Until last year, there was no shared Intro party for all students in Eindhoven. As far as Opbroek knows, not even for just university and applied sciences students together. Fontys decided it was high time to change that. They reached out to event organizer Opbroek and his colleagues, which led to the first edition of the Vibes Festival.

Bringing MBO, HBO and WO together

“It’s really about uniting vocational, applied sciences and university students,” Opbroek explains. Having gone through the Fontys Intro himself as a student, he remembers well that there was no overlap at all between the three groups. Today’s students notice the same divide. Earlier this year, TU/e student and Cursor columnist Wob Knaap argued in favor of a city-wide Intro for all Eindhoven students. “With a city-wide introduction we kill two birds with one stone: we create more connectedness among students and strengthen the bond with the city,” he wrote. A one-day festival of course isn’t a full-fledged introduction week, but it’s a start.

According to Opbroek, the first edition, held during last year’s Intro, was a great success. “We had about 3,500 visitors and received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback.” This year, the festival has therefore been added to the official Intro program of every educational institution, and admission to Vibes is now also included in the TU/e Intro.

Twice as busy

This year, Opbroek expects a significant increase in attendance. “We’re counting on seven to eight thousand students,” he says, based on the tickets sold to all Eindhoven institutions so far. “The only uncertain group is TU/e, since their Intro took place a week earlier. Of the roughly two thousand tickets TU/e purchased, we expect maybe thirty percent to actually show up. But of course, more are always welcome—we’ve made sure the festival can handle it.”

The event takes place at Stadhuisplein in Eindhoven, running from 2:30 p.m. until 22:00 p.m. “We kick off at three with a music bingo—a sort of warm-up. It’s still relaxed, but danceable and with a playful element,” Opbroek says. After that, the “real” party will begin, spread across two stages and a low-stimulus zone. “We want the festival to be for everyone, including those who are more sensitive to crowds and noise and might need a moment to step back. Of course, it’s still a festival—so it's not a place to nap,” he adds with a smile.

Eindhoven on stage

The evening’s line-up features plenty of local talent, including big name La Fuente, alongside smaller acts who often play at Stratumseind. “One of our side goals is to introduce students to the local nightlife. That way, the DJ you see at our festival might be the same one you’ll run into at a bar on Stratum,” Opbroek explains.

And DJs aren’t the only thing “borrowed” from Eindhoven’s most famous nightlife street. “All of the bar staff at Vibes come from Stratumseind bars,” says Opbroek. “They’ll be wearing shirts from their own bars, so it’s a way for them to promote their bars—and for students get to meet their local bartenders.”

Here to stay

Opbroek hopes Vibes will become a permanent part of Eindhoven’s Intro tradition. “We often talk about inclusivity, and this is also part of that. It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, or which school you attend. This festival is for everyone—as long as you’re a student.”