers were advised to go home, and staff treated people who had been assaulted or injured in falls. By the end of the afternoon, the hospitality sector said there had been no major incidents, although staff said they would remain vigilant.