Thousands of festivalgoers began arriving in Kiewit, near Hasselt in Limburg, on Thursday for the opening of Pukkelpop, with police reporting no major incidents so far but warning that drop-off zones are extremely busy.
Queues had already formed outside the campsites more than an hour before they opened at 09:00.
Before the festival site itself opens, entertainment is being laid on along the Kempische Steenweg, which has been closed to traffic. Visitors can already enjoy a first beer alongside local residents and community groups, which, as they do every year, have set up food stalls along the road.
Six of Pukkelpop’s eight stages will be open from 17:00. DJs Discohans and Hoge Druk will be the first to take to the decks from 18:00.
The evening will continue until 04:00, with dEUS topping the bill at 23:10. This year’s opening fireworks display has been cancelled because of the drought that affected Belgium throughout the summer.
The festival begins proper on Friday, with Roxy Dekker and the Wild Classical Music Ensemble among the first acts to perform.
Later on Friday, Yungblud, despite being injured, is still expected to appear on the Main Stage. Over the following days, the line-up includes Deftones, Florence + The Machine, Sombr, Wilkinson, Denzel Curry, Lambrini Girls and Tyler, The Creator, among many others.
