The 50th anniversary edition of Rock Werchter kicked off yesterday, with 360,000 people expected to descend on the little village north of Leuven
Dossier
From a stage supported by beer crates to one of the biggest festivals in the world: Rock Werchter turns 50
Lisa Bradshaw
Published:
What started in a ramshackle tent on a stage shored up by beer crates is now one of the biggest rock’n’roll festivals in the world, welcoming 360,000 people to Flemish Brabant every summer. The 50th anniversary edition of Rock Werchter kicked off yesterday in the Werchter Festival Park in Rotselaar.
The festival runs through Sunday, with more than 100 bands and musicians taking to four stages. Headliners include Green Day, Iggy Pop, Linkin Park, Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo and Simple Minds.
“It was a little festival with six acts,” Ingrid Verhaeghe told VRT. “And in fact it turned out to be five because one band didn’t bother showing up.”
Rock Werchter, then and now
Verhaeghe and her husband, Jan Waegemans, were at the very first edition of Werchter, then called the Rock & Blues Festival. It followed a party hosted by youth group Chiro – and took place in the same tent.
Waegemans was a DJ at the time and a member of Chiro; he helped put up the tent and build the stage. “That this little festival in that dirty white tent with a wooden stage supported by beer crates would grow to this international event – we never imagined that,” said Waegemans.
The festival hosts some 90,000 people a day at Festival Park. All days but Saturday are sold out. Saturday’s 30-strong line-up includes Tom Odell, Raye, Elbow, Yungblud and Sam Fender.