Horst sets itself apart from traditional dance festivals
Festival season is back, and Horst Arts & Music is leading the pack. For the past ten years, this Belgian three-day event has established itself as one of Europe’s premier festivals. Central to its success is its approach to staging, which pushes boundaries and offers festival-goers a truly unique experience.
Set on a former military base in Vilvoorde, just outside Brussels, Horst has made a name for itself by experimenting with architecture to create mind-bending stages. From the tiered, spiral-shaped dancefloor of the Swirl stage to the massive repurposed steel beams of the Ring stage, each area offers a distinct and surreal setting. The Rain Room, an indoor stage enclosed by a giant shower curtain, and the light-reflecting red disk of Le Soleil Rouge provide festival-goers with unforgettable visuals. Rumors of an underground stage for this year’s event have further fueled anticipation.
The festival’s lineup is stacked with top-notch DJs like DJ Stingray, Helena Hauff, Josey Rebelle, Eris Drew, and SHYBOI from Discwoman. However, Horst offers more than just music; it also features the Horst Expo, an art program that takes center stage throughout the summer. Unlike other festivals’ lackluster art installations, Horst’s art program is worth exploring. Cult artist Marilyn Minter will project a new video piece onto cooling towers overlooking the festival, while Brit artist Eddie Peake will present a subversive, sensual performance art piece titled The Pervert.
Simon Nowak, one of the festival’s organizers, founded Horst in 2014 alongside Joachem Daelman, Mathias Staelens, and Toon Timmerman. What started as an intimate party with a capacity of 1,000 attendees has now grown to attract 12,000 visitors each day of its three-day run, selling out for the second year in a row. As the festival gears up for its opening night, Simon sheds light on the origins and evolution of the Belgian festival.
Horst was born out of a desire to create a party on the organizers’ own terms. Disenchanted with the lack of club culture at Belgian festivals at the time, they sought to bring the club atmosphere to the festival scene. Inspired by their travels to Amsterdam, Berlin, and London, they set out to transform their hometown’s music landscape. Over the years, Horst has continued to evolve, maintaining its independent spirit and constantly reinventing itself.
Despite its Belgian roots, Horst has garnered interest from abroad, particularly from the UK. Volunteers from overseas travel to help build the festival, spreading the word to their friends and drawing more attendees each year. This word-of-mouth marketing has created a snowball effect of discovery, attracting more international guests and solidifying Horst’s reputation as a must-attend event on the festival circuit.