42 Festivals in Belgium 2026-2027: Dates and Where to Go

Belgium runs a music and culture festival almost every weekend from spring to autumn, and this page tracks all 42, from the world’s biggest electronic dance music festival to a one-day food crawl, with 2026 dates checked against each festival’s own site in September 2026 and 2027 dates where organisers have announced them. Flanders is especially festival-heavy, with even small towns such as Perk, Dranouter and Stekene running their own events alongside the household names. Since almost every 2026 edition on this list already ran by early September, most rows in the table below point to 2027; where a festival has not yet published next year’s dates, the table gives its usual timing instead.

Two changes stand out for this season. Eight festivals from the original line-up are currently paused, discontinued or without a confirmed venue: Linkerwoofer, Fire is Gold, Voltage Festival, W-Festival, Cirque Magique, Brussels Electronic Marathon, Groezrock and Deep In the Woods. Each keeps its usual place on this page rather than being removed, since a return is possible, and its section explains what’s known. On the ownership side, Live Nation now owns Pukkelpop outright, a deal under review by Belgian antitrust regulators, and is separately selling its majority stake in Dour Festival to investors linked to Les Ardentes, so Dour and Les Ardentes now share ownership while keeping separate branding.

Flanders, home to most of these festivals, borders the rest of the country covered in the Belgium travel guide, and Ghent runs its own winter light show, the Ghent Light Festival, every three years alongside the summer festival season covered here.

1. Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland’s 2026 edition ran on 17-19 and 24-26 July, and the Belgian festival’s 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing; expect the last two weekends of July, since that has been the pattern since 2017. Tomorrowland Winter, the festival’s ski-resort spin-off at Alpe d’Huez in the French Alps, already has confirmed 2027 dates: 20-27 March. Tomorrowland is the world’s largest electronic dance music festival, held at the Schorre recreation area in Boom, about 18 kilometres (11.2 miles) south of Antwerp. The festival started as a single-day event in 2005 and has grown into a two-weekend production with 16 stages and elaborate set design that turns the site into its own themed world each year. In 2022 it drew around 600,000 visitors across both weekends, and tickets for a new edition typically sell out within hours of going on sale.

A full-weekend ticket has cost around €999 ($1,079, £849) in recent editions, and camping is available on site for those who want to stay close to the action. Visitors can drive and park at one of the festival’s car parks, take De Lijn bus line 500 from Antwerp to the main entrance at De Schorre, or take the train to Boom, buying tickets in advance to skip the queue at the station. Tickets go on sale months ahead and move fast, so it pays to set a reminder.

2. Rock Werchter

Rock Werchter’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 1-4 July, following the 2026 festival held on 2-5 July. Rock Werchter is one of Belgium’s biggest rock festivals, held over four days in the village of Werchter, about 15 kilometres (9.2 miles) north-east of Leuven. The festival runs four stages and draws crowds of roughly 150,000 people a day, with past headliners including The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys and Iggy Pop. Rock Werchter has won the ILMC Arthur Award in the festival category six times, most recently in 2017, and editions sell out quickly.

In 2022, overall attendance across the sold-out four days topped 500,000. Camping is available on site for ticket holders. A Rock Werchter ticket also includes a free return train ticket to Leuven station, from where a free shuttle bus runs to the festival site; buy tickets on Ticketmaster as soon as they go on sale.

3. Pukkelpop

Pukkelpop’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 19-22 August, after the 2026 festival ran on 20-23 August. Live Nation took ownership of Pukkelpop in October 2025, a deal now under review by the Belgian Competition Authority, though the festival’s programming has continued as normal. Pukkelpop is a multi-genre festival held over four days in the village of Kiewit, near Hasselt, mixing rock, pop, electronic, hip hop, punk and metal across nine stages. First held in 1985, Pukkelpop draws around 180,000 visitors across the weekend and books up to 200 acts each year, with past line-ups including Billie Eilish and The Killers. Hasselt itself is a small city known for shopping, so it’s worth arriving early or staying on to explore. Rather than one shared bill, the festival splits its acts across a dancehall, club tents, smaller stages and the main stage, each running its own line-up, which is what makes Pukkelpop feel like several festivals in one.

Belgian Railways usually offers festival ticket holders a free return train ticket to Kiewit. Camping is available on site, and the festival is not free to attend.

4. Gentse Feesten

Gentse Feesten’s 2027 dates are confirmed for 16-25 July, following the 2026 festival held on 17-26 July. Gentse Feesten (the “Festivities of Ghent”) turns the whole city of Ghent into a festival ground for 10 days every July, with stages on almost every corner, food stands, street theatre, circus, comedy and exhibitions alongside the concerts. The festival has run since 1843 and has always been free to attend, spreading performers across 13 stages around the historic centre. In 2022 it drew more than two million visitors over the 10 days, from people who stay for one evening to die-hards who party the whole run.

There’s no camping since the festival takes place within the city, but Ghent has a wide range of accommodation. The easiest way to travel to Ghent is by train: the city has two stations, Gent-Sint-Pieters and Gent-Dampoort, and a festival ticket doubles as a bus and tram pass around the site. Because the festival covers the whole city, it’s easy to combine with sightseeing. Ghent also lights up its historic centre for the Ghent Light Festival, a free light-art event held every three years in the depths of winter.

5. Dour Festival

Dour Festival’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 7-11 July, after the 2026 festival ran on 15-19 July. Live Nation is selling its majority stake in Dour to investors tied to Les Ardentes, so the two festivals now share ownership while remaining separately branded. Dour Festival is the biggest festival in French-speaking Belgium and its most alternative, built around dubstep, reggae, house and other genres that don’t get much radio play. Held at Plaine de la Machine à Feu in Dour, near the French border, the festival started with five bands in 1989 and has grown into a five-day event with more than 250 artists across nine stages, drawing around 225,000 attendees a year. Past line-ups have included Janelle Monáe, Phoenix, Caribou, Denzel Curry and Peggy Gou.

