The international’s guide to carnaval (part 3)

Say Tilburg, say carnaval! If you are an international student in The Netherlands, it is a tradition that might look strange at first. International student and travel blogger Dave Brett has celebrated the traditional Dutch party for two years now, and he wrote the ultimate guide to celebrating ‘Carnival’ in The Netherlands. During the countdown for carnaval 2015, we will publish it in parts. Today part three: The ultimate day to day plan for Dutch Carnaval.

Today I will explain how to make the most out of the Dutch carnaval as an international student here in Tilburg. I will also tell you which city you should visit around the Netherlands throughout the week: general information for any Dutchie or International to follow. Today we’ll discuss carnival Friday and Saturday.

Friday – Carnaval volleyball tournament with FOSST in Tilburg University Sports Centre.
Celebrations start early for students wanting to make the most out of carnaval. FOSST, the student sports association in Tilburg, holds an annual volleyball competition that kicks off the carnaval celebrations. Sign up for a volleyball team with six to twelve of your mates at €30 per team: register online. This can be an easy way to sort out your carnaval costume as your team needs to go as one theme. After you have had some student priced beers in the sports bar (yes, Dutch gyms have bars serving beer!), head on over to the volleyball tournament after-party at cafe Boekanier in the city centre. Make sure you purchase tickets in advance if you wish to participate, as all events during Carnaval sell out fast.

Saturday – Maastricht or Tilburg.
Depending where you are, Saturday makes a great day in either Tilburg (Brabant) or Maastricht (Limburg) to experience the opening ceremony during which the prince of Carnaval gets the key to the city in the morning at the central train station. The parade floats during the day are worth checking out, then you can attempt to visit as many bars as possible.

In Tilburg you can get a free tie to tick off each bar you visit and follow a route. Both cities have a different way or style of doing Carnaval, so it’s up to you where you choose to party. In my opinion Tilburg is the best out of the two: even though I am slightly biased. You can find a bar called Carpe Diem that will be hosting a Carnaval party for international students (I*ESN) on Saturday – worth checking out if you’re in town and want some cheap beers.

Mostly all the bars – even ones that remain closed throughout the year – will open up and play crazy Dutch music: the party is located throughout town. Many party tents around the city are set up and beer is being tapped on almost every corner.

The city will never look the same to you again and it’s a unique experience to be part of this event.