Organisers of the annual Bevrijdingsfestivals to celebrate the liberation of the Netherlands on May 5 1945 are looking for partners to meet mounting costs and inflation as Utrecht cancels its festival for the first time in 30 years.

The 14 festivals, one for each province and one in Amsterdam and The Hague, are organised by independent organisations under the auspices of the Comité 4 en 5 Mei, which coordinates activities around Remembrance and Liberation day, and financed with government money.

However, no extra money is forthcoming from the government, the organisers have said, although some festivals have been successfully appealing to local councils and the provincial authorities.

The festival in Utrecht did not manage to square its budget this year, citing a 30% rise in costs and bad weather which will impact visitor numbers, the organisers told the AD.

Festival organisers and the Comité 4 en 5 Mei are now looking for partners who will support the festivals financially.  They have launched an appeal on social media under the slogan ‘Don’t take freedom for granted, don’t take the Bevrijdingsfestivals for granted’.