The easiest way to reach Dour is by train to Saint-Ghislain station, where free shuttle buses run to the site; driving is possible but the free parking lot is limited. The nearest airports are Brussels, Charleroi and Lille, all with rail connections to Saint-Ghislain, and coach operators including Big Green Coach, OnTours and Maximal Trips run buses from the UK, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany. Camping ranges from basic tent pitches to glamping.

6. Couleur Café

Couleur Café’s 2026 edition ran on 26-28 June, and the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing; expect the last weekend of June, since that has been the festival’s usual slot. Couleur Café is a world-music festival held under Brussels’ Atomium landmark, focused on hip hop, reggae, dubstep and world music across six stages, with a large world food market alongside the acts. The festival drew around 69,000 visitors in 2022, and past line-ups have included Tash Sultana and Ayra Starr.

The world food market is worth building time around; I can highly recommend grazing there between sets.

Getting there is straightforward: take the metro for free using the code on a festival ticket, which doubles as a Brussels transit pass. From Brussels-Midi station, metro line 6 towards Koning Boudewijn stops at Heizel, right by the festival. Buy tickets for Couleur Café online and get an e-ticket for the Belgian train in advance to skip the queue at the station.

7. Graspop Metal Meeting

Graspop Metal Meeting’s 2027 edition, its 30th anniversary, is confirmed for 17-20 June, after the 2026 festival ran on 18-21 June. Graspop Metal Meeting is Belgium’s biggest metal festival, held over four days at Festivalpark Stenehei in Dessel and running since 1996. The festival packs more than 100 bands across five stages, drawing around 220,000 visitors in recent editions, with past headliners including Guns N’ Roses, Disturbed, Slipknot and Pantera. Payment on site runs through a wristband-linked “Skullies” system rather than cash, and the organisers blacklist resold tickets, so buy only through official channels.

Festival tickets include access to the Boneyard campsite and a free shuttle from Mol train station; Belgian Railways sells a combined ticket from any station in the country. All car parks on site charge a fee, and higher rates apply if you pay at the gate rather than in advance. Buy tickets online as soon as presale opens, since popular tiers sell out.

8. Paradise City

Paradise City’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 2-4 July, a week or so later than its usual late-June slot; the 2026 festival ran on 26-28 June. Paradise City is a green electronic music festival in Perk, a Flemish Brabant village of around 2,800 residents, built around sustainability alongside house, techno, ambient and experimental sets from around 40 international DJs and producers. The festival has grown from a niche event to one that now draws around 30,000 visitors, with food made from local produce and a green campsite rather than a typical festival vibe. Doors usually run from midday to 1am on Friday and Saturday and to 11pm on Sunday, with the campsite open from Friday morning to Monday morning.

Perk has no train station, so most attendees take the train to Vilvoorde and a shuttle bus onward, or drive using the routes the festival publishes from Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and Liège. Taxis and rideshares can drop off at a Kiss & Ride point about 250 metres from the entrance, and bicycle parking is available for those who cycle in.

9. Les Ardentes

Les Ardentes’ 2027 edition is confirmed for 1-4 July, after a 20th-anniversary 2026 festival on 2-5 July. Les Ardentes is an electro-rock and hip hop festival held at Rocourt on the outskirts of Liège, mixing rock, electro, house, techno, drum and bass and pop across multiple stages. The festival has drawn crowds of more than 200,000 in recent years, with past headliners including Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott and J Balvin. A four-day pass has cost around €95 ($103, £81) in recent years, with single-day tickets from around €50 ($54, £43).

Parking is available near Liège-Guillemins train station, which has cost as little as €5 ($5, £4) per 24 hours in the past, and a free shuttle runs from the station to the festival site; taking the train avoids the queue for parking altogether. Camping passes can be added to any ticket package for those staying on site for the full four days.

10. Cactusfestival

Cactusfestival’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 9-11 July, after the 2026 festival ran on 10-12 July. Cactusfestival has brought rock, pop and indie acts to Bruges since 1982, staged on a single stage at Minnewaterpark, a park beside a canal in the historic centre. The single-stage format means there’s no clashing line-up to plan around, and the festival draws around 25,000 people a year, with past headliners including The Libertines, Roisin Murphy and Goose.

Bruges station is about a 10-minute walk from the festival grounds, with shuttle buses also running from the station, and trains are the easiest way in since parking near the station costs around €3 ($3, £2) per 24 hours. Service fees of around €2 ($2, £2) are added to each ticket, and weekend passes have sold out well ahead of the festival in past years. Bruges’ old town draws visitors from all over the world, so it’s worth arriving early or staying on; see our tips for Bruges to plan the rest of the trip.

11. Lokerse Feesten

Lokerse Feesten’s 2026 edition ran from 31 July to 9 August, and the 2027 dates were not officially announced by the festival at the time of writing; expect a similar 10-day run spanning late July into the first week of August. Lokerse Feesten is a 10-day music festival at the Grote Kaai venue in the centre of Lokeren, mixing rock, pop, hip hop, metal, electronic and dance music on one main outdoor stage plus smaller indoor club stages. The festival draws around 125,000 visitors over its run, with past line-ups including Blur, Cypress Hill, Megadeth and Wilco.

The festival site is a five-minute walk from Lokeren train station; get train tickets in advance to skip the queue. De Lijn also runs night buses for those staying nearby, and past editions have had a bus leaving the station around 2:45am, though timings are worth double-checking. Parking in previous years has been away from the centre, with a shuttle bus linking the lots to the site.

