Sold Out for 18 Straight Years, Crammerock Has No Plans to Expand

Crammerock is preparing for its 35th edition in Stekene with all 38,000 tickets sold, extending a run of 18 consecutive sell-outs. The festival has no plans to become bigger. Its organizers say they would rather improve the established formula than expand it.

Tickets sold at a rapid pace. Most went during the first hour of sales, when only about 10 of the 60 acts had been announced. “We have our basic formula and mainly look at how we can make it better, not bigger,” organizer Geert Robbrecht told VRT NWS.

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We have our basic formula and mainly look at how we can make it better, not bigger.

The festival charges 49 euros for a single day and 79 euros for the weekend. Each day features 30 acts across four stages, combining pop-rock and electronic music. This year’s headliners include Pommelien Thijs, Bazart, Celeste and Kasabian.

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The majority was even sold in the first hour after ticket sales started. At that point, barely 10 of our 60 acts had been announced.

Robbrecht says the pricing depends heavily on sponsorship. Local companies play a particularly important role, alongside the large drinks brands that support many festivals. A local container company, for example, has supported Crammerock for years. Without that local connection, Robbrecht says, organizing the event would be impossible.

Crammerock began in 1991 as a party marking the 10th anniversary of youth center De Cramme. In the late 1990s, it attracted about 1,200 people. It now draws 19,000 visitors per day. Robbrecht also said the festival’s limited interruption during the coronavirus period helped its position, although the September 2021 edition was its most challenging. The current festival’s timing, at the start of September, may also encourage people to attend one last major event before returning to school or work.

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Without that local connection, it is impossible for us to organize our event.