Summer music festivals in Belgium are huge. If you’re not aware of that yet, you’ll figure it out soon enough. It’s actually pretty simple: there’s at least one major music festival each weekend of July and August. Here’s the ultimate timeline of festivals you don’t want to miss this Summer!
Disclaimer: Roméo Elvis is in pretty much every line-up, which is awesome.
1. Couleur Café
Dates: from Friday June 29 to Sunday July 1st
Music style: urban, african
Location: Brussels
Main acts: Angèle, Damso, Ibeyi, Selah Sue, Témé Tan, Juicy, D’Angelo, Milky Chance, Chinese Man, Ziggy Marley, …
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 42€, 3-day pass for 85€
Number of stages: 7
Website: couleurcafe.be
About: In the past 29 years, Couleur Café has been opening the festival season in Belgium. What began as a predominantly African-style festival with 5000 visitors evolved into a must of the belgian Summer with more than 70.000 festival-goers. Couleur Café’s ingredients? A burst of colours, world music, an exotic market and food trucks, but also a very strong focus on Belgian artists.
Should I go? If you define yourself as a citizen of the world, in love with discovering other cultures and music styles, you’ll be at home here! Couleur Café will bring you on a music and food world tour.
2. Rock Werchter
Dates: from Thursday July 5 to Sunday July 8
Music style: Rock
Location: Werchter
Main acts: The Script, Queens Of The Stone Age, Gorillaz, The Kooks, Angus & Julia Stone, Jack Johnson, Jack White, MGMT, Arctic Monkeys, …
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 102€, 4-day pass for 238€
Number of stages: 4
Website: rockwerchter.be
About: If you haven’t heard about Rock Werchter, then there’s really nothing we can do for you, sorry. More seriously, Rock Werchter has been around since the seventies (true story) and was initially presented as a rock & blues festival. It is one of the biggest music festivals in Belgium, with around 340.000 festival goers each year, but is also huge on an international level and has won 6 times the Arthur Award, a trophy that rewards the best world festival, since the years 2000.
Should I go? If you’re a fan of good rock music and want to see the most prominent artists of the planet as well as the up and coming rock prodigies, GO BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW. Rock Werchter really is the “crème de la crème” of rock festivals on earth, and it’s in Belgium. Boo-yah.
3. Les Ardentes
Dates: from Thursday July 5 to Sunday July 8
Music style: urban, rap, hip hop
Location: Liège
Main acts: Supreme NTM, Damso, Damian Marley, Wiz Khalifa, MC Solaar, Eddy de Pretto, Orelsan, Bigflo & Oli, Massive attack…
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 60€, 3-day pass for 125€
Number of stages: 3
Website: lesardentes.be
About: Les Ardentes’ first edition took place in 2006 with a solid electro-rock line up. In the past years though, the festival started to turn to more urban music styles to meet the demand of the belgian festival goers.
Should I go? If you know every song of Wiz Khalifa and listen to Orelsan in repeat, if you like to sit on the grass with a fresh beer in your hand to discover new sounds, if you like low-key in the afternoon but an electric atmosphere in the evening, then you’ll find your crowd at Les Ardentes.
4. Dour Festival
Dates: from Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 July 2018
Music style: electro, alternative
Location: Dour
Main acts: Booba, Caballero & JeanJass, alt-J, Paul Kalkbrenner, Nekfeu, Tyler the Creator, The Chemical Brothers, Lomepal, Beth Ditto, Girls in Hawaii
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 75€, 5-day pass for 170€
Number of stages: 7
Website: dourfestival.eu
About: Dour saw the light of day because a local group of young people wanted to save the Terril de la Machine à Feu to preserve the natural area around it. That was in 1988 and, since then, Dour evolved in the most underground cool festival of Belgium. They however kept their strong environmental awareness and are implementing new ecological initiatives every edition, to limit the environmental impact of the festival. Oh and they have a killer line-up every year as well.
Should I go? If you’re — sort of — young and like to party like an animal while drinking beers and watching the coolest alternative bands perform, go ahead!
5. Francofolies de Spa
Dates: from Thursday July 19 to Sunday July 22
Music style: French music
Location: Spa
Main acts: Roméo Elvis, Cats of Trees, Suarez, Calogero, Typh Barrow, Coeur de Pirate, Vianney, Girls in Hawaii, todiefor, Ozark Henry, Henri PFR, Caballero & JeanJass
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 53,50€, 4-day pass for 113,50€
Number of stages: 5
Website: francofolies.be
About: The Francofolies de Spa were born in 1994 with a strong accent put on French and Belgian artists and french music. Famous artists like Johnny Hallyday, Salvatore Adamo, Vanessa Paradis, Martin Solveig, Stromae, Hooverphonic or Machiavel gave concerts here in the past 24 years. During three days, the whole city of Spa (yes, that’s where your “spa” treatment’s name comes from) basically turns into a big open air stage, with secondary stages popping at every corner and up and coming talents taking their chance.
Should I go? Let’s be clear right away: if you’re looking for fellow party harders, you won’t find them here. The Francofolies have more of a beer-hot-dogs-and-family vibe going on, at least in the afternoons. In the evenings though, you can expect your dose of party and fun.
6. Tomorrowland
Dates: two weekends from Friday July 20 to Sunday July 29
Music style: Electro, house
Location: Boom (yes, it’s an actual village in Belgium)
Main acts: Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Netsky, Steve Aoki, Tiësto, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Garrix, Paul Kalkbrenner, Steve Angello, Nervo, Virgil Abloh
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 101€, 3-day pass for 281€
Number of stages: We stopped counting a few years ago
Website: tomorrowland.com
About: Tomorrowland’s first edition took place in 2005 with about 10.000 visitors and already a few big acts like Armin Van Buuren and Justice. Tomorrowland’s big breakthrough happened on their fourth edition, in 2008, where more than 50.000 people from all over the world gathered in Boom to step outside reality for a day or a weekend. Last year, the event took place over two weekends and about 400.000 festival goers got their holy ticket.