12. Linkerwoofer

Linkerwoofer, the family-friendly festival of Belgian rock and pop at Boeienweide park on Antwerp’s left bank, has not run since its last edition in July 2022, when it drew 15,000 to 20,000 visitors with past line-ups including De Kreuners and Het Zesde Metaal. The organisers cancelled the 2023 edition for financial reasons tied to COVID-era losses, then said on their own site that they would not organise Linkerwoofer in 2024 either, without giving a return date. The festival’s website has since gone offline, and no 2025 or 2026 edition has appeared anywhere, so treat Linkerwoofer as on hiatus rather than confirmed to return.

Boeienweide has no hotels of its own, but crossing the water leads straight into Antwerp’s historic centre; take the train to Antwerp Central Station and the tram to Linkeroever. Sofie, Wonderful Wanderings’ founder, spent a year studying in Antwerp and still has plenty left to explore in what she calls a lively city full of fashion, art and good food. A few accommodation options in Antwerp: the budget Kabas Hostel has dorms and doubles with a shared kitchen and garden; the boutique B&B Suites@FEEK near the MAS museum has design suites with spa baths; the chain Park Inn by Radisson Antwerpen sits by Central Station with its own spa and an airport shuttle; and the 4-star U Eat & Sleep Antwerp by the MAS has rain showers and designer sinks.

13. Les Francofolies de Spa

Les Francofolies de Spa’s 2026 edition ran from 20 to 26 July, and the official site confirms only “July 2027” for the next one; exact days were not yet published at the time of writing. Les Francofolies de Spa is the home of francophone music in Belgium, spreading pop, rock, hip hop and electro across around five stages in the centre of Spa, including the Parc de Sept Heures and Place Royale. The festival unfolds across four days, blending concerts with food, entertainment and other activities so the whole town feels like it joins in. The festival has drawn crowds of around 200,000 in past editions, with past line-ups including Mika, Soprano and Juliette Armanet.

Spa can be reached by car, with parking on the outskirts, or by train directly to Spa station, a short walk from the festival grounds; get train tickets in advance to skip the queue.

14. Suikerrock

Suikerrock’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 6-8 August, after the 2026 festival ran on 7-9 August. Suikerrock (“Sugar Rock”) takes its name from the sugar refinery in Tienen where the festival began, and now runs across multiple stages including the Main Stage on the Grote Markt plus the Cube and Palace stages. Running since 1987, the festival draws crowds of more than 100,000 over three days, with past headliners including Bastille and Franz Ferdinand. After more than three decades in the town centre, the festival moved to grounds behind the old sugar refinery at the Bietenplein.

The festival is walkable from Tienen’s centre, with a free shuttle bus also running from the train station, which sits 800 metres from the main stage and has parking for 1,600 cars; get train tickets in advance and check the time of the last train if you’re not staying over. Buy tickets online ahead of the festival. Two hotels sit right in the centre of Tienen: the 3-star Hotel Kronacker has a fitness garden, restaurant and spa area, and the 3-star Alpha Hotel is a five-minute walk from the station.

15. Dranouter

Dranouter’s 2026 tickets sold out in presale for the third year running, and the festival’s own ticket page points to a box-office cutover on 4 August 2027, consistent with an early-August weekend; the exact 2027 dates were not spelled out on the official site at the time of writing. Dranouter has gathered folk and world music fans from across Europe since 1975 and ranks among the largest folk festivals on the continent, spreading its line-up across seven stages in the village of Dranouter, in the West Flanders countryside. The festival takes its name from the small village that hosts it, and its accessible, family-friendly atmosphere is part of why it keeps selling out early. The festival draws around 50,000 visitors a year, with past line-ups including Tom Odell, ZAZ and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Dranouter encourages travelling “low-impact” but does run a paid on-site parking lot; by public transport, take the train to Ieper and the De Lijn bus onward to Dranouter.

16. Antilliaanse Feesten

Antilliaanse Feesten’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 12-14 August, after the 2026 festival ran on 6-8 August. Antilliaanse Feesten is a three-day Caribbean music festival at the Blauwbossen venue in Hoogstraten, built around salsa, zouk, bachata, reggaeton, reggae, soukous and other Caribbean and Latin styles across three stages on the festival terrain and one on the campsite. It ranks among the biggest Caribbean music festivals in the world and draws 30,000 to 40,000 visitors a year, with past line-ups including Kassav’ and Patrice Roberts. A three-day pass with camping has run to around €170 ($184, £145) in past editions, with single-day tickets from about €35 ($38, £30).

The festival runs a free parking lot on site, making driving the easiest option, or take bus 600, 602, 605 or 620 from Rooseveltplaats in Antwerp (a short walk from Antwerp Central Station) to Hoogstraten, followed by the festival’s free shuttle bus.

17. Sfinks Mixed

Sfinks Mixed marked its 50th anniversary with the 2026 edition, held 23-26 July, and the 2027 dates are confirmed for 29 July to 1 August. Sfinks Mixed is a four-day world music festival in Boechout, near Antwerp, spanning global pop, reggae, folk, jazz and electronic acts across three stages, including a dedicated kids’ stage. The festival has been free to attend since 2013, funded through vendor sales and sponsors, and draws crowds that have topped 200,000 in past editions, with past line-ups including Salif Keita and Yemi Alade. Beyond the music, visitors can browse the multicultural market or watch parades and acrobats between sets, and the festival’s emphasis on accessibility and family-friendliness extends to workshops and storytelling aimed at children.

