Gentse Feesten draws almost 1.6m visitors
The Gentse Feesten attracted a total of 1,595,000 visitors to Ghent this year, around 115,000 fewer than in 2024. Joris Vandenbroucke, the city's festivities mayor, called it a “wonderful edition”.
The Gentse Feesten is a 10-day cultural celebration featuring music, theatre, street performances and more that has been held for over half a century. From 18-27 July this year, the festival hosted nearly 3,500 free activities and performances across the city.
Around 130,000 people flocked to the city centre on the final day of the festival. Although there were slightly fewer people overall than last year, Vandenbroucke said he was "super proud and super satisfied" with how the festival went, especially the balance achieved between celebration and liveability in the city, which has a population of around 270,000.
This resulted in fewer complaints about noise pollution and greater tolerance among residents, he said.
“We have shown that it is possible: a vibrant city and satisfied residents”
Vandenbroucke thanked city centre residents in particular for their tolerance, adding that he intends to maintain this balance in future. “We have shown that it is possible: a vibrant city and satisfied residents.”
The festival did not pass off entirely without incident, however. The police recorded 91 fights, while the fire brigade responded to 34 calls. The Red Cross treated 2,292 visitors, 174 of whom were taken to hospital. The reporting centre for inappropriate behaviour received 51 reports, 19 of which concerned sexual misconduct.
According to Vandenbroucke, the large number of visitors is partly due to the programme's breadth, accessibility and variety, all of which remained intact this year despite the weather conditions. The next edition will take place from 17 to 26 July 2026.
Visitors dance on the first day of the Gentse Feesten festival, 18 July 2025 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
Related news
