Sint-Truiden (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 3 Sint-Truiden carnival groups, Foute Bende, Orde van de Jarretel, and De Truinoskes, announced closures today, Aug 28, 2025, due to strict rules and difficulties in recruiting new members.
As VRT News reported, 3 carnival associations in Sint-Truiden have announced that they will stop their activities. The Foute Bende and the Orde van de Jarretel were the first to make the decision public. Recently, the group De Truinoskes also confirmed its closure. These associations have long organised parades, parties, and community events in the city.
“Last year we had a wonderful season, during which we formed beautiful friendships, but we’ve all felt for a while that things aren’t going so well anymore,”
explains Tamara Heerlen.
“It’s over. The carnival atmosphere isn’t what it once was.”
Why are Foute Bende Orde van de Jarretel and De Truinoskes closing?
One of the main reasons for the closures is strict legislation. Tamara, a spokesperson for one of the groups, said that rules on where confetti can be used and which candy can be thrown create difficulties. He mentioned that another challenge is finding new members. Many associations struggle to recruit enough volunteers to continue organising events.
“It’s always the same core group that helps organise the activities. We can’t find members who are fully and passionately committed anymore. Then, in the long run, it just doesn’t get any more fun,”
sighs Tamara
Gianni Creten of the Order of the Commadeur said that despite the closures, there is no major problem with the city’s carnival scene. He admitted that the news was difficult for his association to process.
“We saw it coming with two of the three closures, but the news about the third came as a complete surprise to us,”
Creten said.
Members of a carnival association often motivate and support each other, he explained, and when someone leaves, it can affect the rest of the group. This makes it harder for associations to start fresh after key members quit.
“Of course, there are changes, as happens with every tradition.”
Gianni Creten of the Order of the Commedeur in Sint-Truiden
Creten also pointed to the difficulty of attracting new members, especially younger participants.
“Last year, our carnival parade attracted 32,000 visitors. That number increases every year,”
he said.
Creten acknowledged that some changes occur over time, as with any long-standing tradition, but he emphasised that the adjustments do not reduce the event’s popularity.
“It’s especially hard to find people willing to take on an administrative role. That could become a problem. We need to involve and engage young people to take over. I’m not worried yet, but it’s something we need to focus on more vigorously,”
Creten says.
Carnival in Sint-Truiden has a long tradition dating back to the 1950s. Over the years, associations such as the Foute Bende, the Orde van de Jarretel, and De Truinoskes have organised parades, parties, and community events. The Foute Bende and the Orde van de Jarretel announced they would close in March 2025, and De Truinoskes followed in August 2025.
A similar situation occurred in Aalst, Belgium, in 2019 and 2020 when several longstanding carnival groups faced closures due to stricter safety rules, volunteer shortages, and disputes over parade regulations. Some associations temporarily stopped organising events.