The site is easily reached from Antwerp by train, bus or tram, with free parking also available near the grounds; camping is not free even though entry is.

18. Genk on Stage

Genk on Stage’s 2026 edition ran on 26-28 June, and the festival’s own site points to a return “the weekend of 25 June” in 2027, though the exact Friday-to-Sunday dates were not spelled out at the time of writing. Genk on Stage is a free three-day open-air festival that takes over the streets and squares of central Genk, in Limburg, with rock, pop and electronic acts across eight stages including the Main Stage and the Hete Kolen Stage. The festival draws around 100,000 visitors a year, with past line-ups including Daan and Pommelien Thijs.

The festival site is a two-minute walk from Genk train station; check timetables and buy train tickets online. If you’re already in Genk, stay an extra day to visit the old mining site at C-Mine. For somewhere to stay, Hotel ‘t Hert sits in the centre of Genk with free Wi-Fi and breakfast included (reviews).

19. Listen! Festival

Listen! Festival marked its 10th anniversary on 21-22 November 2026 with a reformatted single weekend across 15 Brussels venues on one ticket, a change from its old late-March slot; the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing, and it is not yet clear whether the November format will repeat. Listen! Festival is an electronic music festival spread across several venues in central Brussels, including the Ancienne Belgique music hall and the Beursschouwburg cultural centre, covering house, techno, drum and bass and more experimental styles. Past editions have featured more than 50 artists across multiple venues in a single weekend. The festival draws tens of thousands of visitors, with past line-ups including Skrillex and Four Tet. There’s no camping since it’s a city festival, and a day pass has cost around €30-40 ($32-43, £26-34) covering every venue and stage for that day.

The festival works with Brussels transit operator STIB-MIVB to help visitors move between venues.

20. Extrema Outdoor

Extrema Outdoor’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 14-16 May, after the 2026 festival ran on 22-24 May. Extrema Outdoor is an electronic dance music festival at Domain De Plas, a lake in Houthalen-Helchteren, with seven stages of house, techno and other electronic styles. Known for its lakeside setting and artistic stage design, the festival mixes underground and mainstream electronic acts across three days. The festival has drawn around 65,000 visitors in past editions, with past line-ups including Peggy Gou, Black Coffee and Amelie Lens. A day pass has cost around €70 ($76, £60), rising to around €200 ($216, £170) for a three-day pass with camping.

Attendees can take a bus or train to nearby stations in Houthalen-Helchteren and walk 15-20 minutes to the grounds; camping is available on site.

21. Fire is Gold

Fire is Gold, the one-day electronic music festival that filled Antwerp’s Middenvijver park and later Park Spoor Oost with house, techno, drum and bass and hardstyle, has not run since its September 2022 edition. Organiser Wim Van der Borght cancelled the 2023 edition for lack of a suitable venue and because the festival had failed to break even, and said the team would look at reviving it in 2024; no 2024, 2025 or 2026 edition has appeared, and the festival’s website is offline. Past editions drew around 65,000 visitors, with past line-ups including Netsky and Benny Benassi.

The festival sits in Antwerp’s city centre, so trains run frequently to Antwerp Central Station with shuttle buses onward, or it’s a 15-minute walk from Antwerpen Schijnpoort tram stop; get train tickets in advance to skip the queue. For things to do in Antwerp before or after the festival, the city’s historic centre is a short trip across the water. A few places to stay: the budget Kabas Hostel has dorms and doubles with a shared kitchen; the boutique B&B Suites@FEEK near the MAS museum has design suites with spa baths; the chain Park Inn by Radisson Antwerpen sits by Central Station with its own spa; and the 4-star U Eat & Sleep Antwerp by the MAS has rain showers and a Bluetooth music station.

22. Voltage Festival

Voltage Festival, which ran from 2015 in a former electricity plant, Transfo Zwevegem, near Kortrijk, has been without a home since its 2021 edition. The organisers say on their own site that Transfo Zwevegem marked “the end of a chapter”, and while the festival’s homepage still carries a placeholder about returning with a new location, no venue or date has been confirmed since. The search for a replacement site has continued since 2022 without a confirmed announcement. When it ran, the two-day festival mixed techno, house and acid across three indoor and outdoor stages, Anode, Turbine and Rotor, and drew around 6,000 visitors from Belgium and abroad, with past line-ups including Len Faki and Ellen Allien. Check voltagefestival.com before planning a trip around it.

23. We can Dance

We can Dance’s 2026 edition ran as a single weekend, 14-16 August, a change from the two separate weekends it used in earlier years; the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing, and mid-August remains the usual slot. We can Dance is a beachfront electronic dance music festival on Zeebrugge Beach, near Bruges, spread across seven stages with techno, house, disco and hip hop, combining the music with fashion and gourmet food stalls along the sand. The festival has drawn around 60,000 visitors in past editions, with past line-ups including Diplo, Dixon and Maceo Plex. A day ticket has cost around €60-65 ($65-70, £51-55), rising to €100-110 ($108-119, £85-94) for a weekend pass.

The tram from Bruges to the Zeebrugge Strandwijk stop is a five-to-ten-minute walk from the entrance, and tickets and transport can be booked online in advance; on-site parking has been limited in past editions. A few places to stay near Bruges: the budget Ibis Brugge Centrum is a 15-minute walk from the train station; the boutique Braamberg B&B sits in the historic centre with breakfast included; and the five-star Hotel Dukes’ Palace Brugge, a former ducal residence near the market square, has a spa and an on-site restaurant.

