Approximately 270,000 attendees celebrated the 20th anniversary of Les Ardentes festival in Rocourt, Liège, the organisers announced on Sunday afternoon.
Friday attracted the highest number of visitors, with 70,000 people on site—5,000 more than on other days. Festival founder Gaëtan Servais highlighted that attendance numbers nearly reached the targeted figure of 270,000, and were close to their 2023 goal, which was disrupted by the cancellation of Sunday’s programme featuring artists like Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott.
Police reported 29 administrative arrests and six judicial arrests during the event. Fifteen theft-related reports, primarily for stolen phones, were logged. Additionally, 44 vehicles were towed, and 26 noise complaints were recorded.
By 16:30 on Sunday, 326 immediate fines were issued for possession of narcotics. A couple was arrested with 15 ecstasy pills, and a subsequent search uncovered 143 more. According to police spokesperson Jadranka Lozina, drug incidents largely involved personal use and soft substances.
Medical teams performed 2,460 interventions, mostly for asthma, allergies, minor injuries, and sprains. They noted a decrease in alcohol-related cases and confirmed there were no serious incidents. As of Sunday afternoon, 41 people had been hospitalised since the festival began on Thursday.
