Nightclubs and festivals in the Netherlands will not be able to return until November 1 at the earliest.

The updated ruling follows on from the Dutch government's decision last month to close nightclubs once again after a brief two-week reopening period during which COVID-19 cases began to rise rapidly in the country. The new measures were announced as part of a list of COVID-19 rules for the hospitality sector shared by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

A number of events promoters, venue owners and other music industry figures are planning to protest the updated measures with the Unmute Us campaign, which will see peaceful demonstrations take place around the country on August 21. The campaign is demanding that music events be permitted from September 1, citing positive feedback about the spread of COVID-19 from test events as well as the recent reopening of the nightlife industry in a number of other European countries.