24. Brussels Summer Festival

Brussels Summer Festival’s 18th edition ran from 14 to 18 August 2026, confirming the festival has continued to run every year since 2002; the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing, and mid-August remains the usual slot. Brussels Summer Festival, also known as BSF, is a multi-genre festival spread across Place des Palais, Mont des Arts and La Madeleine in central Brussels, mixing jazz, rock, pop, hip hop and electronic acts across three main stages plus club shows. The festival has drawn around 60,000 visitors a year in past editions, with past line-ups including Christine and the Queens and Rudimental.

Trains run to Brussels Central Station, a short walk from the festival site; avoid driving into central Brussels, since parking is scarce and traffic is slow. A few places to stay in Brussels: the budget Sleep Well Youth Hostel has dorms and private rooms with table tennis and a bar; the boutique Art de Séjour B&B, in a 19th-century townhouse 500 metres from the Grand Place; the chain NH Collection Brussels Grand Sablon on the historic Grand Sablon Square; and the 5-star Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo on the corner of the Grand Place, with its own gym and an award-winning restaurant.

25. Crammerock

Crammerock’s 2026 edition ran on 4-5 September and sold out. The 2027 dates have not been announced, and the first weekend of September remains the usual slot. Crammerock is a rock, pop, electronic and hip hop festival at the Festivalterrein Groeneputte in Stekene, named after the local youth club that founded it for its 10th birthday in 1991. The festival runs across three stages, the Main North and Main South stages sharing one large tent and a separate Club Stage tent, and draws more than 30,000 visitors a year, with past line-ups including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Selah Sue. A weekend pass has cost around €70 ($76, £60), with single-day tickets around €44 ($48, £37) and a camping pass around €16 ($17, £14).

Attendees can take the train to Sint-Niklaas station and a shuttle bus onward, or use the parking available near the site; food and drink inside run on vouchers.

26. Brussels Electronic Marathon

Brussels Electronic Marathon is discontinued. The City of Brussels’ own event listing now carries the event under the title “Brussels Electronic Marathon (cancelled)”, and no edition has run since 10-14 October 2019, when the festival drew more than 15,000 visitors across 30-plus venues and 60-plus events pairing concerts with workshops, lectures and art installations for adults and children. No cancellation reason has been published, and no successor event has taken its place in the Brussels autumn calendar. Visitors planning an autumn trip to the city are better off checking the Brussels events calendar directly rather than assuming the marathon will return.

27. Fête de la Musique

Fête de la Musique’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 17-21 June, following the 2026 event held on 19-22 June. Fête de la Musique is a free-concert festival held every year in Wallonia and Brussels as the Belgian French-speaking edition of the international Fête de la Musique, staging hundreds of free concerts by artists from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in venues and public spaces across the region. Each June, free stages spring up in squares, parks and courtyards, and the format has stayed largely unchanged since it began. Its 39th edition put on around 800 free concerts with support from cultural networks, volunteers and city institutions.

28. Ommegang

Ommegang is a historical pageant in central Brussels that recreates Emperor Charles V’s Joyous Entry of 1549, with costumed musicians playing period instruments such as shawms, sackbuts and cornets as they process from the Sablon district to the Grand Place. The pageant has run on consecutive years recently, most recently over two evenings on 1 and 3 July 2026; the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing, but expect two evenings in the first week of July, since that has been the festival’s pattern. More than 1,400 participants take part in a typical edition, in costume and on horseback alongside historical actors. Seated tickets have ranged from around €38 to €78 ($41-84, £32-66), with some standing areas free.

The route runs through central Brussels, close to the Brussels-Central and Sablon metro stations, and tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster ahead of the event.

29. Flower Carpet

The Brussels Flower Carpet is a biennial installation on the Grand Place, staged in even years, where around 120 volunteers assemble a carpet of roughly a million begonias in under eight hours. The 24th edition ran from 13 to 16 August 2026, with a design honouring 160 years of Belgium-Japan relations, and the next carpet is due in 2028, with exact dates not yet published. Ground-level viewing is free, with paid access to the Brussels Town Hall balcony for a better vantage point and a light-and-sound show on the opening night; there’s no music otherwise, since the event is a floral display rather than a concert.

Trains, buses, taxis and walking all reach the Grand Place; balcony access has cost around €5-10 ($5-11, £4-9).

30. Zinneke Parade

Zinneke Parade is a free biennial multicultural parade through central Brussels, held in even years since 2000 (aside from a COVID cancellation in 2020), with brass bands, percussion ensembles and choirs performing live and unamplified as they wind from several starting squares to the city centre. The 14th edition, themed “Dream,” took place on 30 May 2026 with regional government funding of €360,000, and the next parade is due in 2028, with an exact date still to be announced. Each edition picks a new theme that different neighbourhood groups interpret through their own costumes, music and floats, so no two editions repeat a line-up.

There’s no cost to attend since the parade moves through public streets, including the Grand Place, Boulevard d’Anspach and Rue Lombard; check the published route before you go.

31. Muddy Roots Europe (now Cowboy Up Music Revival)

After 12 years as Muddy Roots Europe, the punk, country, blues, Americana and bluegrass festival at the Cowboy Up Steakhouse Saloon in Waardamme, near Oostkamp, was rebranded Cowboy Up Music Revival at the same venue under the same organisers. Its second edition under the new name ran from 26 to 28 June 2026, and a third is officially confirmed for 25 to 27 June 2027. The festival draws around 3,000 visitors a year across roughly three stages, with past line-ups including James Hunnicutt and Bob Wayne. Tickets have cost around €100 ($108, £85) for a full festival pass with camping and hot showers included.

Waardamme is reachable by train from Bruges and Ghent, with shuttles running from Waardamme station to the site.

