Welcome to our information section about the Europeade.  We are looking forward to meeting you at Europeade!

Europeade is a like five-day party for 5,000 dancers, musicians and singers.  Over 200 dance, music, singing, and flag waving groups attend.

It is not just an event.  We create European friendship and unity through sharing our diversity.

Europeade is an independent annual meeting of 5,000 people involved in folk dance and music from all over Europe.  We meet for a week in summer every year, often in a new city in Europe, old friends and new groups together.  We have danced and made music in most countries in Europe in our more than 50-year history.

During the Europeade, we show our dances in displays in large arenas (we run two large shows and each dance group is able to perform at one of them) as well as on stages in the streets of the city.  Music groups and choirs have their own events, as do children and youth groups.  We also hold a ball, a parade, and an oecumenical Christian service.  Groups dance, sing and play their music in costume throughout the city all day and part of the night!  We share our regional culture with the local inhabitants and each other.  Please see the section “programme” for more detailed information.

2.1    Dance groups (adults, children and youths)

Dance groups should participate with at least 10 members. If your inscription counts with fewer than 10 dancers, you should join up with another group from the same region to form a group of over ten members and perform together.  This will help to make your performance more interesting.

Dancers should pay their participant fee as a member of this bigger group, and not individually. 

Dance groups can, preferably with other groups from their region, perform on the opening or closing event. Furthermore, they can bring street performances and participate in the parade.

2.2    Choirs
Choirs should perform music associated with the folk culture of their country.  They can bring these songs in the choir concert and at street performances. They may also be invited to perform religious songs during the oecumenical Christian service.

2.3     Music groups
Music groups which play for dancers and those who travel independently are very welcome and will have opportunities to perform folk music in the music concerts.  They may also be invited to perform religious music during the oecumenical Christian service.  Larger bands may also be invited to play more international music for dancing during the Europeade ball and/or as preconcert or interludium for the opening- or closing event. Also, they can participate to the parade.

2.4    Flag waving groups
Flag waving groups perform in the opening or closing ceremony and during the parade. They can also do street performances.

2.5 Children and youth groups
We are delighted that so many children and youth groups come to Europeade.  They have a special programme and shows but can of course also attend the other events and give street performances.  They are usually accommodated in a separate school from the adult groups, so that they are not disturbed if they need to rest.

Fill in the online form 'application for participation' by 1 January of the year of the event. This will allow us to send these groups info regarding the final online registration.

- Please complete the online registration form and confirm it by the closing date of registration, in the year of the event you wish to attend, together with 50% of the participation fee (see below). The balance must be received no later than 1 May of the same year. 

- Official confirmation will be sent to all groups registered to participate, after the closure of registration, in the year of the event. If the maximum numbers of participants is exceeded, it's possible that your group is not retained.

- On our website 'home page' you can follow at the bottom how many groups and how many participants have already registered. If you click on the number of groups, you will see an excel page with all registered groups.

The amount of the participation fee can be requested at info@europeade.eu.

This amount covers all meals from Wednesday evening to Monday morning, accommodation in a school and entrance and participation to the events. 

The participation fee should also be paid for the bus driver(s).

Please make sure you always mention the name and registration number of your group when sending each payment. 

All payments must be made in advance. We regret that we cannot register any additional participants or accept payment of fees on registration day.

For organisational and security reasons, only participants who have been registered in advance can attend the event.

Groups which are forced to cancel their registration – for urgent or compelling reasons – more than 30 days before the start of the Europeade will be reimbursed after the Europeade event, and after deduction of the administration costs (35 €/person).

People who are forced to cancel their registration for medical reasons will be refunded after the Europeade event, on presentation of a doctor's certificate and after deduction of the administration fee (35 €/person).

We regret that groups that cancel their registration less than 30 days before the start of the Europeade or arrive on Wednesdays with fewer participants than they have registered, cannot be reimbursed, nor their payment can be transferred to the following year. This is because by that time we will already have transferred the money to the organising city and they will have used it.

7.1    Arrival

Group registration takes place on the first day of the Europeade only (on Wednesday, place and time will be published upfront). In addition to practical information and technical details, on registration every member of the group will receive a badge and a programme brochure. Group leaders will also be able to confirm technical arrangements with the stage management team.

7.2    Lodging and meals

Participants will usually be accommodated in schools.  The children and their leaders will be accommodated in one or more schools which are separate from the accommodation for adults.

Please note that it may not be possible for all the groups to stay in the centre of the host city.

Participants will be provided with a mattress, clothes hanger and chair, but need to bring their own sleeping bag or sheets, pillow and a blanket. 

Groups travelling together on the same coach will be lodged at the same location. Please make sure you mention on the registration form if you are sharing a coach.

