Couleur Café is facing significant revenue losses after it was forced to evacuate due to a violent storm last month, the Brussels festival announced on Friday.
Taking place during one of Belgium's deadliest heatwaves, a violent storm on Saturday 27 June forced the festival to close its doors at 20:00 and evacuate the site at the request of the authorities.
"With hindsight, the evacuation was the only responsible decision. Whilst it may have seemed premature to some, every minute counted," it said in a statement. "We had to ensure everyone could leave the site safely, provide shelter for over 5,000 campers in the best possible conditions, and prepare the festival site to weather the storm."
The evacuation went ahead without incident, with the festival’s campers moved into a nearby conference hall for the night as the storm ravaged Osseghem Park. The festival reopened as usual on Sunday.
Couleur Café, which was celebrating its 35th edition this year, thanked fans and stated that the number of refund requests remains at a reasonable number, for now. They have urged fans to be patient, as the compensation process may still take a while.
'Can take weeks'
"As a small non-profit organisation, we do not have the financial reserves that would allow us to provide compensation immediately. We are therefore entirely dependent on any payout from our insurers, a process that can take time: several weeks, or even several months.”
People leave the festival grounds at the evacuation of the Couleur Café music festival, due to the strong winds expected, in Brussels, Saturday 27 June 2026. Credit: Belga / Marius Burgelman
The festival said that the evacuation represents "a major financial blow" to the festival. Beyond the interruption to Saturday evening’s performances, they are facing "significant" revenue losses, particularly from the bars, as well as additional costs related to staff, urgent repairs, site cleaning, and accommodating campers.
"Despite these particularly difficult circumstances, we are doing everything we can to find a solution that is as fair and equitable as possible," the festival said.
"We are currently exploring all options, but we will only be able to commit once the process with our insurers has progressed sufficiently. Our priority is to find a fair solution without jeopardising the festival’s survival."
Couleur Café concludes by thanking fans for their patience and trust, while vowing to keep informing fans of developments.
