Dog lovers and their four-legged companions are heading to Tour & Taxis this weekend as Woofstock returns to Brussels for its third edition.
Taking place on 26 and 27 September, the festival will bring together dogs and their owners for two days of activities, demonstrations and workshops, with the event expanding into the Gare Maritime for the first time.
Nearly 3,000 visitors and their dogs are expected over the weekend. The programme includes off-leash play areas, dog pools, an agility course, dog dancing, demonstrations and photo booths, as well as an exhibitors’ village featuring organisations and associations working for animal welfare.
Visitors will also be able to take part in dog yoga, massages, workshops and talks. The organisers are aiming to offer activities adapted to different dogs’ personalities and energy levels.
Credit: Woofstock
One of the main novelties this year will be “The Senses Odyssey”, a 400 m² experience dedicated entirely to dogs’ sense of smell. The attraction will be divided into two 200 m² environments.
The first will recreate the atmosphere of a den using the scents of wild animals. The second will focus on human smells. To create this environment, the organisers collected an unusual source of material: socks worn by football players after official matches.
The experience is intended to give dogs an opportunity to explore different scents while allowing their owners to learn more about their pets’ olfactory abilities.
"Smell is a dog’s number one sense, the one through which they understand absolutely everything around them," said Woofstock co-founders Sophie Barrière and Leslie Moreau. "With The Senses Odyssey, we really wanted to think outside the box and offer something that had never been done before."
A €15 entry ticket
The basic entrance ticket costs €15 and includes access to the festival village and a range of activities, including the dog pools, off-leash areas, demonstrations, photo booths and agility course.
Some activities, including dog yoga, massages and The Senses Odyssey, require an additional fee.
For the organisers, the idea is to allow visitors to build their own experience depending on what they and their dog want to do, rather than making every activity part of the entry price.
Woofstock takes place at Tour & Taxis and the Gare Maritime on 26 and 27 September. The festival is open to dog owners and their companions, with animal welfare organisations also present throughout the weekend.
