Ronquières Festival bets on exclusive headliners for its 14th edition
Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- The Ronquières Festival in Wallonia, Belgium, is preparing for its 14th edition, expecting up to 25,000 visitors daily across three stages.
- This year features two Belgian artists making history: Oscar and the Wolf as the first Flemish headliner and Pommelien Thijs as the first Dutch-language act.
- The festival prioritizes exclusive headliners, securing artists who will not perform at other Belgian or Walloon festivals, a strategy that has previously attracted acts like Will Smith and this year includes rapper Macklemore.
The Ronquières Festival, located in the Walloon province of Hainaut, Belgium, is gearing up for its 14th edition, solidifying its position as the fourth-largest festival in Wallonia. The event anticipates drawing up to 25,000 attendees per day to its three stages.
This year marks a significant milestone with two Flemish artists headlining: Oscar and the Wolf will be the first Flemish act to headline the festival, while Pommelien Thijs will be the first Dutch-language performer. These artists are expected to draw a significant audience, including thousands of visitors from Flanders who cross the language border for the event.
Exclusivity is important to sell tickets.
Festival organizer Jean-François Guillin highlighted the festival's strategy of securing exclusive headliners, artists committed to performing only at Ronquières during that summer season. This approach has previously brought major international names like Will Smith, and this year features American rapper Macklemore as a Sunday headliner. This focus on exclusive, mainstream pop-rock acts differentiates Ronquières from larger festivals like Les Ardentes or Dour, which feature more diverse genres and niche artists.
Because of our location, we welcome several thousand Flemish people every year: a minority of our audience. How many visitors cross the language border depends, of course, on our lineup. We aim for mainstream names from the pop-rock world.
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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