On the 25th of September the Dutch nightlife slowly started to open up again. With the closing time a ‘little earlier’ than it normally would be. It leaves the people of the night to find their party somewhere else, or to be at home before 1 a.m.

‘’Being in a club and leaving before twelve just doesn’t feel the same’’ says Juliet, a third year student at Artez ‘’I don’t want to lie in bed at 1 a.m. on a Saturday evening.’’ Going out till the early morning is currently not possible to do in the Dutch clubs, and it leaves people to go over the border for a good party till the early hours, just like students Lisa an Juliet decided to do. Lisa tells: ‘’ we came here after school ended. We ate something in Zwolle and took the train to Antwerp, it took us around three hours from Zwolle to get to our hostel in Antwerp.’’

Inside of club Vaag, a well-known techno club in Antwerp, Dutch people are no strangers. Almost every Belgium person reassures that they straight up ‘’love the Hollanders’’ and that they are very welcome to join their clubs in Antwerp. ‘’Dutch people are kinder than the Belgians,’’ according to the lady behind the bar ‘’they are less aggressive.’’

Not only students decided that the closing hours in the Netherlands are too early. Dutch people in their mid-twenty are also present in Belgium. The only thing needed by the Dutch people for the party over the border is a valid QR code, transport and for some a place to sleep. Not only Antwerp is famous by the Hollanders, Index, a German club, is full of Dutch people as well. With approximately a 30 minute drive from Enschede to Index, a lot of Dutch people  find their nightlife experience here as well.

If it’s up to Lisa and Juliet the Dutch closing time will soon be normal. However, the Dutch government hasn’t shown any messages of easing the nightlife restrictions soon. It only leads up to the question if the Dutch people will keep looking for their nightlife experience abroad.