Pukkelpop

Pukkelpop is a four-day alternative music festival held at Festivalpark Kiewit in Hasselt, Belgium. Founded in 1985 by the local youth organization Humanistische Jongeren, it has grown into one of Belgium's largest and most genre-diverse festivals, programming everything from indie rock and metal to electronic music and hip-hop. The 2026 edition runs August 20 to 23 with Tyler The Creator, Florence + The Machine, Deftones, and YUNGBLUD as headliners. The festival attracts approximately 60,000 attendees per day and is best suited for alternative, indie, and electronic artists targeting a European festival audience.

The 2025 edition (August 14 to 17) celebrated the festival's 40th anniversary with headliners Chappell Roan, Chase & Status, Oscar and the Wolf (Friday), A$AP Rocky, IDLES, Joost (Saturday), and Queens of the Stone Age, Papa Roach, Justice, and Doechii (Sunday). Queens of the Stone Age returned after cancelling their 2024 headline slot due to frontman Josh Homme's health issues. AMENRA's collaboration with the Atomic Orchestra was one of the most talked-about sets of the weekend:

How Pukkelpop Works

The festival runs Thursday through Sunday at Festivalpark Kiewit, a dedicated festival site in Kiewit, a neighborhood of Hasselt in the Flemish region of Belgium. The site features multiple stages, camping areas, and food and drink vendors.

Key operational details:

1. Stages and Programming: Pukkelpop programs across multiple stages including the Main Stage, Marquee, Club, and Boiler Room (for electronic music). The lineup spans alternative rock, indie, metal, hip-hop, electronic, and pop. Each day features a distinct headliner and supporting bill.
2. Ticketing: Combi tickets (four-day passes) and day tickets are sold through tickets.pukkelpop.be. Day tickets cost €134 for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. VIP day tickets cost €225, and VIP combi tickets cost €440. Combi tickets and day tickets for 2026 are sold out. The festival operates an official ticket resale platform (Ticket Meet-Up Page) starting July 30, where ticket holders can resell at face value with a €16 service fee paid by the buyer.
3. Camping: Two camping options are available. Camping Chill (€43 to €45) is located directly across from the festival site. Camping Relax (€43 to €45) is a 5-minute walk away. Pre-pitched tent packages are available at both sites. Camping tickets are sold separately from festival tickets.
4. Transport: Day tickets include public transport by train (provided by NMBS/SNCB partner). Night trains and evening buses are organized for festival attendees. The festival site is accessible from Hasselt station.
5. Thursday Access: Thursday entry is included with combi tickets and Friday tickets from 6 PM onward. There are no separate Thursday-only tickets.

Real-World Example: Pukkelpop 2026

The 2026 edition runs August 20 to 23. The headline structure spans the three main festival days:

• Friday August 21: Tyler The Creator headlines, with Zara Larsson, Sombr, and additional acts across all stages.
• Saturday August 22: Florence + The Machine and Deftones co-headline. Florence returns to Pukkelpop after her 2023 headline show was cancelled at the last minute. Deftones perform in support of their 2025 album "private music." Major Lazer, Turnstile, and YUNGBLUD are also on the bill.
• Sunday August 23: The full Sunday lineup includes additional acts across the Main Stage, Marquee, and Club stages.

Additional confirmed acts include Becky Hill, Natasha Bedingfield, Chris Stussy, Selah Sue, Josh Baker, Adriatique, and many more. The festival has announced over 100 acts across its stages.

All combi tickets and day tickets are sold out. The official resale platform opens July 30 via the Pukkelpop website. The festival warns attendees never to buy tickets via social media due to fraud risk.

Notable Past Headliners

Pukkelpop has booked some of the biggest names in alternative music since its founding in 1985. The festival has a history of booking artists before they reach mainstream festival circuits. Here is a look at headliners from recent editions:

The 2024 edition ran August 15 to 18. Fred again.. headlined Friday, drawing record ticket sales that Pukkelpop dubbed "the Fred effect." Saturday featured Sam Smith alongside Charlotte de Witte and Goldband. Queens of the Stone Age were originally announced as Sunday headliners but cancelled at the last minute due to frontman Josh Homme's health issues. Royal Blood replaced them on short notice.

The 2023 edition (August 17 to 20) saw Billie Eilish headline Friday, Angele headline Saturday, and The Killers close Sunday. Florence + The Machine was scheduled to co-headline Sunday but cancelled at the last minute.

The Pukkelpop YouTube channel (PKPtv) uploads full sets from both emerging and established acts. Here is a full live set from the 2025 edition, streamed via the official Pukkelpop channel:

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Pukkelpop is one of Belgium's two major summer music festivals (alongside Rock Werchter) and has a reputation for programming emerging alternative and electronic acts alongside global headliners. A slot here puts you in front of 60,000 fans per day from across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany.

The booking process runs through the vzw Pukkelpop team and stage curators. Independent artists should:

1. Build a strong European touring history. Pukkelpop bookers track artists who are generating buzz in Belgium, the Netherlands, and neighboring markets.
2. Target the Club or Boiler Room stages if you are an electronic or DJ act. These stages are programmed by niche curators and are more accessible to independent artists than the Main Stage.
3. Work with a European booking agent who has relationships with the Pukkelpop team. Most slots are filled through agent submissions.
4. Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track your streaming growth, as festival bookers look at streaming data when evaluating emerging acts.

Read our music festival strategy guide for a deeper dive on getting booked at major European festivals.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

• Sold out tickets: All combi and day tickets for 2026 are sold out. The only way in is the official resale platform, which has limited supply and high demand.
• Weather risk: Pukkelpop is an outdoor festival in Belgium in August. Rain is common. The 2011 edition was hit by a severe storm that killed five people and injured 140, leading to significant safety upgrades. Still, prepare for mud and unpredictable weather.
• Competition for slots: With over 100 acts on the bill, set times for non-headliners are short (typically 30 to 45 minutes). You need a strong live show to stand out.
• Logistics for international artists: Hasselt is not a major city. Flights go into Brussels, and you need ground transport (approximately 90 minutes by train from Brussels). Equipment transport requires advance planning.
• Camping costs: Camping is sold separately from festival tickets, adding €43 to €45 to the total cost. This is standard for European festivals but worth budgeting for.

Related Resources

• Music Festivals Directory - Explore other European and international festivals
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming growth that attracts festival bookings
• Tour Revenue Calculator - Plan your European festival tour budget
• Performance Rights Organizations - PROs that collect performance royalties for European festival appearances
• Music Festival Strategy: Get Booked and Make It Count
• 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Learn how festival slots contribute to a diversified income strategy
• Official Pukkelpop Website

Similar Festivals

• Rock Werchter - Belgium's other major summer festival, held in Werchter
• Lowlands Festival - Dutch alternative festival with a similar genre scope, held in Biddinghuizen
• Graspop Metal Meeting - Major metal festival in Dessel, Belgium
• Tomorrowland - Electronic music festival in Boom, Belgium, the world's largest EDM festival