The World Port Days are being held in Rotterdam for the 35th time. This year, that will be on 7, 8 and 9 September.
The festival will take place on the banks of the river Maas in the centre of the city and on the industrial site in the 40-kilometre long port. This year’s theme is ‘The port of Rotterdam sounds like music’. Every year, the World Port Days attracts around 400,000 visitors.
“Despite the euro crisis, things are still going well in the port of Rotterdam. Last year, there was even another throughput record. With the construction of Maasvlakte 2, Rotterdam will get a new port area on deep water. We are therefore facing the future with confidence. Hence the theme: “The port of Rotterdam sounds like music “,” explains festival director Sabine Bruijnincx .
Music
Music will also feature strongly in the World Port Days in the literal sense. The Port Authority has already been sponsoring the Rotterdam Schouwburg and the concert hall for years. Many musicians from the conservatoire that makes use of these facilities will be playing on various stages during the festival. On the Saturday of the festival, the artists of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival will perform. This is the all-round classical music festival of Rotterdam music city, and an ode to Valery Gergiev, who was musical director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra between 1995 and 2008.
On Saturday evening, there will be the big, traditional firework display on the river Maas, preceded by lots of music and dance on the water. Enthusiasts can then cross the Rijnhavenbrug on foot to the ‘Night of De Kaap’. This is an alternative music festival, which lasts deep into the night ‘on Katendrecht’. The old dock area here is transformed into a trendy entertainment centre.
Excursions
People must be able to enjoy themselves at the World Port Days, but it is also important that the visitors learn something. Slowly but surely, the port has moved away from the city. The World Port Days is one way of tightening the bond between city and port. It is for this reason that the emergency services perform a lot of demonstrations on the water on how to fight not only ships’ fires but also pirates. In addition to this, the curious can take a bus from the festival centre and take part in numerous excursions, for example to container terminals, Maasvlakte 2 and the customs.
[mappress]
Source: portofrotterdam, August 13, 2012