13th European Festival of Brotherhood

Over dit evenement

Dear brothers, men, fathers and sons,

With joy in or hearts we invite you to the 13th European festival of Brotherhood, "Rising from Chaos", from the 13th to the 16th of August 2026!

If the festival is new to you, it is probably not what you expect. It is more, so much more. First and foremost it is a celebration. We celebrate our masculinity in all its manifestations. Our greatness, the paths we walk, the strength of our hearts and the fire burning therein. And also our doubts, our fears, our anger and all other emotions that come with being human. We celebrate what it means to be a man, in this time and on all levels.

It is also a journey. A journey with a departure, a passage and an arrival, a journey that will help you shed what you no longer need, accept what remains in the moment and choose the man you want to be. It brings you closer to yourself and helps you to see the next steps on your path. Together we will practice the tools that allow you to rise from chaos, to stand tall and firm like a mountain, steadfast and grounded like a king. But it is not an easy journey. It is raw. It elemental. It is about finding your essence within and honouring yourself by choosing to live that essence. It is a new beginning.

It is a journey that we will travel together, side by side, as brothers. Because men heal with men.
It is not a musical festival, nor a collection of workshops. It is not the place for shallow social expectations, not for bullying, violence nor disrespect. We strive to choose SELF REALIZATION OVER SELF PRESERVATION, vulnerability over bluster or arrogance and empathy over self destructive patterns. We choose INTIMACY OVER CROUD so we can all meet one another, share a meal, a moment, a practice. We choose to make only a limited amount of tickets available so we can all look each other in the eyes and no man is left behind.

If you feel a spark or even a fire in your heart, we want you to honour it and to come. Even if money is tight. INCLUSIVENESS is another of our key standards so we offer a ticket for every purse, even free tickets. The festival is brought to you by the Firemakers Foundation and every man in the organization of this festival does so out of SELFLESS SERVICE. It is not a commercial festival, we do not strive to make money. So much so that every man in the organization of the festival buys his own ticket for participation so you only pay the cost of participation, for your accommodation and your food so during the festival you will not need another cent. We organize this festival on a COST & DONATION basis and we humbly invite you at the end of the festival to feel the balance between what you have given and what you have received. If you feel a dis-balance we invite you to make a donation of what ever you feel is fitting.

We invite you to be there with us. To show up with all that you are and all that you feel. To stand beside us because we know the courage this requires and we honour you for showing it.
Aho!
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Some practicalities:
The official program of the European Festival of Brotherhood will start on Thursday the 13th of August at 16.00 hrs. You are invited and encouraged to arrive at the venue no later than 15.00 hrs so you can arrive, prepare your sleeping place and take care of any last minute practicalities before the opening. Should you not be able to join us for the opening ceremony, please contact us in advance at brotherhood@firemakers.nl so we can properly welcome you when you arrive. The program ends at 16.00 hrs on Sunday, the 16th of August.
If you want to sleep in a dorm tent, a dorm room, a camper, a double room or single room, don't forget to buy the appropriate add-on in the ticket shop.

What to bring:
Essentials:
-Sleeping gear: (air)mattress, sleeping bag, sheets, blankets, pillow (unless you stay in a dorm or a room)
-Your own tent or camper (unless you stay in a dorm, room or dorm tent)
-Towels, clothes and toiletries
-Pocket knife

Recommended:
-Musical instruments
-Power objects
-Incense and other sacred herbs for ceremonies

Venue:
The Festival will take place at Het Wilde Weg.
The address is: Hulst 20, Sint Oedenrode, the Netherlands

Should you have any questions, difficulties or doubts, please send us an email at brotherhood@firemakers.nl

See you there!