Psy-Fi

The first Psy-Fi festival was held in the Stadspark of Groningen, hence the edition was themed "Glow in the Park". It lasted from Friday night 12 July until Monday morning 15 July 2013, described as a "65-hour meditative trip full of hippie love and goa trance."{{Cite web |url=https://3voor12.vpro.nl/artikelen/overzicht/2013/festivallitis/Psy-Fi-Glow-In-The-Park.html |title=Festivallitis: paddestoelen, yoga en Goa-trance in Gronings park |author=Timo Pisart |work=3VOOR12 |date=9 July 2013 |access-date=24 August 2018 |language=nl}} Subsequent editions were all held in recreation area De Groene Ster near Leeuwarden. The festival has often been described as "neopsychedelic" and its participants "neo-hippies".

Both the 2016 and 2017 editions were heralded as a great success, with many visitors praising the organisers, apart from parking problems. Some locals complained about noise, although official measurements concluded the sound remained within norms. In 2017, project leader Wiebe Kootstra described Psy-Fi as 'a community of a week', where 'lots of different people all treat each other in the same way'. He said that everyone who came to participate was excited, the ambiance was "super relaxed" and there was no need for security measures against aggression.{{Cite news |url=https://www.omropfryslan.nl/nieuws/749671-video-wat-psy-fi-voor-festival |title=VIDEO: Wat is Psy-Fi voor festival? |work=Omrop Fryslân |date=18 August 2017 |access-date=16 October 2018 |language=nl}} An interviewed attendee described it as a "very open-minded festival, calm, everyone can sit and chill and do what they want" and that the people were "sweet".{{Cite news |url=https://www.omropfryslan.nl/nieuws/749668-video-portret-van-een-psy-fi-bezoeker |title=VIDEO: Portret van een Psy-Fi bezoeker |work=Omrop Fryslân |date=19 August 2017 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}}

During the 2018 edition, themed "A Shamanic Experience", the opening ceremony featured shamans from Mexico, Greenland, the Māori community of New Zealand and a Native American from North America in traditional clothing, performing various rituals (including ancestor worship) with incense, several objects and acoustic music, led by drums.{{Cite news |url=https://www.lc.nl/friesland/Wat-doen-sjamanen-zo-vroeg-bij-de-opening-van-Psy-Fi-23453692.html |title=Wat doen sjamanen zo vroeg bij de opening van Psy-Fi? |author=Jacob Haagsma |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=15 August 2018 |access-date=16 October 2018 |language=nl}} The province of Friesland fined the organisation €10,000 over the placement of tents in the woods rather than exclusively on grass, which allegedly harmed flora and fauna. The organisation disputed the fine, saying they were not informed on time, and had no ways of accommodating all guests within the limited space available, and the mayor of Leeuwarden refused to extend the camping terrain out of safety concerns.{{Cite news |url=https://frieschdagblad.nl/2019/3/22/festivalorganisatie-psy-fi-vecht-dwangsom-voor-kamperen-in-de-bosjes-aan-bij-de-provincie |title=Festivalorganisatie Psy-Fi vecht dwangsom voor kamperen in de bosjes aan bij de provincie |author=Geert Veldstra |work=Friesch Dagblad |date=22 March 2019 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}}

From the 2019 edition onwards, the organisation intends to prohibit the sale of various single-use items in order to minimise waste.{{Cite news |url=https://www.lc.nl/friesland/Volgende-editie-van-Psy-Fi-is-afvalvrij-23473448.html |title=Volgende editie van Psy-Fi is afvalvrij |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=22 August 2018 |access-date= 16 October 2018 |language=nl}} It also decided that all food sold on the festival terrain would henceforth be vegetarian; during previous editions, about 5% of all food stands sold meat.{{Cite news |url=https://www.lc.nl/friesland/article24264539.ece |title=Psy-Fi verduurzaamt verder: volgende editie volledig vegetarisch |author=Yme Gietema |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=13 March 2019 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}}

The 2022 edition that was planned for 14-18 September was cancelled because the municipality of Leeuwarden had made administrative mistakes concerning the permits around noise and environmental impact. {{cite court |court=rechtbank Noord-Nederland |date=19 August 2022 |language=nl |url=https://www.rechtspraak.nl/Organisatie-en-contact/Organisatie/Rechtbanken/Rechtbank-Noord-Nederland/Nieuws/Paginas/Bestuursrechter-vernietigt-geluidsontheffing-en-omgevingsvergunning-Psy-Fi-2022.aspx }}

File:Psyfi1.png

The festival terrain at De Groene Ster is subdivided into sections, including several stages featuring different styles of music, a Sacred Island (including The Spirit Gathering) where workshops and lectures are held and services are offered, art galleries and expositions, and numerous shops where food and drinks, clothing and merchandise can be bought. On the edge of the festival terrain, there are two camping sites for participants. Visitors can swim in the various open waters on the terrain, which is an official nude beach.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2017/07/28/iedere-groep-zijn-eigen-stukje-strand-12282862-a1568216 |title=Blootlopers en surfers delen dit strandje |author=Kim Bos |work=NRC Handelsblad |date=28 July 2017 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}}

• Main Stage: 'flowing grooves from psytrance or goa trance' are played from a decorated deejay platform with a roof over the dancefloor. These constructions have 'fluorescent colours which shine brighter as darkness falls and the lightshow increases in intensity'.
• Alternative Stage (2019: Freak Stage): a stage that features 'more intense' genres such as Forest, Hitech and Psycore.
• Chill Out Stage: a stage that features chill-out music, such as Psydub, Psybient, Glitch, Dub and Psychill for attendees who seek to 'give their souls and legs some rest'.
• Global Theatre (2019: 4th Floor): a stage introduced in 2017 featuring mostly local musicians playing instruments with 'relaxed grooves' rather than DJs.

