Leisure / Let's party!

In Ghent there are several locations where you can party and dance. If you want to know what's going on in Ghent, take a look at the event calendar or maybe you'll find an answer on Going out!

If you tend to throw a party at your room, please read carefully the guidelines below.

Students tend to throw parties at their rooms instead of in a pub or club. This is not usually a problem, as long as you don't keep the neighbours awake. Having parties at your student room may be more fun, but they should be strictly limited to your room and should not keep the entire neighbourhood awake.
Avoid endless midnight conversations and discussions with your friends. They could be a nuisance to your next-door neighbours. Most of the housing in Ghent has very thin dividing walls! Nobody wants to be kept awake until 4 in the morning by someone else’s fun. We therefore ask you to keep things quiet every day between 22h00 and 6h00. These hours are legally stipulated in Ghent.

When you are organising a party in your room, you will probably forget to think about all the legal stipulations. You are probably unaware that, being the organiser of the event, you are responsible for everything that may go wrong. Your rooms are not a party hall! If you want to organize a big party, surf to www.fuiveningent.be and take a look in the selection of places for hire. You will certainly find the right place!

Do you still want to organize a party at your room? Please keep in mind the following tips

• Inform your neighbours in advance, this can save a lot of problems. Give them the telephone number of the party initiator. This is no letter of safe-conduct to set aside all rules and regulations! 
• Invite a limited guest list and stick to this guest list. If every guest takes along a second guest, then the overall number is incalculable and there is a great risk that things may get out of hand. Make sure that you know all your guests personally! After all, you will be held responsible
• Check in advance how many persons or how much weight the floor of your room can bear. Your downstairs neighbour will not be pleased when a partying crowd would literally drop into his room.
• Do not use the escape terraces as dance floor, but only use them as secondary escape route in case of emergency.
• Do not use any electronic public address system and keep the volume down. Bear in mind that noise pollution is liable to a fine. Moreover, the police are allowed to have your party stopped. A party with respect for the neighbours’ nightlife is the best policy.
• Keep your doors and windows locked. The temperature may rise, but so will the atmosphere! 
• Start and end your party on time!
• Mind the fire safety! Carefully read your fire insurance to check the number of persons which are insured when organising a party at your room.
• Be quiet when leaving the room. Hand out lollipops to your guests when they leave, as a reminder to be quiet. Your neighbours will be grateful...