The Ghent Festival still has a couple of days to run giving people enough time to discover the Mardi Gras Festival on the Emile Braunplein in the Ghent downtown. Mardi Gras is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary. It’s a free festival that takes place in the shadow of City Hall every day of the Ghent Festival. It combines live bands, drag shows, burlesque dancing and much more. Organiser Hannes De Wit describes the square as a place where visitors and performers can be themselves.
Mardi Gras draws inspiration from the carnival of the same name in New Orleans (USA). According to De Wit, the concept was developed specifically for the Ghent Festival and it does not tour other cities. The festival does not feature big-name acts to draw crowds but opts for a consistent mix of music and stage acts, says De Wit.
“A celebration of ultimate freedom”
As well as live music, there are dance shows, burlesque dancing and drag acts on stage to enjoy. De Wit describes Mardi Gras as “a celebration of ultimate freedom”. “Whether you’re a man, a woman or in drag, it really doesn’t matter. Here, you can be who you are.”
To mark its 10th anniversary, the organisers have re-invited artists from previous editions. This includes a selection of international acts that have performed on the square in recent years.”
Has it become too commercial?
De Wit sees little reason to make any major changes to the concept in the future. “What makes it unique is that, so far, it only exists at the Ghent Festival. It’s a bit crazy, so it’s quintessentially Ghentian,” he says.
According to De Wit, the square is sometimes criticised for being too commercial. “But we’ve noticed that people want to be here. They also stick to the rule of only buying drinks on the square and not in the night shops. That’s the only way funding can be secured to continue its existence,” he says.