Ghent Festivities

The Ghent Festivities (Gentse Feesten) is a major annual music and theatre festival held every July in Ghent, Belgium. Spanning ten days, it transforms the city with concerts, street performances, and a vibrant atmosphere, drawing around two million visitors.

• Held annually in Ghent, Belgium since 1843
• Attracts around 2 million visitors each year
• Features music, theatre, and street performances city-wide
• Includes side festivals like Trefpunt and Gent Jazz Festival
• Final day is called 'the day of the empty wallets'

What it is

The Ghent Festivities, known locally as Gentse Feesten, is a sprawling city-wide celebration that fills Ghent with music, theatre, and street performances each July. For ten days, the city’s squares and streets become stages for artists, musicians, mimes, and buskers, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere. The festival is renowned for its open spirit, welcoming both locals and visitors to experience the creative energy and communal joy that define Ghent during this time. It is a highlight of the Belgian cultural calendar, drawing crowds from across Europe.

Where it comes from

The first Gentse Feesten took place in 1843, attended by about 400 people. Over the years, the festival’s intensity and form shifted, but its modern revival began in 1969, led by Ghent singer Walter De Buck and Paula Monsart. Initially centered around a single stage near Saint James' Church, the event gradually expanded to cover the entire inner city. Despite its growth and increasing popularity, the festival has maintained some of its original rebellious and anarchistic spirit, reflecting the independent character of Ghent’s people.

How it is celebrated

Celebrations during the Ghent Festivities are diverse and energetic. The city centre hosts a wide range of free concerts, theatre performances, and street acts, including mimes and buskers. Several side festivals take place simultaneously, such as the Trefpunt Festival, which brings over a thousand musicians for hundreds of concerts in genres like blues, rock, jazz, and world music. Other events include jazz, comedy, puppet theatre, and world music festivals, each animating different corners of the city. The final day, known as 'the day of the empty wallets,' is cherished by locals as a moment to reclaim the city after the crowds depart.

Joining in

Visitors can immerse themselves in the Ghent Festivities by exploring the city’s historic centre, where most events unfold across public squares and streets. Expect a bustling, festive atmosphere with music and performances at nearly every turn, especially near landmarks like Bij Sint Jacobs and Baudelohof. While many shows are free, some side events may require tickets. The last day offers a more local, intimate feel, as residents celebrate the close of the festival in their own way.

Sources and attribution

This page is Mela's own summary, written in new words. Its facts are drawn from the Wikipedia article Gentse Feesten, whose text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Each photo is credited to its author beside it. For the full account, read the originals below.

Read more

• Gentse Feesten on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Official websiteOfficial site
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data

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