Beyond the music: Belgium's big summer festival moments
Belgium’s festival season has again lived up to its reputation, with record-breaking crowds, headline acts and the occasional challenge. From the intimate streets of Ghent to the vast fields of Boom and Hasselt, the country’s biggest events offered something for every taste. We look back at the highlights and figures from four of the biggest summer fixtures.
Pukkelpop
After four days of music, parties and international stars, Pukkelpop 2025 closed last Sunday, having drawn crowds of at least 66,000 each day.
The line-up mixed national and international acts, with highlights including Macklemore, Netsky and Roxy Dekker. A long-standing feature, Okazi’s pop-up shop at the campsite, broke records this year, selling 4.3 tonnes of second-hand clothing and camping gear, some of it salvaged from previous editions.
The organisation also worked with Mobile Refugee Support to repurpose sleeping bags, mattresses and tents for refugees.
Police reported four arrests and 160 people were caught in possession of drugs, with 42,000 euros in fines issued. Nearly 1,000 valuables were lost during the event, half of which were retrieved. The remaining 485 items are now with the city hall in Hasselt, where owners have five years to claim them and can use the iLost website.
Gentse Feesten
The 182nd edition of Ghent's famous city festival welcomed 1,595,000 visitors over 10 days, 115,000 fewer than last year, but still a remarkable turnout. The event generated 215 tonnes of waste and kept services busy: 444 people were fined for public urination, 248 traffic fines were issued and 94 cars were towed.
The Red Cross treated 2,292 visitors for mostly minor injuries, with 174 requiring hospital care. The fire brigade intervened 34 times, mostly for minor incidents such as bin fires. Reports of inappropriate behaviour were slightly down, with 51 cases logged, including 19 involving sexually inappropriate conduct.
Noise complaints were lower too, with 32 filed and nine resulting in fines. Yet questions about accessibility remain, as the festival continues to balance its open-city atmosphere with crowd control and safety.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland 2025 faced drama even before it opened, when a fire destroyed much of its main stage, but the festival recovered quickly to deliver another spectacular edition. Headliners included Martin Garrix, Eric Prydz, Charlotte de Witte, Hardwell, John Summit, Armin van Buuren, Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta.
Police reported 481 offences during the two weekends, mostly drug-related, and 67 arrests. Officers caught 382 people carrying user doses, while drug dealers from across Europe and beyond were detained.
The Antwerp prosecutor confirmed a 35-year-old Canadian woman died during the first weekend, with drug use the suspected cause.
The festival also became a focus of geopolitical tension. Two men identified as members of the Israeli army’s Givati Brigade were arrested after waving the unit’s flag; the case is being transferred to the International Criminal Court.
Israeli DJ Skazi cancelled his set amid growing unrest. “We’re glad he made that decision,” said spokesperson Debby Wilmsen. “At some point, there was a lot of unrest. We received a lot of angry emails, and we don’t want employees to start dropping out of working for us.”
Despite setbacks, Tomorrowland introduced new sustainability measures, including an electronic cup system. Linked to festival wristbands, the cups allowed instant refunds for returned deposits, each worth 1.82 euros.
Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter celebrated its 50th anniversary in style, with Gen Z artists and audiences dominating the final day. Acts such as David Kushner, Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan and Olivia Rodrigo drew huge crowds.
The festival has grown hugely since its 1975 debut, when only 650 people attended. In 2025, daily attendance neared 90,000. Security noted 94 cases of drug possession; 89 people paid on-the-spot fines and five received citations.
#FlandersNewsService | Tomorrowland 2025 © BELGA PHOTO MARIUS BURGELMAN
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