The Horst Music and Arts Festival kicked off on Thursday around 1:00 p.m. at the Asiat Park in Vilvoorde, Flemish Brabant
It is expected to attract a record 13,000 festival-goers each day until Saturday, surpassing the 11,000 daily visitors recorded in 2024.
To accommodate the growing number of attendees, the organisers have long planned to build a bridge over the nearby Zenne River, which would allow the festival to expand to the area across the river where Engie’s two distinctive cooling towers stand.
“Unfortunately, the bridge isn’t ready this year, but we’ve managed to incorporate a neighbouring area adjacent to the Asiat site into the festival,” says organiser Jochem Daelman. “We hope to cross to the other side of the water by 2027.”
Horst offers a delightful treat for fans of electronic music, techno, and various other genres. The most notable artist performing there this year is the British musician Four Tet, an appearance Daelman describes as a “childhood dream.”
Other artists to look forward to include Job Jobse, Palms Trax, DTM Funk, Helena Hauff, Nosedrip, AliA, Objekt, and Josey Rebelle.
Alyah Rivière, better known as AliA, attended the festival’s first edition at the age of 14. Now, ten years later, she has become one of its most esteemed resident DJs.
This year, AliA plays a special role in launching the Horst Peloton, a collaborative bicycle ride to the festival in partnership with Bosch eBike Systems.
“Horst has never been just a festival,” she notes. “It’s always been a place where artists grow alongside the community.”
