Surprising conclusion to night mayor election

On the night of May 18 to 19, it was announced in an unforgettable manner that the title of Night Mayor of Groningen 2016–2018 has gone to Oelinda de Vries. After a period of several weeks in which fans could vote for their favorite candidate, it was revealed with a surprising twist that the 22-year-old has become the successor to Chris Garrit.

The evening begins with entertaining poetry by city poet Kasper Peters about crying babies and nose hairs. Presenter Colin Mooijman introduces – now – former Night Mayor Chris Garrit, who, with a beautiful speech, symbolizes what the Night Mayorship meant to him.

Order of the Night
Followed by an announcement of various Orders of the Night. Not only are organizers of festivals and musical highlights honored here, but also various individuals who leave their mark on nightlife behind the scenes are thanked for their services by means of this fine certificate. From city cloakroom attendant to journalist, everyone is mentioned with a short but powerful thank you from Garrit.

Intermezzo
Day mayor Peter van Oudsten is also present—in this case—and highlights positive aspects of the night mayor role, thanks Garrit for his dedication, and is open to questions. Various questions come from the audience and the night mayor candidates, but Garrit's question about the New Year's Eve party in Groningen made an impression and resulted in an entertaining interlude between the day and night mayors. The musical interlude by Ralf Poelman (known for the song ‘Het Gras van het Noorderplantsoen’) is also an amusing addition to the evening.

Candidates
And now for what the whole evening was about: the introduction of the potential night mayors. One by one, the candidates came forward, were introduced via a personal video, and questioned by the jury. The expert jury, consisting of representatives from various key parties in Groningen's nightlife, such as Koninklijk Horeca Nederland, the police, and Student en Stad, asked critical questions. Next, the candidates were given a final chance to showcase their best through a pitch. This was followed by a barrage of questions from the audience; it is noteworthy that the questions were generally directed most at candidates Hubert Nauta and Merlijn Poolman.

Rash
Shortly after midnight, the audience is called to order; it is time to award the title that has been the focus of the entire evening to the most suitable candidate. It falls to Chris Garrit, who has meanwhile removed his chain of office, to open the envelope containing the results and announce them. After opening it, he wishes the audience an entertainingly long night and then calls out the name of Hubert Nauta with full conviction. After thunderous applause and a word of thanks from Nauta, some confusion arises.

Uncertainty
Presenter Colin Mooijman brings up practices similar to those in a beauty pageant where a winner was announced who ultimately turned out not to be the winner. And so it is here; confusion arises regarding the result. As it turns out, 22-year-old Oelinda de Vries is the new Night Mayor of Groningen. There is a sense of despondency; the winner describes the feeling as very mixed, but is nonetheless justifiably happy with the outcome. The chaos is reflected in the crowd, which is gradually disappearing from the hall at Huize Maas; nevertheless, The Boosters manage to provide the partygoers present with a musical and entertaining conclusion to the evening. Chris Garrit on the winner: “A young, fresh addition to the city! I am happy with it.”