32. Maanrock

Maanrock’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 26-29 August, after the 2026 festival ran on 27-30 August. Maanrock (“Moon Rock”) is a free festival in the historic centre of Mechelen, with stages on the Grote Markt, IJzerenleen, Botermarkt and other central squares covering rock, pop, hip hop and electronic music. The festival draws more than 100,000 visitors a year, with past line-ups including Admiral Freebee and Pommelien Thijs.

Mechelen sits halfway between Brussels and Antwerp and is easy to reach by train; the festival grounds are walking distance from Mechelen station, and coming by train is recommended since some streets close to traffic. Pair it with a day exploring the city; see things to do in Mechelen for ideas. A few places to stay: the boutique Lunatree, in an Art Nouveau building in the historic centre with rooftop views; the 4-star Mercure Mechelen Vé, in a converted factory with a wellness centre; and the 4-star Martin’s Patershof, set inside a former church.

33. W-Festival

W-Festival, the 1980s and 1990s nostalgia festival that filled Klein Strand beach in Ostend with acts such as Village People, Nena and Wet Wet Wet, is defunct. Organiser Wave To Synth filed for bankruptcy in August 2024, two weeks before the planned 9th edition, blaming COVID-era losses combined with the collapse of the Festicket ticketing platform; the city’s own tourism site now lists the festival’s page as “this activity is over.” While it ran, the festival used two stages, the Main Stage and the Batcave Live Stage, to fit its 80s and 90s line-up into a single beachfront weekend. No successor event has been announced, so there is no 2026 or 2027 edition to plan around. Ticket prices from its final years show what a day cost when it still ran: around €69 ($75, £59) for a single day and €199 ($215, £169) for a three-day combo pass.

34. Cirque Magique

Cirque Magique, the circus-themed electronic music festival whose last confirmed edition ran at Kasteel van Bossuit in Avelgem in 2023, appears to be dormant. The festival had already moved once, from five editions in Ledegem to the Bossuit castle grounds, before its run appears to have stalled. The organisers’ own site still carries an unremoved notice about a missed year and a promised 2025 relaunch that cannot be confirmed as having happened, and ticket platform Songkick lists no upcoming edition. Past editions ran across two main stages under promoters Cherry Moon and Age of Love, drew around 14,000 visitors over three days, and featured acts including CJ Bolland and Jaydee; ticket prices in 2023 started around €33 ($36, £28) for a single day. Check cirquemagique.eu before planning a trip around it.

35. Meakusma

Meakusma is an experimental and avant-garde electronic music festival based at the Alter Schlachthof, a former slaughterhouse turned cultural centre in Eupen, near the German and Dutch borders, with additional shows in churches, museums and galleries around the town. The festival returned to Eupen from 3 to 6 September 2026, having skipped 2023, and the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing; expect late August or early September, since that has been the festival’s usual slot. The festival has drawn crowds of more than 10,000 in past editions, with past line-ups including Anthony Naples and DJ Python, plus workshops and a public soundwalk alongside the music. Weekend passes for 2026 ranged from €30 to €140 ($32-151, £26-119).

The nearest airport is Liège, about 60 kilometres (37.3 miles) away; Eupen is also reachable by train or by car, around a two-hour drive from Brussels.

36. Groezrock

Groezrock, the punk, emo, ska and rock festival that grew from a small event in Meerhout into an international draw of more than 30,000 visitors by 2019, has not returned as an outdoor festival since. At its peak, the festival booked international punk, emo and hardcore acts across multiple stages in Meerhout, a small Campine town that briefly became a pilgrimage site for the scene each spring. The organisers have instead launched small indoor club nights under the name “Back To Reality,” capped at around 600 people, with the first edition selling out in 2024 and a second held on 25 October 2025. The organisers themselves say they’ll see what the future holds for turning it back into a full festival, so Groezrock is more accurately described as paused rather than confirmed for a 2026 or 2027 return; check groezrock.be before planning a trip around it.

37. Gent Jazz Festival

Gent Jazz Festival’s 2026 edition ran from 2 to 18 July, and the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing; expect the first half of July, since that has been the festival’s usual slot. Gent Jazz Festival is a jazz, blues, soul and funk festival at the Bijloke site in Ghent, running across a Main Stage and a Garden Stage. The festival marked its 25th, silver-anniversary edition in 2026, and past line-ups have included Gregory Porter, Norah Jones and Herbie Hancock.

Gent-Sint-Pieters station is about a 15-minute walk from the site, or take tram line 2 or 4 to the Bijlokehof stop, 350 metres from the entrance; a festival ticket covers bus and tram travel around Ghent. Since concerts don’t start until late afternoon (except on Sunday), it’s worth arriving early to explore the city first. A wide range of hotels serve Ghent: the budget Hostel 47, a 10-minute walk from the historic centre with shared bathrooms; the boutique Hotel The Boatel, a hotel boat in the centre with river-view rooms; the 5-star 1898 The Post, in a former post building with city-view rooms; and the 4-star Ghent Marriott, overlooking the Korenlei and the river Lys.

38. Reggae Geel

Reggae Geel’s 2026 edition ran from 30 July to 1 August, its 48th and first to expand to three full days rather than two; the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing, and late July into early August remains the usual window. Reggae Geel has drawn reggae, dancehall and dub fans to the town of Geel since 1979, ranking among the longest-running reggae festivals in Europe. Stages include the Main Stage, the Bounce Dancehall tent and the “dub forest,” which functions almost like a festival within the festival for fans who prefer the mellower side of the bill; entry is free for under-16s, and past line-ups have included Burning Spear and Kabaka Pyramid.

The festival site is a short distance from Geel train station, though driving is often the easiest option, with parking lots by the grounds.

