Pukkelpop 2024

[gigi21]

Getting on the plane to fly to Brussels, see you in two days!

[Semprini]

Ticket and wristband from 2009!

 

Some of our group are currently on the Eurostar making their way over - all getting very real now!!

[Kaboom Boxer]

Any guess who the surprise artists could be?

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-mgNU8IcXg/?igsh=aDVmaG81c3hpb3g4
 

[Semprini]

It's PKP Eve day!!

Wristband and ticket from 2010, which was the 25th anniversary year.

[johnybegood]

It will be my first Pukkelpop in 7 years. Finally this year did not happen anything strange in august. 

 

We will go Saturday and Sunday due to work issues but these 2 days concentrate 90% what I am interested in (just Fountains DC, Soulwax and Bad Nerves were weekend highlights for me) so I am really happy!! 

 

Let's enjoy it, mates!

[DDave]

Shall we aim to have the meet up on Saturday @Semprini? Seems the day when there will be the most of us on site. 

[Semprini]

2 hours ago, DDave said:

Shall we aim to have the meet up on Saturday @Semprini? Seems the day when there will be the most of us on site. 

 

I'm happy to go with whatever suits the most people? Maybe around 14:30-15:00 in the cafe as my schedule is pretty full from Confidence Man onwards.

I will also be in the cafe on Friday at 15:30 as previously mentioned - actually intend to visit the cafe as many times as I can over the weekend as the beers are great!

Speaking of Conman, set list from 2018:

 

[Semprini]

Sitting in departures (debating whether to have a pint but think I’ll be sensible!) waiting for our flight to Schiphol. 
 

As always, been brilliant sharing the build up with everyone on here so all that’s left to do now is PKP!

 

Hopefully see a few of you over the weekend but if not, have a good one!!

[DDave]

Belgium, I am in you! 

[gigi21]

Nice start yesteday, really impressed by ILA, amazing band, probably one of the biggest surprises of the festival for me. Also enjoyed Meltheads, Equal Idiots and a bit of Portland.

Coming for Big Special in the late morning, so I'm in for an early afternoon meeting (after a bit of Black Box Revelations and before getting a spot for Fontaines DC would be perfect for me)

Edited August 16 by gigi21

[Death By Sexy 2.0]

On 8/14/2024 at 5:16 PM, DDave said:

Shall we aim to have the meet up on Saturday @Semprini? Seems the day when there will be the most of us on site. 

I am in. 14h30 at café?

[DDave]

The good

The Streets, Soulwax, Folamour, Big Special, Thee Secret Souls.

The bad

Fontaines - very flat atmosphere. I've seen them 3 times now and they've never been more than average.

The ugly

The rain and the shuttle bus home - no idea why it's such a long walk now. Great first day.

 

Should be onsite for around 2.30pm so will be in the cafe before I head over to Confidence Man. Look for someone with a beard, wearing this t-shirt (the back of it) 

 

 

 

 

[Archi]

Hope it won't be raining tomorrow!

[DDave]

53 minutes ago, Archi said:

Hope it won't be raining tomorrow!

No rain forecast for tomorrow. Been a hot one today. 

Edited August 17 by DDave

[DDave]

1 hour ago, DDave said:

No rain forecast for tomorrow. Been a hot one today. 

No rain at all so far. Was forecast rain from 5pm onwards. Lucky so far

[gigi21]

Tonight in the Backyard, a few minutes before Enter Shikari, someone took a photo with me and Festival Guy. If you read it here (or if you know who it could be) please post the photo here 😁

[Rico_Pliskin]

So went for a day trip on Sunday.

 

One and done. 

 

Things I liked: free train transport, beer service, friendly people, Offspring jokes

 

Things I did not like: bad food, Royal Blood headliner, and how it's just music and stages.

 

Electric picnic/sziget/fugi rock still the best weekend camping fest in my opinion.

[DDave]

Heading home now via Amsterdam. Great to meet people again after such a long time. Been a great festival, not without it's problems but that will all be forgotten about soon. 

 

Highlights yesterday were Glass Beams, Salute, Channel Tres and Sampha the Great. Band of the day goes to Sugababes. They were absolutely fantastic. 

[Archi]

Very good yesterday! Rise Against is the highlight of my day for sure. I didn't expect such a show, from the band and from the crowd. Insane. Electric Callboy were really good live as always. Nice to catch The Offspring too. Was cool to see Jessie Murph and Becky Hill live. Ramkot is the first act I saw yesterday and was a nice surprise. Sadly didn't see a lot of Royal Bloood but the audience didn't seem really motivated by the rock acts on the Main Stage yesterday. All the bands, I went so easely in the front, maybe it started to get packed in the back when bands started but it wasn't packed like the 2 days before (from what I've seen on pictures).

 

Compared to 2022 (Sunday with Arctic Monkeys) and 2023 (Friday with Billie Eilish), I really felt the soldout, there were way more people on the field. Curious to see how they'll make the line-up for 2025 and if they'll push to get QOTSA back. But hopr at least one good day to come back at my new Belgian fav' festival 🙂 

[gigi21]

Last night in Belgium before heading back home. It's always amazing to meet wonderful persons and feel the PKP atmosphere during these 4 days.

2019 was my last edition before this one.

