Festival Dranouter concludes sold-out 52nd edition with 55,000 visitors

Festival Dranouter wrapped up its 52nd iteration with a complete sell-out, drawing approximately 55,000 festival-goers over the weekend. The event showcased a diverse lineup, including popular artists such as Pommelien Thijs and The Kooks, across its newly developed festival grounds.

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We are particularly satisfied with this first edition on the renewed grounds. We have received a lot of positive reactions regarding the atmosphere, the decor, and the way the different zones come together.

Festival director Bavo Vanden Broeck expressed high satisfaction with the first edition on the revamped site. "We have received a lot of positive reactions regarding the atmosphere, the decor, and the way the different zones come together," he stated. He also praised the musical offerings, calling it a "fantastic edition." The festival aims to evaluate the event with its audience, volunteers, and staff in the coming period, but current sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.

"Festival Dranouter is an annual tradition for many people," Vanden Broeck added. "They come for the music, but equally for the atmosphere, the encounters, and the feeling of being completely away from it all." He noted the deliberate redesign of the grounds, which maintained the festival's scale and identity. "When we look at the site today, at the fantastic concerts and the many smiling faces, it feels like a very successful first step."

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Also musically it was a fantastic edition. We will take time in the coming period to evaluate together with our audience, our volunteers and our staff. But at this moment, satisfaction prevails.

This year's festival also saw the return of Humo's Comedy Club in the Theatertent, with comedian Hans Cools adapting his set for the daytime performance. "In a theater, you have an audience that comes to watch your show," Cools explained. "It's also during the day and not in the evening, so there is more distraction. You have to work a bit harder." He described the audience of 1,500 people as "fantastic" and "immediately on board."

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Festival Dranouter is an annual tradition for many people. They come here for the music, but equally for the atmosphere, the encounters and the feeling that they are completely away from it all for a while. We consciously chose to redesign the grounds this year without losing our scale or identity. When we look at the grounds today, at the fantastic concerts and at the many smiling faces, it feels like a very successful first step.

Musical highlights included headliner Pommelien Thijs and Bart Peeters & De Ideale Mannen, who performed to a packed Chateau stage. Bart Peeters described Dranouter as "great," noting the drive to the location in Heuvelland made it feel like "a different country" and a "fantastic folk festival."

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In a theater, you have an audience that comes to watch your show. It's also during the day and not in the evening, so there is more distraction. You have to work a bit harder.