Hip hip hooray for Rock Werchter!

• We kicked things off on a high note with The Karaoke Sing-a-Long Showdown in The Hive on Wednesday. Early birds on Thursday were treated to a surprise performance by The Haunted Youth at the main entrance. And as the saying goes: if it’s your birthday, you treat. So we’re adding a bonus hour to the festival schedule. At the request of the festival, 2manydjs have created a unique set celebrating and summarizing 50 years of Rock Werchter. After headliner Olivia Rodrigo, the Festivalpark was be the setting for a grand musical and visual spectacle by 2manydjs. David and Stephen Dewaele are loyal festival regulars, in many forms. They also performed in The Barn with Soulwax.
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• The year of the four seasons. The weather brought it all, from autumn to summer heat.
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• The year of rock 'n' roll. With headliners aged from 22 to 78: Olivia Rodrigo + Iggy Pop = 100.
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• The year of a new visitor record: 158,000 unique visitors. Tickets were sold in more than 90 countries. The top five: Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
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• The emergency services were a bit busier than last year, registering 5,800 treatments. The main issue: insect bites.
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• There was a lot of cycling to Werchter. Twenty thousand bikes were parked. Congratulations and thanks for that!
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• New: Secret Sessions. Secret performances for randomly selected festivalgoers — 12 at a time — by Charles, Cymande, NOFUN, Alice Mae, The Scratch, Remy Bond… Recordings can be viewed on Rock Werchter’s YouTube channel.
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• The five-star reviews ! There was unanimous praise across the media for the performances by Barry Can’t Swim, Dikke, Beth Gibbons, Iggy Pop, RAYE, Simple Minds, Pommelien Thijs, and Lola Young.
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• The congratulations for the 50th edition:

‘Without any exaggeration Belgium is my favorite country in the world. And this is my favorite festival I ever played. And I’m never happier than I’m here.’ ​ - Guy Garvey (Elbow) 

​‘It is not wrong to say that Simple Minds discovered 'the art of playing outdoors to the biggest crowds' at Werchter. The invitation to take part in this year's 50th anniversary event was an honor never to be missed.’ – