A memorial artwork marking the 15th anniversary of the deadly 2011 Pukkelpop storm has been unveiled at the Casino in Beringen.
Five people were killed, and about 140 festivalgoers and staff were injured when extreme weather tore through the festival on 18 August 2011, the opening day of Pukkelpop.
The work was created by artist Johan Oyen, godfather of victim Marlo Ghys, who died in the storm.
What began as blue skies above the festival site turned within minutes into a green and then black sky. Rain and hail were followed by violent gusts strong enough to almost blow Skin, the singer of Skunk Anansie, off the main stage.
In a matter of minutes, the site was left in ruins. Barriers were lifted into the air, trees snapped, and lighting masts and sound towers toppled.
The Chateau tent and the canopy at the Boiler Room also collapsed. The storm lasted about 15 minutes.
The storm was fatal for Marijke De Wilde, 21, Kristof Lenaerts, 35, Jurgen Enzlin, 24, and the couple Wendy Bürecke, 20, and Marlo Ghys, 20.
Since the disaster, Oyen and his family have laid a floral tribute every year on 18 August in memory of his godchild. He said he creates the arrangement each year using flowers from his own garden.
Presentation of a work of art by Johan Oyen inspired by the catastrophic storm that struck fifteen years ago on the opening day of Pukkelpop 2011, as part of Pukkelpop 2026 (39th edition), in Beringen, on Tuesday 18 August 2026. Credit: Belga/Marc Dirix
Photographs of those annual floral tributes have been incorporated into the artwork.
Each of the five victims is represented by a butterfly flying among the familiar Pukkelpop flags. Oyen said he chose butterflies because they were projected on the main stage in the first year after the storm and the image stayed with him.
The butterfly representing Marlo carries a red rose on its wings, a reference to one of his favourite tattoos. Oyen said Marlo has since become known as “the man with the red roses”.
The artwork also includes references to the artists performing when the storm struck, as well as to the collapsed Boiler Room canopy and the Chateau tent, now known as the Dance Hall.
After the exhibition at the Casino in Beringen, the piece will return to Oyen’s business in the town, where it will remain on display until an online auction ends in September.
Proceeds from the sale will go to De Warmste Week. The full artwork and its individual panels can also be viewed on Oyen’s website, where bids can be submitted by email.
The work can be bought either as a whole or panel by panel. The minimum bid is 350 euros for each panel and 3,000 euros for the complete piece.
The panel featuring Marlo’s butterfly cannot be sold separately and will only be included if the entire artwork is bought as one piece.
