What should visitors know after 43 people were removed from Kamping Kitsch in Kortrijk?

Kamping Kitsch is an exuberant fancy-dress festival built around deliberately over-the-top popular culture, costumes and singalong entertainment. Its comic irreverence does not suspend the ordinary rules governing drugs, consent, public order or violence. The City of Kortrijk said before the 2025 edition that Politiezone Vlas, the Federal Police, emergency services and private security would maintain a visible and discreet presence around the Lange Munte festival grounds. Police officers conducting drug checks were supported by detection dogs, while cameras and a police drone were intended to help teams spot nuisance, drug use and other unwanted conduct.

The city’s published safety plan also promised immediate and permanent removal for unwanted or transgressive behaviour. Visitors could approach a general reporting point on the Kamping Kitsch site and, where necessary, be directed to a police reporting post offering a quieter setting in which to make a statement. That is useful information for international residents who may hesitate because they do not speak Dutch: use the clearest language available, ask whether an English-speaking staff member can assist, and call 112 when somebody needs urgent medical help or faces immediate danger. The local police service is Politiezone Vlas, which covers the gemeenten of Kortrijk, Kuurne and Lendelede.

De Druglijn, the Flemish information service operated by VAD, advises partygoers to read an event’s house rules and cooperate with lawful controls. It distinguishes between private security and police powers: security staff may conduct a superficial check with consent, but private guards do not possess the same search powers as police. Refusing a permitted entrance check may mean being denied access. Possession of illegal drugs remains prohibited in Belgium, and a festival ticket provides no exception.

The enforcement figures tell only one part of the day. VRT NWS reported that residents Bart, Guido, Jeaninne and Bernard from the ’t Hoge residential care centre enjoyed Willy Sommers from the front row. Their outing captures the festival’s broader place in local life: Kamping Kitsch brings together nostalgic Flemish entertainment, theatrical self-expression and a large, mixed audience rather than functioning solely as a nightlife event.

That contrast matters. A festival that encourages outrageous clothes and playful bad taste still has to draw a firm line around consent and personal safety. Organisers and the city present strict removal rules as a way of protecting the atmosphere, while some visitors may experience intensive screening as intrusive or worry that broad terms such as “inappropriate behaviour” are not sufficiently transparent. Both concerns can coexist. Effective festival safety depends on proportionate checks, clearly communicated rules, trained staff and accessible ways to challenge discrimination or report misconduct.

Kortrijk has a substantial interest in getting that balance right. The city described Kamping Kitsch as a Flemish cultural phenomenon that began with roughly 80 people in Knokke, expanded through several locations and moved to the grounds around Lange Munte in 2019. Large events now form a recognisable part of Kortrijk’s August calendar and affect nearby residents, transport, taxis, policing and emergency care. For the 2025 edition, the city recommended shared and public transport, provided for shuttles and placed the kiss-and-ride area on the VIVES campus.

Before a future edition, consult the organiser’s current practical page and the Stad Kortrijk event information rather than relying on an old social-media post; entrance arrangements and transport plans can change each year. Save 112 for urgent police, fire or ambulance assistance. If the situation is not immediately dangerous, speak to festival security or the on-site reporting point and note the time, place, stage and any identifiable witnesses. People seeking confidential information about alcohol or drugs can contact De Druglijn in Dutch, while its website also links to French-language information; emergency operators in Belgium can generally mobilise help even when a caller does not speak the local language fluently.

Friends should agree on a meeting place, keep phones charged and avoid leaving somebody alone when they appear confused, unusually drowsy or severely intoxicated. Seek medical assistance promptly rather than worrying about embarrassment or removal from the event. If unwanted sexual conduct occurs, preserving messages, photographs or other evidence may help, but personal safety and medical care come first.

The 18 drug findings and 25 removals should not be read as a complete measure of behaviour among all festivalgoers: they record detected incidents under one enforcement operation. Nor does the published information establish criminal guilt for everyone removed under house rules. What remains important for subsequent editions is whether Kortrijk, Politiezone Vlas and the organiser publish comparable figures, explain the categories consistently and maintain a reporting system that visitors—including newcomers unfamiliar with Belgium’s Dutch-language local services—can find when they need it.