Pukkelpop 2009

[Semprini]

Although I was originally doubtful I'd be making it to Pukkelpop this summer I'm pleased to say that I'm all booked up and ready to make it 3 in a row

I actually reserved the hotel back in December (as you can hold rooms on your credit card up until the day before you arrive and incure no charge if you cancel) but I only booked the flights earlier this week. My 2 friends and I are flying out from Norwich on Wednesday 19th August into Schiphol where we will be picking up a hire car and driving over the border to Hasselt. We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express again for 4 nights before flying back home on Sunday 23rd August. Tickets for the actual festival won't be out until May but seeing as it's never sold out there shouldn't be any hurry to pick them up.

It's definitely going to work out pretty expensive this year, what with the pathetic state of the £ against the €, but it's still value for money and I wouldn't consider sacking it off in favour of any of the UK festivals around that time.

The first line up announcement won't be made until May but as per other years a few bands have started to self-confirm on myspace. So far there's Booka Shade (20/8), Dananananaykroyd (21/8), Hudson Mohawke (22/8) and Life of Agony (22/8).

So is anyone else planning to make the trip over this summer?

[Mr.S]

Although I was originally doubtful I'd be making it to Pukkelpop this summer I'm pleased to say that I'm all booked up and ready to make it 3 in a row

I actually reserved the hotel back in December (as you can hold rooms on your credit card up until the day before you arrive and incure no charge if you cancel) but I only booked the flights earlier this week. My 2 friends and I are flying out from Norwich on Wednesday 19th August into Schiphol where we will be picking up a hire car and driving over the border to Hasselt. We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express again for 4 nights before flying back home on Sunday 23rd August. Tickets for the actual festival won't be out until May but seeing as it's never sold out there shouldn't be any hurry to pick them up.

It's definitely going to work out pretty expensive this year, what with the pathetic state of the £ against the €, but it's still value for money and I wouldn't consider sacking it off in favour of any of the UK festivals around that time.

The first line up announcement won't be made until May but as per other years a few bands have started to self-confirm on myspace. So far there's Booka Shade (20/8), Dananananaykroyd (21/8), Hudson Mohawke (22/8) and Life of Agony (22/8).

So is anyone else planning to make the trip over this summer?

[lookdontspeak]

i herd theres a lot of yunguns at pukkelpop, is that true?

[DDave]

Although I was originally doubtful I'd be making it to Pukkelpop this summer I'm pleased to say that I'm all booked up and ready to make it 3 in a row

I actually reserved the hotel back in December (as you can hold rooms on your credit card up until the day before you arrive and incure no charge if you cancel) but I only booked the flights earlier this week. My 2 friends and I are flying out from Norwich on Wednesday 19th August into Schiphol where we will be picking up a hire car and driving over the border to Hasselt. We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express again for 4 nights before flying back home on Sunday 23rd August. Tickets for the actual festival won't be out until May but seeing as it's never sold out there shouldn't be any hurry to pick them up.

It's definitely going to work out pretty expensive this year, what with the pathetic state of the £ against the €, but it's still value for money and I wouldn't consider sacking it off in favour of any of the UK festivals around that time.

The first line up announcement won't be made until May but as per other years a few bands have started to self-confirm on myspace. So far there's Booka Shade (20/8), Dananananaykroyd (21/8), Hudson Mohawke (22/8) and Life of Agony (22/8).

So is anyone else planning to make the trip over this summer?

[Semprini]

i herd theres a lot of yunguns at pukkelpop, is that true?

[DDave]

I can't say I really noticed tbh - there was a nice spread of ages both times I've been. If you're refering to loads of pissed up kids running around acting like idiots then there was none of that at all, well at least not in the arena. I've never camped but none of the efesters who went last year said anything about trouble in the campsite, most of them commented on how friendly all the locals were. Yeah I did see a few kids who looked no more than about 14/15 but they don't seem to have the same mentality as our fine youth of today when it comes to getting lashed I've yet to see any trouble at the festival and my mate and I had no quarms about our wives going off on their own to watch bands that we didn't want to see. There's no way we'd have done that at V or any of the other UK festivals we used to go to.

If you haven't checked it out already then have a look through /index.php?showtopic=90965&hl=pukkelpop+2008">last years thread as there's loads of info, advice and pictures there. If you've got any specific questions then fire away and I'll try to answer them for you. I don't claim to be any kind of authority on the festival but I have turned into a bit of a Pukkelpop geek in the last couple of years What hotel are you staying in? If it's in Hasselt then you won't need to worry about getting in and out of the festival each day as they run free buses from the town to the site (which is only about 2/3 miles away). We tend to take taxi's on the way in and catch the bus home as it stops opposite the entrance to the festival.

There's been another self-confirmation this week which I'm personally very pleased about. Aeroplane will be playing on the first day (20th August), which will probably be a DJ set in the Boiler Room.

The official website should be updated soon with the band wishlist form where you can request your 5 favourites to play this summer.

[Benj]

Aeroplane is enough reason to go for me to be honest.

Think its going to be a Hasselt hotel, dont want to say which before we book it just in case the room goes!

thanks for the reply....roll on August.

[twenty_foot_chickens]

I think i'll be attending this year. Really looking forward to it - Aeroplane and Booka Shade are definitely a good start.

[Semprini]

What are the situation with the hotels there, can you get to and from the Festy easily enough??

[DDave]

All booked up now. 3, possibly 4 Stokies, flying in from Manchester to Charleroi, and staying at the Century hotel in Hasselt. bring it on.

[jimmyjimmy4080]

Not Stokies........anything but Stokies

[Semprini]

All booked up now. 3, possibly 4 Stokies, flying in from Manchester to Charleroi, and staying at the Century hotel in Hasselt. bring it on.

[jimmyjimmy4080]

Yeah im from Stoke and actually travelling over with Discotheque Dave, have found your posts over the last years really useful in booking the festival, so thanks for that. We usually head for Barca for Summercase which has been brilliant but due to the economy going "to tits" we have had look around.

[Semprini]

Yeah im from Stoke and actually travelling over with Discotheque Dave, have found your posts over the last years really useful in booking the festival, so thanks for that. We usually head for Barca for Summercase which has been brilliant but due to the economy going "to tits" we have had look around.

[Aeryn]

I'm hoping to make it to Pukkelpop again, providing there's a fair few good bands there as there always is

[Howesy]

Got hotel down the road booked,

Think we are going to go by eurostar to brussels from london!

First year, coming from Reading! (Doing Reading aswell the weekend after, but screw camping for both aha.)

Are the ticket and lineup released around the same time?

[Azzabaijan]

Got hotel down the road booked,

Think we are going to go by eurostar to brussels from london!

First year, coming from Reading! (Doing Reading aswell the weekend after, but screw camping for both aha.)

Are the ticket and lineup released around the same time?

[Howesy]

Nice cheers

Not too sure as to how it all goes down... dont want to miss out lol.

And Semprini... Im also staying at the holiday inn express, good thing some english people will be knocking about at the hotel too!

[Semprini]

Tickets are usually released on the first Monday in May, which this year is the 5th. There's no rush to get them though as unbelievably the festival has never sold out and the Metallica day last year was the highest ever attendance they've had (I think it was about 55,000). The average attendance each day is between 40-45,000 and when you spread that over 8 stages it means that it never really gets too busy wherever you go. The only stage that I've ever seen closed because it was too full is the Wablief? and that was always in the early afternoon when they have comedians on.

As for when and how the line up is announced, it's been slightly different in the 2 years I've been. In 2007 the first announcement was around the same time as tickets were released and it was about 60 or so bands/DJ's. Last year they announced Metallica in April and then another big batch of names when tickets came out. Both years though we knew about 20/30 names before the first official announcement from self-confirmations on myspace.

The Holiday Inn Express is a nice hotel and we've never had any problems staying there. The rooms are fairly basic but more than adequate for the little time you'll actually be in them. As sad as it may sound, probably one of the best things about it is the fact that loads of the bands also stay there and it's always interesting to come down to breakfast each morning to see who's about. Probably the best one we've seen was the first morning in 2007 when we came out of the lift and Seasick Steve was standing by the desk in reception. We spoke to him and he was really sound and more than happy to chat. They also do a good buffet breakfast and the bar is well stocked and open round the clock so it's all good really

There's been one more self-confirmation on myspace. Kap Bambino will be playing on the 21st August.

[lljohnson]

hey any advice on the campsite for pukkelpop first timers? is there any particular reason everyone seems to be going for hotels...?

we're really excited, looks awesome.

[pumpkinprincess1]

[Mr.S]

hey any advice on the campsite for pukkelpop first timers? is there any particular reason everyone seems to be going for hotels...?

we're really excited, looks awesome.

[Semprini]

Im asuming the people forking out for hotels are probally not as young as they used be (correct me if im wrong!)

[Howesy]

Me and a mate going will be 18.

Would be cool to bump into some people in the hotel!

We went hotel for the comforts!

[olithewally]

Is driving a realistic option when it comes to travelling to PP? I live on the South Coast, so it only takes a couple of hours to get to the euro tunnel, but as I've never driven abroad, I have no idea on how easy/hard it will be to get there. Being able to drive home via Amsterdam seems like a fantastic idea also.