Rain ponchos, beer and music at the sold-out Hello Festival in Emmen. “The view with this new tent is much better.”

While two guys get beers, the rest of the group of friends in rainbow-colored hats waits. The soccer team from Harlem, which has been playing together for 35 years, is participating for the fourth time. “It’s been our usual weekend away ever since,” says Mark Neuenweg, 55, who has been staying at the camp with his team. “We can easily recognize each other by the hats. Last year we had pink hats, now we have rainbow hats.

A little further away there is an equally stunning collection. Two men are dancing on the hill, while the rest are resting with beer in their hands. Their bright yellow T-shirts carry the text ” Hello heroes On the back are the names of the artists performing today. “It’s nice,” says Jan de Kroon, 52. “Last year we had pink, and before that we had blue.”

Since 2015, the group of friends from Klazienaveen, Emmer- and Barger-Compascuum, among others, have visited the Hello Festival.

Semi-open tent

Whereas last year the main stage was in a completely covered tent resembling a lowland, this year there is a semi-open tent. ,,Much better. “Now you can see everything, even if you are far from the outcrop,” says Jürgen Sollmann (56 years old). “And the weather is good too. Last year it was very hot. This is perfect festival weather.”

That was early and changed soon after, when the gowns came out in the shower.

Vera van der Weerd (14) and Lisa de Groot (17) have a different solution. They protect themselves from the rain with a jacket over their heads. “We already own them,” De Groot says of the gowns. “If it really starts raining, we’ll take care of it.” It’s the first time at the festival for the Emin girls.

“My parents always go here, so I wanted to come with them,” says van der Weerd. “We just went to DI-RECT, and I think we’ll go to Frokkji later.”

“It’s always nice here”

It’s also the first time at Hello for Elin Schulte (17 years old). Her mother, Harriet Bruegnick, 51, was previously present. “It’s always nice here. It’s never a hassle,” says Bruegnick. “I also wanted to see what my mother is excited about,” says Schulte. “And it’s very close to us, in our backyard.”

The ladies will soon be going to Acda & De Munnik. “We both like it,” they say.