39. Alcatraz Open Air

Alcatraz Open Air’s 2027 edition is confirmed for 5-8 August, after the 2026 festival ran on 6-9 August. Alcatraz Open Air is a heavy metal and hard rock festival at the Lange Munte Sports Campus in Kortrijk, running since 2008 across four stages: the Prison, Swamp, Helldorado and La Morgue stages. What started with seven bands in 2008 has grown into a line-up of more than 100 acts, drawing crowds that have topped 45,000, with past headliners including Powerwolf and Trivium. A three-day pass has cost around €180 ($194, £153) in recent editions, with camping and VIP upgrades available for extra.

Public transit reaches the Lange Munte bus station in Kortrijk, and parking with a shuttle is available at the Kortrijk Xpo centre.

40. Deep In the Woods

Deep In the Woods, the small alternative and electronic festival that used the 140-hectare Domaine de Massembre estate near Dinant for an intimate, roughly 700-capacity weekend, has not run since its 2023 edition was cancelled. The organisers said at the time they hoped to bring it back for September 2024, but the festival’s website is no longer online and no 2024, 2025 or 2026 edition has been confirmed anywhere. When it ran, the festival prized intimacy over scale, mixing outdoor art installations, cinema and wellness activities alongside the music across the wooded estate. Treat Deep In the Woods as inactive until the organisers publish a new date.

41. Belgian Beer Weekend

Belgian Beer Weekend’s 2026 edition runs from 4 to 6 September, so its final day falls after this page’s 5 September checking date; the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing, and the first weekend of September remains the usual slot. Belgian Beer Weekend fills Brussels’ UNESCO-listed Grand Place with around 50 Belgian breweries pouring more than 500 beers, with no music or stages. Admission is free, and attendees buy tokens, at roughly €1 each, to exchange for beer samples, with most pours costing two to four tokens. Locals treat it as a low-key end to the summer festival season, since there’s no line-up to plan around and no advance ticket to buy.

The Grand Place is pedestrian-only, so reach it by metro, bus, tram or taxi.

42. Hapje-Tapje

Hapje-Tapje’s 2026 edition, its 36th, ran on 2 August, and the 2027 dates were not announced at the time of writing; expect the first Sunday of August, since that has been the festival’s fixed slot. Hapje-Tapje is a one-day food festival in central Leuven, concentrated around the Muntstraat, Oude Markt and Grote Markt, where local restaurants serve bite-sized dishes for around €5 ($5, £4) or less per portion. The 2026 edition was the festival’s 36th, and the 2025 edition drew around 60,000 visitors; since there’s no music line-up, the festival’s own centrepiece is the Bartenders Race, where bartenders compete to carry beer through the streets without spilling. Beyond the race, the real draw is grazing your way between stalls, since most portions cost only a few euros and leave room to try several restaurants in one afternoon.

Leuven is easy to reach by train from Brussels and other Belgian cities; entry is free, with visitors paying only for the food and drink they try.

FAQ

What is the biggest festival in Belgium?

Tomorrowland is Belgium’s biggest festival by attendance, drawing several hundred thousand visitors to Boom across its two July weekends, with 16 stages and elaborate set design that has made it one of the world’s most recognisable electronic dance music festivals. Gentse Feesten draws more people overall over its 10 free days in Ghent, but Tomorrowland packs the largest crowd into a single ticketed event.

What is the biggest rock festival in Belgium?

Rock Werchter is Belgium’s biggest rock festival, drawing crowds of around 150,000 people a day across its four days in the village of Werchter. The festival has won the ILMC Arthur Award in the festival category six times and regularly books international headliners such as Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys.

What is the biggest metal festival in Belgium?

Graspop Metal Meeting is Belgium’s biggest metal festival, drawing around 220,000 visitors to Dessel over four days across five stages. Past headliners include Guns N’ Roses, Slipknot and Pantera, and the 2027 edition marks its 30th anniversary.

Which Belgian festivals are free to attend?

The Belgian festivals on this page that charge no entry fee are listed below in alphabetical order, though most still charge for camping, drinks or upgraded viewing spots.

1. Belgian Beer Weekend. Entry to the Grand Place is free; visitors pay only for beer tokens.
2. Fête de la Musique. Every concert across Wallonia and Brussels is free.
3. Flower Carpet. Ground-level viewing is free; only the town hall balcony is ticketed.
4. Genk on Stage. The whole three-day festival is free, with no tickets required.
5. Gentse Feesten. Ghent’s 10-day festival has been free since it started in 1843.
6. Hapje-Tapje. Entry is free; visitors pay only for the food and drink they choose.
7. Maanrock. Mechelen’s city-centre festival has always been free.
8. Sfinks Mixed. The festival has charged no entry fee since 2013, funded by vendors and sponsors.
9. Zinneke Parade. The biennial parade moves through public streets at no cost.

Which Belgian festivals happen every two years?

Two festivals on this page are biennial rather than annual, so it’s worth checking the year before planning a trip. The Brussels Flower Carpet fills the Grand Place with a begonia carpet in even years, most recently in August 2026, with the next edition due in 2028. Zinneke Parade, the multicultural street parade through central Brussels, also runs in even years, most recently in May 2026, again with its next edition due in 2028.

Which Belgian festivals have recently closed or paused?

Eight festivals on this page are not currently confirmed to return, based on checks of each organiser’s own site and news coverage in September 2026.

