Generation Maastricht – YO!Fest

February 7 2017

Large multicultural event co-created for young people by young people

Generation Maastricht YO!Fest was held on Tuesday 7 February 2017, exactly 25 years after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. YO! Fest stands for Youth Opinion FESTival, which is a European festival organized for and by people young between the ages of 18 and 25 (Generation Maastricht). The daytime festival included debates, meet & greets with EU administrators, workshops, live music, theatre, and sports, all of which aimed to spark a discussion on key topics regarding the future of Europe. All European administrators were invited to attend. .

Fifteen international partners and fifteen local partners signed on for the YO!Fest. The festival offered participants the ideal opportunity to engage in accessible debates on Europe, both now and in the future.

In addition to engaging debates and in-depth conversations, YO!FEST also included plenty of live music. The Generation Maastricht YO!Fest Concert, a European music festival organized in collaboration with Muziekgieterij Maastricht and Jeunesses Musicales International, was held on the evenings of Monday 6 February and Tuesday 7 February. The accessible programme was designed to encourage interaction among young participants and included European pop bands, a Retro Gaming Area, and a Post Office Area.

Various side events added the finishing touch to the YO!Fest programme, such as the International Week organized by Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, the International Peace Conference organized by the United World College, and Model European Parliament activities, which were open to secondary school pupils in Europe.

Thousands of young internationals converging in one place was precisely how Maastricht envisaged its future 25 years ago. YO!Fest 2017 ushered in the next 25 years…

Check out Facebook and the www.yofest.eu website!

Programme overview