{{columns-list |colwidth=15em|

• Astrix
• Carbon Based Lifeforms
• Earthling
• Electric Universe
• Etnica
• GMS
• Hallucinogen
• Hux Flux
• Juno Reactor
• Koxbox
• Loud
• Man with No Name
• Ott
• Perfect Stranger
• Protonica
• Shpongle a.k.a. Raja Ram
• Vibrasphere
• Vini Vici a.k.a. Sesto Sento

}}

{{See also|Drug policy of the Netherlands}}

Psy-Fi is known for its liberal policy regarding drugs, which Vice News described as 'free and responsible'.{{Cite news |url=https://www.vice.com/nl/article/psy-fi-laat-zien-dat-een-liberaal-nederlands-drugsbeleid-werkt-293/ |title=Psy-Fi laat zien dat een liberaal Nederlands drugsbeleid werkt |author=Thijs Roes |work=Vice News |date=31 August 2015 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}} After negotiations, the city council of Leeuwarden agreed that on-site education about various substances would be better than collecting fines, and agreed to a system of elaborate information and help for users, availability of legal drugs and drug tests. Officials and organisers noted that the kind of substances used at Psy-Fi did 'not cause nuisance, there are no fights, unlike at parties elsewhere in the city.' If caught, illegal drugs will be confiscated, but police and security are not systematically looking for it, and attendees can usually bring their own substances without getting in trouble.{{Cite news |url=http://www.lc.nl/friesland/Politie-houdt-drugsdealers-aan-op-festival-Psy-Fi-23456860.html |title=Politie houdt drugsdealers aan op festival Psy-Fi |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=16 August 2018 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}} It has been claimed that Psy-Fi is one of the few festivals around the world where legal psychedelics are also sold, namely psilocybin truffles.

Some local residents complained about noise from the 2014 edition, and demanded that the festival be prohibited. However, the judge ruled that the city council of Leeuwarden should first conduct sound measurements at Psy-Fi 2015 to check whether sound limits were actually exceeded.{{Cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1O6Tmmqa4Y |title=Psy-Fi Leeuwarden begonnen: strenge controles gemeente |work=Omrop Fryslân |date=28 August 2015 |access-date=24 August 2018 |language=nl}} Other locals reported no nuisance from noise in 2014, and enjoyed the festival visitors' presence. After the city council imposed additional sound regulations in late 2015, Psy-Fi briefly considered moving to a different municipality,{{Cite news |url=https://www.lc.nl/cultuur/Trancefestival-Psy-Fi-verlaat-Leeuwarden-21071412.html |title=Trancefestival Psy-Fi verlaat Leeuwarden |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=13 November 2015 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}} but decided to stay and accept the stricter norms.{{Cite news |url=https://www.omropfryslan.nl/nieuws/596454-psy-fi-festival-blijft-leeuwarden |title=Psy-Fi festival blijft in Leeuwarden |work=Omrop Fryslân |date=18 December 2015 |access-date=28 March 2019 |language=nl}} In April 2016, the municipal remonstrance commission reprimanded the city council for not taking nearby residents' complaints about noise seriously enough.{{Cite news |url=https://www.lc.nl/friesland/Leeuwarden-berispt-om-vergunningen-voor-Psy-Fi-21247033.html |title=Leeuwarden berispt om vergunningen voor Psy-Fi |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=3 April 2018 |access-date=30 March 2019 |language=nl}} In 2016 and 2017, two-thirds of all complaints (the total being 70 in 2016 and 100 in 2017) about the festival were about noise; however, according to the city council, which regularly measured the sound levels, no norms were crossed.{{Cite news |url=https://www.lc.nl/friesland/Eindscore-Psy-Fi-We-kregen-niets-dan-lof-van-de-bezoekers-22440044.html |title=Eindscore Psy-Fi: 'We kregen niets dan lof van de bezoekers' |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=21 August 2017 |access-date=16 October 2018 |language=nl}} Meanwhile, the vast majority of nearby residents from surrounding villages appeared to be okay with the relative level of noise for one week a year.{{Cite news |url=http://www.lc.nl/friesland/Dorpen-gunnen-Psy-Fi%E2%80%99ers-hun-beats-22438142.html |title=Dorpen gunnen Psy-Fi'ers hun beats |author=Rutger van der Meij |work=Leeuwarder Courant |date=20 August 2017 |access-date=30 March 2019 |language=nl}} In August 2018, a judge ruled that the bass sounds had to be decreased from 96 to 79 decibel at night (from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. during midweek and from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the weekend) to allow nearby residents to sleep. Complainants were satisfied with the "significant reduction", and organisers said it made "little difference" to them.{{Cite news |url=https://frieschdagblad.nl/2018/8/9/rechter-schroeft-basgeluid-psy-fi-s-nachts-terug |title=Rechter schroeft basgeluid Psy-Fi 's nachts terug |author=Pieter Atsma |work=Friesch Dagblad |date=10 August 2018 |access-date=30 March 2019 |language=nl}}

• Boom Festival
• Burning Man
• Liquicity
• Ozora Festival
• Tamera
• List of electronic music festivals

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Psy-Fi}}

• {{officialwebsite|psy-fi.nl}}

Category:Dance festivals in the Netherlands

Category:Dance festivals in Germany

Category:Drug policy of the Netherlands

Category:Electronic music festivals in the Netherlands

Category:Trance festivals

Category:Music festivals established in 2013

Category:2013 establishments in the Netherlands

Category:Vegetarian festivals

Category:Psychedelic music