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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

Geek Village festival draws 3,000 to Belgian castle

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • The Geek Village festival attracted 3,000 visitors to Heks Castle in Belgium.
  • The event was organized on short notice after community requests, with organizers thanking participating vendors.
  • The festival featured cosplay, anime, board games, and other fan interests, with a special emphasis on asking permission before taking photos of cosplayers.

An unexpected edition of the Geek Village festival drew approximately 3,000 attendees to the grounds of Heks Castle in Heers, Belgium, this past weekend. The event, which had initially been uncertain, was brought to life in just one month following strong demand from the fan community.

This edition was initially not going to happen. It's the community that asked for it. We put this together in a month.

— Glen OyenThe organizer explained the rapid, community-driven effort to stage the festival.

Organizers expressed deep gratitude to the vendors who quickly mobilized to participate. The festival offered a vibrant atmosphere for fans of comic books, anime, board games, and cosplay, with various stalls selling merchandise and collectibles. This year's event was uniquely set against the backdrop of Heks Castle, with organizers also gaining access to the castle gardens.

It's great not having to go to Ghent or Brussels. It's nice and close.

— LotteA visitor shared her appreciation for the local nature of the event.

Geek Village is noted as one of the few events of its kind in the Limburg region, making it a convenient and appreciated gathering for local fans. Visitors highlighted the ease of access compared to traveling to larger cities like Ghent or Brussels. A key initiative this year focused on raising awareness within the community about respecting cosplayers' privacy, emphasizing the slogan 'Cosplay is not consent' and urging attendees to always ask for permission before taking photographs.

It's a very beautiful location. It's also very pleasant in the woods.

— JustineAnother visitor commented on the scenic setting of the festival.

The next edition of Geek Village is scheduled to take place in November at the Trixxo Arena in Hasselt.

It's something different than a big sports hall.

— PieterA vendor expressed his positive view of the unique venue.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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