We look back on a wonderful weekend full of encounters, inspiration and of course hot parties. It was nice to see so many familiar and new faces from the kink community in Antwerp and to marvel at the sexy outfits. As usual, the organization of the event was very good and ensured a relaxed weekend. Pictures probably say more than words, so some of our outfits this year in the video:
However, as big Darklands fans, we would like to address some points of criticism after the fifth visit
Theming The loving decoration that has made the Darklands so special in recent years was inexhaustible this year (or we didn't understand the story). Actually, you don't even need to announce a motto anymore.
Sportswear area The relocation of the sportswear area from the dark room to the bright community tent at the smoking area was careless and unattractive. We couldn't imagine messing around in this small area.
Drink prices €4.50 for a small glass of water filled with ice cubes that greatly reduce the content are simply outrageous. The contents of the beer also shrunk and for 1 token (equivalent to €4.50) you got around 0.2l of beer (the 0.25l cups were usually not completely filled).
Deposit system The newly introduced deposit system, which complies with official requirements, leaves a bitter aftertaste. If you definitely wanted to return the cup and not have it credited towards a next drink, you only received one token. This would have saved you the deposit on your next drink later. But if you leave, it won't do you any good. So you didn't pay a deposit but bought a cup. In our eyes, it's an impudence and pure money-making.
Card payment vs. token system Instead of relying on a convenient card payment system, you continue to deal with cumbersome tokens. The suspicion is that this is intended to generate additional income through unredeemed tokens (returns are impossible).
Mass instead of class The party on Thursday was simply overcrowded and offered hardly any space to move around.
All of these points cloud the overall positive impression of the Darklands Festival. We get the feeling that the focus of the event is too much on maximizing profits on the backs of the kinksters. We are aware that organizing such an event involves high costs for the community and we appreciate the commitment of the organizers. Nevertheless, we would like to see change in the points mentioned.
How did you experience Darklands 2024? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments!