Pukkelpop 2015

[TheNewUnion]

If you book early enough, hotels are reasonably priced. Holiday Inn express and Ibis are the cheapest, then Radisson and Holiday Inn more expensive. Flights are cheap too, if you book early. Eurostar might be O.K. if it's local for you, but takes a while from up north, much easier to fly. It's only about an hour our so.

The only real option is to stay in Hasselt, once there there's a shuttle bus to the festival and back, it's walkable too but easier to get the bus or a cab if desperate. Not that far, but a long walk after a day in the festival.

Travel is super easy, flight to Brussels (not Charleroi), free train travel to Leuven, the home of Stella Artois, then onwards on another free train to Hasselt.

Pukkelpop is a great festival, very different to U.K.festivals, more chilled, less "lads". Nice atmosphere, loads of food and drink for sale in the streets outside. This will be my 5th Pukkelpop, so they must be doing something right. Some of the other Brits on here have been going for years.

Edited July 6, 2015 by TheNewUnion

[DDave]

Hi... Looking for some info/advice, if anyone could help that would be great. Me and a pal are looking at attending Pukkelpop for the first time and have a few questions.

Firstly I see some of you guys mentioning about staying in local hotels.... I like the idea of not having to travel with tent and the likes and can't see any pre-errected options so this idea sounds appealing.... is it easy enough in terms of getting to and from the festival site each day and any do you have any recommendations of where to stay?

Also in terms of traveling from the UK, I've looked at coach packages, flying and the eurostar.., again I would be interested to hear your opinions on which is best.

Thanks

Hasselt is the best place to stay. They run free shuttle buses up to the site from the festival. Taxis are also fixed prices at around 14-15 Euro each way.

You might struggle getting cheap digs though as the hotels get booked up pretty early. Although some rooms may become available soon due to people cancelling their reservations.

As for travelling over, whereabouts are you coming from?

[Cobruggg]

We're on the tipping point of booking tickets for what would be our first festival outside the UK and, although very excited, we've struggled in finding out about it - so any help would be much appreciated

How does it compare to the likes of Glastonbury, Reading and Bestival? Whats the alcohol situation, are you allowed to bring your own into the campsite and/or arena? How do the food/drink tokens work? and finally how would you describe the festival demographic? 

Thanks!

[TheNewUnion]

It's nothing at all like Glastonbury, very small by comparison and is basically "gigs in a field" (but very good nonetheless). I haven't done Bestival or Reading but from what I know it's nothing like Bestival and akin to Reading, I would probably compare it to V Festival in terms of layout and set up (but not in terms of crowd). No problems at all with booze in the campsite, no glass, but not allowed to take your own into the arena. The residents on the road that separates the festival from the main camping set up stalls and sell food and beer, so easy enough to nip out and grab a beer between bands. As you say, tokens inside, just buy at the kiosk and pay for all food and drink inside with them. Cheaper to head out though, food tends to be better and beer a lot cheaper.

 

Demographic wise, pretty young really. Most people are really chilled out, not that many lairy people, very few pissed up dickheads, most people just there to enjoy themselves. All the locals I have encountered have been really friendly, speak great English too.

[Meatball]

Thanks for the replies. I had wrongly assumed that as the ticket included camping that local accommodation wouldn't be an issue but you guys were right and it seems to be all booked up.

I do have a VW camper I could drive over but the festival doesn't have any camper van options. I have read about people staying in the local landowners fields who setup to take people in while the festival is on but I'm struggling to find any info on this. Do any of you guys have any experience on camper options nearby?

I'm based in Cornwall so whatever option I go for my journey starts here.

From what I've read and what you're all saying it sounds like just the sort of festival I'm looking for. Did Glastonbury recently so am after a smaller venue "gigs in fields" with the added bonus of it being abroad (always changes the feel) sounds perfect.

[Trufflehound]

Thanks for the replies. I had wrongly assumed that as the ticket included camping that local accommodation wouldn't be an issue but you guys were right and it seems to be all booked up.

I do have a VW camper I could drive over but the festival doesn't have any camper van options. I have read about people staying in the local landowners fields who setup to take people in while the festival is on but I'm struggling to find any info on this. Do any of you guys have any experience on camper options nearby?

 

There's a place called Camping Heidestrand about 5km northwest of Pukkelpop: http://heidestrand.be

 

They take camper vans and have the added bonus of a swimming pool.

 

There's not much on the site in English, but they do have a handy English-language booking form underneath the Pukkelpop button, top right of homepage. Looks to be about € 25 per night. Transport back at night might be an issue - bring a bike or look forward to a good hike (or you might be able to persuade one of the Hasselt taxis to take you there).

[Meatball]

Thanks again for the info.

So, I'm almost certain on going now as the more I read the more I like.

Having looked at "le shuttle" prices and the fact it's only a few hours drive once in Calais, taking the van and having the convenience of the fridge, a comfy bed and not having to pack light seems the way to go. Plus it will be a nice little road trip along the way.

The only thing that is bugging me is having somewhere to park/pitch up close by. The camper site listed above is just a bit too far. Really want to be able to walk from the van to site. My question is for you guys who've been before, can you recall seeing the local residents/land owners who you mention selling food and drink taking vans/campers in as well?

I've seen a girl mention doing this from a blog I found but it's from a few years back and doesn't really elaborate on the details.

Any info.... Or just educated option from people who've been would help put my mind at rest...... Booking it and hoping to be ok is not really my style as a compulsive planner but at the moment it looks like I don't have much choice.

Once again, any input much appreciated

Joe

[TheNewUnion]

I've seen camper vans at the petrol station but not sure how they "booked" if you know what I mean. Not sure what the deal is in Belgium with just camping up at the side of the road somewhere, one of the more local guys on here might be able to advise. If it's ok, there are quite a few side roads in the area that would be decent.

[Semprini]

I was also thinking you could probably just park up one of the side roads near the festival. Whenever we get taxis to the site they often cut through the side roads and there's loads of potential places within walking distance where you could park (provided it's legal!). The only issue might be that they close off a lot of the roads and only give access to residents/taxis when the festival is on. You could probably park up somewhere in Hasselt itself and use the free buses to get to and from the site each day. However I know the roads in and around the centre charge for parking so if you go for that option you may just have to drive round until you find somewhere to park for free.

 

I've got a friend who lives about 10km from Hasselt so I'll message her over the weekend to see if she knows what the options are.

[Trufflehound]

I believe "wild" camping with a camper van is "technically" illegal in Belgium. it's more a question of whether anyone (in a position to do anythng) sees you, or cares. But a bigger issue, as Semprini points out, is that all the side roads near the site are barricaded off and guarded, and only residents are allowed through.

[lightning1000]

I'm going to be going to a Euro fest next year, is pukkelpop usually this shit or is it just an off year?

[Dietediet]

I'm going to be going to a Euro fest next year, is pukkelpop usually this shit or is it just an off year?

 

Just an off year, keeping in mind that all of the major August festivals are performing below their standards this year. I think it's better to check the lineups of the past 3 editions for a good idea of a typical modern Pukkelpop lineup. 

[johnybegood]

I'm going to be going to a Euro fest next year, is pukkelpop usually this shit or is it just an off year?

Each year is worse than the last one. They used to book great bands like Metallica, Faith No More, Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden... but once that they managed to sell out the festival they decided yo make a cheaper and cheaper line-up with mainstream pop hip hop acts. People is so annoyed this year, they are deleting All negative opinions in facebook and they are selling less tickets than last 6 years, so maybe next year they will go back to their roots. Maybe the electrónic line-up is good (no idea) but the rock bands Are much and much worse and cheap than ever.

As positive things: people is friendly and You can see lot of bands that will be stars in the next years and now are almost unknown.

[johnybegood]

Just an off year, keeping in mind that all of the major August festivals are performing below their standards this year. I think it's better to check the lineups of the past 3 editions for a good idea of a typical modern Pukkelpop lineup.

Bands That are playing in Europe +- 15 days from pukkelpop: Metallica, Blur, Muse, Beck, Robbie Williams, Kasabian, Kings Of Leon, Chemical Brothers...

Do you think that they had no Good options when they planified the festival 9 or 10 months ago?

Edited July 11, 2015 by johnybegood

[Dietediet]

Bands That are playing in Europe +- 15 days from pukkelpop: Metallica, Blur, Muse, Beck, Robbie Williams, Kasabian, Kings Of Leon, Chemical Brothers...

Do you think that they had no Good options when they planified the festival 9 or 10 months ago?

 

Half of those options were already booked by Rock Werchter/TW Classic at that time (and before you bring in Alt-J: they were obviously booked as a last minute option, when the likes of Kasabian etc didn't fit into the schedule anymore). And bands being around does not automatically mean they're a solid option, there might be good reasons for a band not being there. The Pukkelpop programmer's are not such ignorant idiots that they expect a festival to sell out easily with a lineup like this.

 

Yes, the ticket stuff and the censorship are huge dick moves, probably inspired by internal panic at the office. But to draw conclusions based on one bad year is a bit too much for me. The past years have been just fine for Pukkelpop, not brilliant, but far from bad. And they know now that they can't get away with just anything. 

[DDave]

I'm going to be going to a Euro fest next year, is pukkelpop usually this shit or is it just an off year?

We'll only be able to tell next year I suppose.

No excuses for the poor line up this year, absolutely none.

[lightning1000]

We'll only be able to tell next year I suppose.

No excuses for the poor line up this year, absolutely none.

It seems like its followed a similar path to reading and Leeds. More and more austerity bookings whilst hiking up the price. I think so far I might do RW or roskilde.Doesn't pukkelpop usually announce acts after the others are nearly sold out?

[TheNewUnion]

They have dropped the ball this year, headliner wise.

Can forgive Linkin Park, hardly played in Belgium of late, big on the wish lists, very popular and have a big following.

Alt-J I watched on Thursday at a festival here in Portugal. Impressive, but in my opinion not quite a headliner yet. That being said, in a normal year you'd forgive Pukkelpop having them so high up and I'd applaud the festival for giving then a go.

Bastille. Unforgivable, unacceptable, unbelievable. Unless they are massive in Belgium and I'm just getting all parochial then it's one of the worst headline bookings I've ever seen. They must have been desperate. They're playing below Alt J at Reading, and Alt J are only subbing. Desperation booking I would have thought, ran out of time and ran out of options.

Pukkelpop always has a solid undercard though and there's loads I want to see, but they've really missed the mark with the headline bookings this time.

As a lot have said though, this is an off year for a lot of festivals. Didn't watch one main stage headliner at Glastonbury (who had to get The Who to cancel a show in Paris to headline), only watched Muse at NOS Alive. V is terrible, Reading have Metallica and not much else, Werchter probably did the best this year.

Edited July 12, 2015 by TheNewUnion

[TheNewUnion]

Bands That are playing in Europe +- 15 days from pukkelpop: Metallica, Blur, Muse, Beck, Robbie Williams, Kasabian, Kings Of Leon, Chemical Brothers...

Do you think that they had no Good options when they planified the festival 9 or 10 months ago?

It's all subjective though

Headliner stature, for sure: Metallica, Blur, Muse, Kings Of Leon

Sub, should be playing, no excuse: Beck

Shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a microphone: Robbie Williams

Meh: Kasabian, Chemical Brothers

All that being said, had they booked 2 from the top instead of Linkin Park and Bastille then it'd have looked immeasurably better on paper.

[TheNewUnion]

Also, watched "Tiga Live" at NOS Alive. Very impressive, I'm not mad into dance music by a long way but loved it.

[Semprini]

Seen Tiga DJ a couple of times at PKP, and have a good few of his tracks, so was definitely on my list but good to hear you enjoyed the show so much!

 

Re: Headliners - no matter how bad anyone may think they are, at least we haven't got Avicii!!

 

I can't remember a previous PKP line up polarising opinion like this but as has been said it's all subjective. Admittedly there aren't as many 'new' bands jumping out at me compared to previous years and the headliners are a write off (so no change there then). However, I've still got over 20 bands and DJs I want to see each day and the reality is I won't get to watch them all. In that sense, it'll be another full-on weekend, just like all the others!

 

Thought we might have had some news by now (new names, stage splits etc) but there's still a chance before the weekend.

[DDave]

Charli XCX has cancelled her show at Frequency. PP to follow? Not had a cancellation for a while!

[redstar99]

Blur for Isle of Wight.

Now that's a great set of headliners.

http://isleofwightfestival.com/line-up.aspx

Great headliners but woeful under card. Id always prefer a weaker headliner list and stronger support like at pp

[Dietediet]

Both Lowlands and Sziget recently completed their lineup, I figure Pukkelpop will do the same next week. Currently Dour is taking up all the media attention.

[DDave]

Great headliners but woeful under card. Id always prefer a weaker headliner list and stronger support like at pp

I agree. But there's weak, and there's Pukkelpop 2015 weak.