    Meals will be provided for the participants as follows:
5 x breakfasts: from Thursday till Monday
4 x lunches: from Thursday till Sunday
5 x dinners: from Wednesday till Sunday

At the start of registration, it will be announced (see section H of the online registration form) which special meals will be provided by the host city (e.g. vegetarian, lactose-free, gluten-free). These special meals will be distributed on the basis of a list of names, please indicate all persons with special dietary requirements in section H of the online registration. If there are people with other allergies or diets, they must provide their own food.
                                
7.3    Technical arrangements

The musicians who require amplification for their instruments should mention it on the “Stage Management form – Musicians” section of the application form.
Sound amplification equipment at the street performance stages (CD/USB/mp3/mp4/...) will be confirmed for each stage in the programmes and in the technical information sheet.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ONLY LIVE MUSIC CAN BE PLAYED FOR THE OPENING AND CLOSING EVENT.

7.4    Programme

The standard programme for the Europeade runs from registration upon arrival on Wednesday to Monday morning when everyone goes home.

Every group has the opportunity to perform at least once during one of the two major events (Opening or Closing Event, usually held on Thursday and Sunday), TOGETHER with other groups from their region. The duration of this performance is strictly limited to 3 minutes for everyone! We urge you not to exceed this allocated time for your performance.

In addition to the big shows, a number of separate performances are usually scheduled on Thursday, Friday and Saturday:
•    Children and Youth Concert for the younger dancers and musicians
•    Music concert for instrumentalists
•    Choir concert for singers
•    Street performances (25 minutes per group)
There is also a very popular parade through the city for all the groups, usually on Saturday afternoon, and a ball for all participants on Saturday evening.  The oecumenical Christian service takes place on Sunday morning, and Europeade ends with the closing ceremony and show on Sunday afternoon.

The duration of these performances can be found in the relevant programmes.

7.5.1    Official City Reception

The City Council invites the groups to a reception, usually on Saturday morning of the event.
Each group should choose two representatives to attend the reception in costume.

We ask the groups not to bring any presents.  We believe that the best present you can give is your wonderful performances.

Nevertheless, your attendance at the reception is appreciated.  The reception gives your representatives the opportunity to meet other new or familiar groups, as well as members of the city council and the local and international committee.

7.5.2    Medical assistance

European Union participants must bring their own individual European health insurance card. This applies to all participants. 

This card usually provides the following cover:

-repatriation for medical reasons
-emergency medical costs in European countries.

The rules vary in each EU country. It is important, therefore, to check the level of cover your country’s health insurance provides. 

In the event of an accident or if you need urgent medical care, please contact the Local Organisation Committee for help, but all medical and other expenses must be paid by the participant.

7.5.3    Insurance    
We recommend that you take out insurance to cover any theft of luggage, instruments and/or clothing.
The IEC is not responsible for any damage sustained to the participants or their belongings.

7.5.4    Behaviour of the group    

It is very important that every participant acts as a guest in the country/city and follow the local rules.
Groups that do not behave well will not be invited anymore to participate in the future Europeades.
 
7.5.5    Friendship 

The Europeade is the biggest folk dance festival in Europe, and gives every participant a great opportunity to make new friends and meet old ones from previous years

7.5.6    Flags

Groups are requested to bring both the flag of their own region and the European flag (with 12 gold stars on a blue background) to be carried during the parade, etc.

7.5.7    Transport

All travel costs are paid by the participating groups themselves. 

On request, the groups can receive a list of transport companies in the host city area which rent out coaches. The rental costs of coaches are paid by the group.

After the Europeade, we ask the participating groups to fill in an evaluation form. These evaluations by the various participants will help us to improve Europeade in the future. Once the Europeade starts, the website - www.europeade.eu – will contain a link to the group evaluation. We would ask you to complete this evaluation digitally as soon as you get home. Your ideas will help make the event better for everyone.

9.1    General principles  

The Europeade for European folk culture aims to promote and support unity between all people of Europe, in freedom and peace. Folk culture is linked to the individuality of a nation. The main aim of the Europeade is to develop fraternal bonds between the people of Europe. 

Any nation, however small, must be able to preserve its cultural identity in a future Europe.  Building contacts with diverse European folk cultures is a great source of enrichment. It is precisely this diversity that the Europeade wishes to support and promote.

The Europeade promotes equal opportunities for all aspects of European folk culture, from dance to song, music, flag waving, national costumes, etc. Therefore, we expect all groups to be present at all events in their traditional costumes, in the spirit of the objectives of the Europeade and as a mark of respect for the other performers.

9.2    Operation in the event of a crisis

In consultation with the local authorities, the IEC reserves the right to modify or cancel the Europeade programme, partially or in its entirety in the event of a serious security issue.

9.3    Representatives in the IEC from of your region / country

If you would like to contact the representative of IEC from your region, please look at our website
https://www.europeade.eu/en/about-europeade/iec-members. If your region or country is not represented, please contact info@europeade.eu.