Amsterdam authorities propose new sound and location restrictions for festivals

Amsterdam's local authorities will impose tight noise restrictions on electronic music festivals within the city centre, it has been revealed today.

The new bill is expected to come into force in January 2018 and will include stricter sound restrictions at the behest of local residents, who have become frustrated with the amount of noisey events taking place in the city.

The new regulations will be mean noise levels will be checked outside resident's houses near festival sites to make sure promoters are complying with the new rules.

To combat the bill's impact, promoters will likely have to invest in better sound systems and consider new ways to make sure sound levels don't go above the legal limit.

"All the promoters are happy with the results," Amsterdam's Night Mayor Mirik Milan told Resident Advisor.

"It will cost them more money but they're happy that they don't have to stop [putting on events].

"At the start of the process the city asked us if the scene could do with 20 to 25% fewer festivals in the Amsterdam area," explained Milan.

"This was, of course, no option for us because it would kill a lot of boutique festivals that maybe only organize one or two events a year. Keeping the scene open to all operators big and small was our goal from the beginning.

"The goal of the whole mediation process was to have fewer lawsuits against festivals.

"Almost every time a major festival takes place you have a lawsuit. Next year, the lawyers can look to these meetings and see that these issues were discussed and policies were agreed upon."

Authorities in Amsterdam are also looking into raising tourist taxes to try and control the influx of tourists into the city.