v2.webp){kind=logo}
- All-genre live music scattered across the city — Dozens of stages spring up in squares, bars and parks, from full-band concerts to tiny acoustic sets. The variety is the point: you can stumble from jazz to punk to electronic in a single evening, often for free or cheap, and discover local bands you wouldn’t hear anywhere else.
- Street theatre, circus and quirky performances — Expect buskers, mime artists, giant puppets and small experimental theatre popping up in alleys and plazas. The performances are often interactive and offbeat, so you’ll get theatrical moments that feel spontaneous and delightfully weird compared with normal festival fare.
- Nighttime canalfront atmosphere — The medieval quays (Graslei and Korenlei) and bridges lit up at night set a photogenic, intimate scene for impromptu
- All-genre live music scattered across the city — Dozens of stages spring up in squares, bars and parks, from full-band concerts to tiny acoustic sets. The variety is the point: you can stumble from jazz to punk to electronic in a single evening, often for free or cheap, and discover local bands you wouldn’t hear anywhere else.
- Street theatre, circus and quirky performances — Expect buskers, mime artists, giant puppets and small experimental theatre popping up in alleys and plazas. The performances are often interactive and offbeat, so you’ll get theatrical moments that feel spontaneous and delightfully weird compared with normal festival fare.
- Nighttime canalfront atmosphere — The medieval quays (Graslei and Korenlei) and bridges lit up at night set a photogenic, intimate scene for impromptu singalongs and riverside partying. Boats, floating stages and terraces add a uniquely Gent vibe: it’s not just a festival in a park, it’s a festival that wraps around the water.
- Food stalls and Belgian beer culture — Street food, pop-up cafés and local beers are everywhere, from affordable frituren to hearty Flemish stews and regional brews. Sampling a few different beers and the odd local sweet (think cuberdons) while you wander is part of the ritual — cheap, tasty and sociable.
- Open, community-driven spirit — Gentse Feesten is famously participatory: locals open courtyards, tiny venues host weird themed nights, and neighbourhoods put on their own events. That makes the festival feel inclusive and spontaneous — you’ll often join rooftop parties, singalongs or family-friendly daytime parades just by following the noise.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.
Historical Walking Tour: Legends of Gent
✓ Free cancellation
Evening Tour of the Dark Side of Gent
✓ Free cancellation
Ghent Bike Tour Off-the-beaten-track
✓ Free cancellation
Ghent: Famous Belgian Chocolate Walking Tour with Tastings
✓ Free cancellation
Private Historical Tour: The Best of Ghent
✓ Free cancellation
Private Tour: The Dark Side of Gent
✓ Free cancellation
Bicycle tour in historic Ghent
✓ Free cancellation
Ghent Beer Guided Walking Tour
✓ Free cancellation
The Waffles 'n Beer Workshop in Ghent Centre
✓ Free cancellation
Best Backpacking
.jpg)
Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.