‘The celebration of life’ – Festivals are places of resistance against terror.

Last weekend ‘Rock am Ring’, the largest Rock festival in Germany, was temporarily shut-down. The German police suspected that radical co-workers of the festival might have planned a terrorist attack. With dogs, police searched for explosives but nothing was found and although the festival audience had missed the closing act of ‘Rammstein’, the party was able to continue the following day.

The day after, at the other side of the North Sea, London was shaken by coward terrorist attacks. Seeing the images of the attacks in London, I began to imagine the devastation of such on attack when it would hit festivals. More than the loss of (young) individuals, such an attack would be an assault on life itself.

Festivals are places distinct from the ordinary life. They form safe environments for visitors to unshackle the chains of their social surrounding and immerse themselves into a world where there are no expectations, no demands and no pressure. Festivals are places were sorrows and oppressive thoughts can temporarily be forgotten.

Therefore, festivals stand for everything that terrorists try to undermine: the celebration of life.

Because of its unique distinctive character, festivals are the breeding ground for pleasure, happiness, freedom and love. People come here to enjoy the essence of, and to rejoice life. This is the pure beauty of festivals and the core of its gravitation in today’s society.

Eventually what we try to do at festivals is to live our lives at the fullest; to reach to the utter spheres of euphoria that are incorporated in life itself. Therefore, festivals stand for everything that terrorists try to undermine: the celebration of life.

In this sense, festivals, for me, are places of resistance against the fear that terrorists try to spread in the minds of individuals. We must continue to celebrate these places, because it embodies the spirit that we are not paralysed by this anxiety. This perseverance shows that our urge to rejoice life is much stronger than our fear of death.

With the attack in London, fear once again spread into the minds of many. But the continuation of the festive moments at ‘Rock am Ring’ embodies that, although we are not impregnable, our spirit can never be broken. With each and every festival that is held, my hope for a world without terror is fueled.

This weekend a small number of people have, yet again, tried to terrorise our world with death. It was a sick, miserable and cowardly act. Looking at festivals, I see the will to celebrate what these persons try to erase: the celebration of life.

Photos used in this article retain credit to: EDMkevin and Heidiefocus