Like: free transports; good beer (Lagunitas IPA served in glass at the PKP Cafè was class); well organized; nice atmosphere; lovely Hasselt city center; my new pink PKP sunglasses; attending many cool acts walking in front of the stage 5 minutes before they started; easy to walk between the stages and catch a bit of a lot of acts; sounds, lights and visuals are getting better and better at every kind of show.

Dislike: The festival is still very good but I feel like it's slowly getting further away from my taste; less acts, more local acts, less indie acts; some things are getting worse, like the bus stop now 1.2 kms far from the entrance, only 2 drinking water points in the whole festival area, phone charge that used to be free but now you have to pay for it; no more secret shows, city shows or other interesting things.

Highlights: Soulwax, Glass Beams, Fat Dog, Model/Actriz, Chalk.

Amazing surprises: Ada Oda, ILA, Meltheads, Brutus playing with the orchestra at noon.

Also enjoyed: English Teacher, Flogging Molly, Yīn Yīn, Mount Kimbie, Wisp, The Kills, Lip Critic, Black Box Revelation, Fontaines DC (not a special show from them, quite average, but good songs, good crowd and a good tension) and also Royal Blood + a lot of other shows that were still nice to catch for a while.

Definitely worth it.

[johnybegood]

It was great going back to Pukkelpop after 7 years out.

 

I found an improved festival in mobility between stages, a great atmosphere and an older audience than last year I went (2017). 

 

It really loved the configuration of the Backyard stage in a corner of the field like a "forbidden place". It was packed during Motionless in White and Enter Shikari. It was great to see older people woth NOFX or Bad Religion T Shirts in that stage during all day. This is the biggest improval imo.

 

I tried to catch sets in most of the stages: really loved Floggin Molly, The Reytons, Sugababes, Model/Actriz, Motionless in White, Solomun and The Vaccines. I had a really good time in Rise Against and The Offspring sets. I was impressed how packed was the Marquee stage during Rise Against set. Punk's not dead!!! 

 

The weakest point of the festival is how far the bus stop was from the festival and the Royal Blood set with the main stage empty and being so dark and the lack of energy of the whole set. I really missed Josh Homme closing the festival, but I know that PkP has no responsability in that.

 

Time to start thinking in PKP25: They will go for a big artist like 2023 or will balance the line up like 2024? Time for a comeback for Oscar And The Wolf? Will Idles play their first Pukkelpop? Will I Prevail or Millencolin take an headline slot in Backyard? Will QOTSA come back in 2025? Will Avril Lavigne make August summer festivals next year? Which rapper will headline one night? Lot of questions in my head... Can't wait!!!

[DDave]

13 minutes ago, johnybegood said:

It was great going back to Pukkelpop after 7 years out.

 

I found an improved festival in mobility between stages, a great atmosphere and an older audience than last year I went (2017). 

 

It really loved the configuration of the Backyard stage in a corner of the field like a "forbidden place". It was packed during Motionless in White and Enter Shikari. It was great to see older people woth NOFX or Bad Religion T Shirts in that stage during all day. This is the biggest improval imo.

 

I tried to catch sets in most of the stages: really loved Floggin Molly, The Reytons, Sugababes, Model/Actriz, Motionless in White, Solomun and The Vaccines. I had a really good time in Rise Against and The Offspring sets. I was impressed how packed was the Marquee stage during Rise Against set. Punk's not dead!!! 

 

 

The weakest point of the festival is how far the bus stop was from the festival and the Royal Blood set with the main stage empty and being so dark and the lack of energy of the whole set. I really missed Josh Homme closing the festival, but I know that PkP has no responsability in that.

 

Time to start thinking in PKP25: They will go for a big artist like 2023 or will balance the line up like 2024? Time for a comeback for Oscar And The Wolf? Will Idles play their first Pukkelpop? Will I Prevail or Millencolin take an headline slot in Backyard? Will QOTSA come back in 2025? Will Avril Lavigne make August summer festivals next year? Which rapper will headline one night? Lot of questions in my head... Can't wait!!!

Great to see you had a great time. The shuttle bus location was pretty much halfway to Hasselt. Major pain which will hopefully be sorted next year. 

 

Oh, and Idles played in 2019 🙂

[Archi]

2 hours ago, johnybegood said:

Time to start thinking in PKP25: They will go for a big artist like 2023 or will balance the line up like 2024? Time for a comeback for Oscar And The Wolf? Will Idles play their first Pukkelpop? Will I Prevail or Millencolin take an headline slot in Backyard? Will QOTSA come back in 2025? Will Avril Lavigne make August summer festivals next year? Which rapper will headline one night? Lot of questions in my head... Can't wait!!!

 

I guess you think about Billie Eilish when you speak about big artist like 2023? But in 2024, they had Fred Again and he got even more success. Getting Sam Smith is also a strong headliner. A bit surprised on your opinion here then!

 

About Avril Lavigne, I won't count on her on my wishlist: I finally saw her live this year, once on her arena tour then on festival and it was boring both times. It's cool to see her live once, to hear live the very old old songs but she seems so bored on stage.

 

And I Prevail could be a great headliner on the Backyard like Motionless In White and Enter Shikari this year (or Beartooth last year). They could headline Alcatraz Festival but metalcore don't work at all there and the line-up never fits well. I'm wondering based on the hype with the Olympics if Pukkelpop will try Gojira on Main Stage...