When you think of going to the toilet on festivals, you picture ragged construction site toilet stalls, but the Extrema Outdoor festival in Houthalen (Belgium) makes short work of those prejudices this summer. They are the first festival that offers the 'Toilet Xperience'.
Visitors get a VIP-treatment, 'the cleanest toilet seats in the world' and... 3D-screens in the toilet stall.
A visit to the toilet during events is often no picnic. Toilets are gross, they stink and mean a source of bacteria for many people. "What's more: many people don't even go to an event for that reason", says the Dutch brain behind the organisation, René van de Poel. "That's why we devised the 'Toilet Xperience' concept a couple of years ago. It took us a while before everything was set and after the beginning of May we still needed two weeks for testing, but on 22, 23 and 24 May, visitors can experience the best visit to the toilet ever, at Extreme Outdoor in Houthalen."
Guests should prepare themselves for a unique experience. Forget about long lines of orange stalls with long queues. Toilet Xperience is a small festival village in itself, with lots of activities.
Gaming
"From our entertainment background, we wrote various shows which are performed by professional artists", says van de Poel. "Furthermore, our toilet stalls have been outfitted with 3D-screens and we've changed the urinals into a video game, so that you can game while peeing. We also offer the option to buy small festival gadgets and maybe just as important: everything is completely odour- and soundless (laughs). When hearing the word "testing" and hearing about so many gadgets in a toilet, one would almost be afraid of the toilet seats starting to live their own lives. "There's no reason to worry: everything will go smoothly", Van de Poel ensures. Extrema Outdoor might be the first festival where you can enjoy these commodities, soon the toilet circus will tour Europe. "Our phone is ringing all day long. At the moment, our agenda is full until the end of this year".
At Extrema Outdoor, they are happy that they are able to bring 'the toilet of the 21st century' to Houthalen. "For our visitors, it will be the best time they've ever spent on the toilet", says spokesperson Cedric Claes.
