The impending return of summer means many great things are soon to be back on the agenda: barbeques, road trips, and long evenings spent basking in the sun to name just a few. When we’re not busy doing those, one of our absolute favourite things about summer is the almighty return of festival season.
We’ve already written about how Leipzig, and we’ve also already covered how Brussels is home to an excellent music scene, so it only made sense that the next step would be this... ‘A Penta Approved Guide to Belgian* Music Festivals...
* While they take place in various locations across the country, we made sure all the festivals listed are reachable from Brussels. Given Belgium’s size and accessibility, we think that’s a pretty safe bet…
Let’s get started with some big ones, if you’re a fan of live music, there’s a decent chance you might know about these already:
Tomorrowland – Spread across two summer weekends, it is undoubtedly one of the world’s largest and most iconic electronic/dance festivals. It takes place in Boom (appropriate name, right?) which is about 20 miles north of Brussels.
Rock Werchter – Running since the 70s, it nowadays often has some of the biggest bands and rock artists around as its headliners. The village of Werchter is actually just north of Leuven (meaning we can also recommend a trip Pentahotel Leuven here) but it is still easily less than an hour from Brussels in the car.
Pukkelpop – Truly no genre is off limits at Pukkelpop. From hip-hop and hardcore punk to avant-garde and everything in between, Pukkelpop is known for its eclectic lineup. It’s not just diverse though—the headliners are usually impressive major acts too.
Les Ardentes Festival – We already snuck in a mention for Pentahotel Leuven, so it’s only right we do the same for Pentahotel Liege. A quick look at previous performers from Les Ardentes reads like a who’s who of contemporary hip-hop. If rap is your thing, you won’t want to miss it.
Graspop Metal Meeting – In a similar vein but with a totally different genre, Graspop is packed full of metal and hard rock icons. If you like it loud, a trip to Dessel is likely to live long in the memory.
Couleur Café – Bringing things back to Brussels, and particularly the iconic landmark of the Atomium, the focus here is broadly speaking on world music, funk, hip hop and reggae and you’ll find a great balance between internationally famous and local acts.
Paradise City – Based in Perk, which is about an hour by public transport from Brussels, this is one of the world’s most sustainable music festivals. Alongside a plethora of top electronic artists, you’ll also feel a real sense of community.
Our guide’s a solid starting point, but it’s by no means the full story. From tiny niche gatherings to free pop-up parties, Brussels alone has plenty more to offer — and that’s before you even get to the rest of the country.
We’ll be honest though: we’re not exactly tent people. After a day of dancing in a field, we’re all about a proper waterfall shower and a gloriously big bed. Sound good? You’ll find both (and plenty more) at our hotel in Brussels city centre. Flying home or off on your next adventure? Kick back and recover at our Brussels Airport hotel before you go.
So, whether you’re into hip hop, house, heavy metal or something in between, Belgium’s got a festival for you — and with Pentahotels across the country, we’ve got plenty of perfect places for you to crash when it’s all over.
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Picture: Blue and white fireworks photo – Free Building Image on Unsplash
