3 days and a thousand emotions

36 years. 35 editions. Thirty-five editions, and every time you manage to amaze us with a seemingly endless supply of energy, love, and warmth. It's becoming increasingly difficult to choose the most unforgettable edition, but Couleur Café 2026 certainly shines at the very top of the list. Despite—or perhaps precisely because of—the evacuation on Saturday. The weather gods robbed us all of a part of a festival day, one we desperately needed, paid for, traveled for, labored and sweated for. But in no universe could this small tragedy have unfolded more smoothly, beautifully, respectfully, or efficiently. We're repeating ourselves, but our respect for every employee, volunteer, partner, and festival-goer is endless because of this.
 

Couleur Café 2026 in a nutshell: you were numerous, you looked after each other, and you eagerly enjoyed every concert, every hidden gem, every spontaneous party, every meal, and every cocktail. More than 75,000 visitors, 2,000 volunteers, 400 crew members, restaurateurs, market stall holders, and hundreds of incredibly talented DJs, musicians, and singers; for everyone, it was a welcome escape button from a particularly complicated society. A sunny vacation showing how this world can also look: brimming with love, wonder, and respect.
 

Where to begin the tale of the three-day journey that now lies behind us again?
 

Well, let's start on Friday morning. Our by now legendarily fast sold-out camping site was already filling up early in the morning under a sultry summer sun, quickly followed by the beautiful Ossegem Park for a series of killer concerts. Alongside obvious standouts like Ezra Collective, Rema, and Ruger, there was also a storm of appreciation for gems like Pongo, Sainté, Lila Iké, and Bryan MG. It's no surprise that the Dub Stage, true to annual tradition, filled up with aficionados who would still be standing there if we hadn't pulled the plug. A few BPMs higher, at the Black Stage, where, among others, Lady Shaka and Juls set the tone for a delirium that still echoes. The sharp-eyed among you quickly discovered the sultry Mizizipi bar by the water, admired the BMX riders in the Tieks, and let loose in the wild diesel delirium of Whiplash or the pleasantly unhinged roadside stop Aire de Rien. Day 1 gort you under its spell—that much was clear.

A lot of ink has already been spilled on Saturday—long sold out and scorching hot. Visitors who arrived on time could still enjoy, among others, an iron-strong Naïka and amazing Protoje, but not much later, the curtain fell on this festival day. The Mayor's and the competent authorities' decision was clearly the only right one, as it turned into a dangerously stormy night. Fortunately, everyone had already left the park by then, and our campers enjoyed an unforgettable party in the safe Paleis 3. After a night and morning of impressive efforts by countless employees, volunteers, and partners, our beloved park was once again completely festival-ready.
 

And so we arrived at the final day once again; a sunny Sunday filled to the last tree with a beautiful audience of 25,000 friends. As always, many families with children who didn't know where to look first. From Fanfa-kids to Saurus, between the Souks stalls and the Zinneke animations, there was something to experience everywhere. Even more so on the stages, where big stars like Skepta, Amaarae, Freddie Gibbs, and Thee Sacred Souls were enjoyed just as much as rising talents Genezio, DC3, Gaz Mawete, and so many others. The Dub Stage continued to rumble, the Black Stage kept the tempo scorching high. At La Plancha, we quickly couldn't tell anymore who was giving the dance lessons and who was learning them—what moves! Culinary-wise, it was once again a world trip never to be forgotten; the brand-new La Dalle zone put Brussels in the spotlight, and in our own restaurant Bonanza Café, an ecological, gastronomic, and social epic was written that has no equal at Belgian festivals. The last watermelons went out the door for Palestine, and your hearts are clearly still in the right place. But even this day—and by extension, this beautiful weekend despite everything—had to come to an end.
 

We deeply sympathize with all visitors, especially those who only had Saturday tickets and couldn't enjoy the festival as they should have this year. We ask all our visitors for their patience regarding all (ticket) questions about Saturday's evacuation. We are trying to create clarity as quickly as possible and are meanwhile dismantling the festival site as quickly and professionally as needed. However, this will take some time. As soon as we have news, we will communicate this through all our channels.
 

Finally, all that remains is for us to thank you endlessly. Couleur Café is and always will be yours, the warmest, most beautiful, and most generous audience in the world. Never change, and keep taking care of each other. We'll see each other again soon at a Couleur Café Club or, at the very latest, in exactly 1 year.