1. Linkerwoofer, the family-friendly Antwerp festival, has not run since 2022 after the organisers cancelled two editions in a row for financial reasons.
2. Fire is Gold, the one-day Antwerp electronic festival, has been silent since 2022 after its organiser cited a lack of venue and a failure to break even.
3. Voltage Festival has had no home since its former venue, Transfo Zwevegem, closed to festivals after 2021.
4. W-Festival, the 80s and 90s nostalgia festival in Ostend, is defunct after its organiser filed for bankruptcy in August 2024.
5. Cirque Magique appears dormant since its last confirmed 2023 edition.
6. Brussels Electronic Marathon has been listed as cancelled by the City of Brussels since its final 2019 edition.
7. Groezrock, once an international punk and rock festival, has downsized to occasional indoor club nights rather than a full festival.
8. Deep In the Woods has not returned since its 2023 cancellation, and its website is now offline.

Each of these keeps its place on this page in case the organisers announce a comeback.

When is festival season in Belgium?

Belgian festival season runs from May to September, with a smaller cluster of events in autumn and winter. The heaviest concentration falls in July and August, when Tomorrowland, Rock Werchter, Gentse Feesten, Dour Festival, Les Ardentes, Pukkelpop, Suikerrock and most of the folk, Caribbean and beach festivals on this page all take place within a few weeks of each other. May and June bring the electronic festivals Extrema Outdoor and Paradise City, along with Graspop Metal Meeting and Couleur Café, while September closes the season with Crammerock, Belgian Beer Weekend and, some years, Meakusma. A handful of events break the summer pattern entirely: Ommegang and the Flower Carpet or Zinneke Parade (in the years they run) fall in late spring or midsummer, and Tomorrowland Winter and Let It Roll-style club events such as Listen! Festival’s 2026 edition move into the colder months.

How do I get around Belgium during festival season?

Belgium’s train network, run by Belgian Railways (SNCB), reaches almost every festival town on this page directly from Brussels, Antwerp or Ghent, which is why so many festivals offer a combined rail ticket or free shuttle from the nearest station. Flanders’ bus network, De Lijn, covers the last stretch to festivals without a station nearby, such as Paradise City or Dranouter, while Wallonia’s TEC buses and Brussels’ STIB-MIVB metro, tram and bus network serve the French-speaking festivals and every city event in the capital. Driving works for the more rural sites, such as Dour, Meakusma or the Ardennes-adjacent Deep In the Woods when it runs, but city-centre festivals such as Gentse Feesten, Maanrock and the Brussels events are easier and cheaper by public transport, since parking is either limited or actively discouraged.

Which Belgian festivals suit families?

A handful of festivals on this page are built with children in mind rather than around late-night sets.

• Genk on Stage is free and spread through the city’s streets, so families can drop in for an hour without buying tickets.
• Sfinks Mixed runs a dedicated kids’ stage alongside workshops and storytelling for children.
• Maanrock is another free, city-centre event in Mechelen with a relaxed daytime atmosphere.
• Hapje-Tapje is a food festival rather than a concert, which makes it an easy half-day out for families who want to graze rather than stand in a crowd.
• Gentse Feesten spans 10 days and 13 stages, so it’s large enough that families can pick a quieter afternoon slot away from the late-night crowds.

What is the festival etiquette in Belgium?

Belgian festival crowds expect a few unwritten rules, listed below in the order they tend to matter.

1. Give people space when moving through a crowd, saying “excuse me” rather than pushing through.
2. Keep your hands to yourself and respect other people’s boundaries.
3. Take your rubbish with you or use the bins provided, since littering is frowned upon at every festival on this page.
4. Pace your drinking, since most Belgian festivals sell beer and jenever alongside soft drinks.
5. Stay quiet during performances rather than talking over the music, and keep phones on silent.
6. Follow the dress code and bag policy published for each festival, and arrive early for popular acts rather than expecting late entry.

What should I bring to a Belgian festival?

The items worth packing for a Belgian festival day are listed below; a multi-day or camping festival needs more gear on top of these.

• Sunglasses, since the ones I wear myself are Ray-Ban Aviators.
• Sunscreen for daytime sets.
• A rain jacket or poncho, because Belgian summers turn wet without warning.
• Tissues or wet wipes for the hours between toilet breaks.
• A power bank for your phone.
• Layers for the temperature drop after sunset.
• Comfortable shoes for a day on your feet.
• A backpack or bum bag to keep essentials close.
• Earplugs to protect your hearing near the stages.
• Plasters for blisters.

Camping festivals call for a tent, sleeping bag and far more of everything else on this list.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 4 tips below come from rechecking all 42 festivals with their organisers in September 2026 and from time spent at the Belgian ones ourselves.

1. Check what the ticket already includes before you buy transport. A Rock Werchter ticket comes with a free return train to Leuven and a free shuttle bus from the station, Pukkelpop usually includes a free return train to Kiewit, and a Couleur Café ticket carries a code that works as a Brussels transit pass, which covers metro line 6 to Heizel at the festival gate. Buying a separate rail ticket for any of the three is money spent twice.
2. Confirm the month for Listen! Festival before you book flights. Its 10th anniversary edition ran on 21 and 22 November 2026 as a single weekend across 15 Brussels venues on one ticket, a move away from the late-March slot it used for years. The 2027 dates are not out, and nobody has said whether November repeats.
3. Treat Brussels Summer Festival as running, whatever older lists say. Several still describe it as finished after 2021. It has run every year since 2002 and reached its 18th edition from 14 to 18 August 2026, across Place des Palais, Mont des Arts and La Madeleine.
4. Eat at Couleur Café rather than around it. The world food market under the Atomium is worth building the day around, and grazing there between sets is the part of that festival I recommend without reservation.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, who spent a year studying in Antwerp and still returns to explore more of the city’s fashion, art and food scene. The team covers Belgium’s festivals, city guides and transport for independent travellers, including the hotels and tickets worth booking, and updates this page whenever dates, prices or line-ups change.