Should I go? If you loved Disneyland as a child but need something stronger now, this is it. Tomorrowland isn’t a festival, it’s a state of mind in which love replaces fear. If you want to experience a real communion with tens of thousands of people from all over the globe, you have to find a way to get a ticket. Oh and, the music’s not bad either.
7. Esperanzah!
Dates: from Friday August 3 to Sunday August 5 2018
Music style: World Music
Location: Floreffe
Main acts: Jain, Roméo Elvis, Grand Corps Malade, Gaël Faye, Mélanie de Biasio, Her, Juicy, Chilla, …
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 38€, 3-day pass for 78€
Number of stages: 3
Website: esperanzah.be
About: Esperanzah! is a world music festival that offers, since 2002, a varied program of well-known and up and coming artists. Esperanzah! differentiates from other festivals in two ways: the philosophy of tolerance and respect it wishes to convey, but also the fact that it’s an arts festival at large, offering music as well as cinema and street art performances during the whole duration of the festival.
Should I go? If you’re a chill and open-minded person who loves arts in general, then yes, this festival was made for you. If you have kids, it’s also a good option as it’s a family event.
8. Ronquières Festival
Dates: from Saturday August 4 to Sunday August 5 2018
Music style: Electropop
Location: Ronquières
Main acts: Asaf Avidan, Passenger, MC Solaar, Lily Allen, Girls in Hawaii, Caballero & Jeanjass, Henri PFR, …
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 43€, 3-day pass for 69€
Number of stages: 2
Website: ronquieresfestival.be
About: After six editions, almost all sold out, Ronquières is acquiring the very coveted status of must attend in Belgium. The line-up gives plenty of space to diversity, national and international artists. What makes the festival different from the others is its location: next to the huge Plan Incliné tower and the barges passing by on the nearby canal.
Should I go? Of course, duh. More seriously, this is the best festival to start with if your mind isn’t made up yet. You’ll find a lot of different music styles and artists from Belgium and abroad.
9. Wecandance
Dates: from to 11-12 August
Music style: Electro
Location: Zeebrugge
Main acts: Agoria, Henrik Schwarz, Agents of Time, Stephan Bodzin, Tale of Us, Goldclap, Blond:ish, Britta Unders, …
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 58€, 2-day pass for 99€
Number of stages: 5
Website: wecandance.be
About: Wecandance is one of the youngest festivals in Belgium — the first edition took place in 2013 —, but grew very quickly into a must for party and fashion lovers. Why fashion? Because each edition has a theme that everyone should follow when picking their clothes for the event! A non neglectable aspect of the festival is that it takes place on the beach, giving it a very exotic touch.
Should I go? If you like playing dress up and being in the know for the latest trends while listening to music, then yes. Wecandance is definitely more of a big themed fashion party, but that’s what makes it unique.
10. Brussels Summer Festival
Dates: from Tuesday August 14 to Saturday August 18
Music style: rock, jazz, hip hop, …
Location: Brussels
Main acts: Shaka Ponk, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Orelsan, dEUS, Roméo Elvis x Le Motel, Todiefor, Feder, …
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 35€, 5-day pass for 65€
Number of stages: 1
Website: bsf.be
About: The BSF takes place in the very heart of the capital city since 2002. The idea has always been to program quality artists at a very democratic price, and promote the Belgian artists. What makes it unique is the fact that it takes place in the beautiful historic center of Brussels, in the middle of our most famous monuments and landmarks. The BSF offers a very diverse program with artists going from rock to jazz and hip hop.
Should I go? If you’re an afterwork person that loves to go out during weekdays, this is your perfect alternative to Place du Lux or the Châtelain market. Oh yes, with a slight difference: you’ll be sipping your beer in the sun while listening to top quality live music.
11. Pukkelpop
Dates: from Thursday August 15 to Sunday August 18
Music style: pop rock
Location: Hasselt
Main acts: Arcade Fire, Kendrick Lamar, Imagine Dragons, Dua Lipa, Martin Solveig, Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker), Bruxelles Arrive: Roméo Elvis X Caballero & JeanJass, N.E.R.D., Justice, Nina Kraviz, …
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 100€, 4-day pass for 205€
Number of stages: 8
Website: pukkelpop.be
About: Every year since 1985, Pukkelpop festival wakes the small belgian city of Hasselt for four days. It started as a small alternative event, with quite a lot of metal bands and underground artists. Since then, the festival evolved and kept its alternative spirit but added way more music styles like rock, pop or even house. Street theater, sustainability and world food are also important at Pukkelpop, making it a very comprehensive event.
Should I go? If you like the comfort of well-known bands but also the thrill of discovering the next big musical thing — to brag next year like “oh yeah I saw them on a tiny stage at 2 PM when nobody knew them yet, they’re okay” — then you can just go buy your tickets right now.
12. Voodoo Village
Dates: September 22
Music style: Electronic
Location: Grimbergen
Main acts: Damia Lazarus, Recondite, more to come very soon
Tickets prices: 1-day pass for 31€
Number of stages: 3
Website: voodoovillage.be
About: This young festival took place for the first time in 2016 and closes the festival season every year since then. It’s located in the countryside, at a 20-minute drive from Brussels, in the area of the Grimbergen Castle. The atmosphere here is a bit hip and gypsy-chic with a thing for dressing up, like at Wecandance.
Should I go? If you’re clinging to Summer and are not completely ready to say goodbye to the festival season, this is the perfect cure.
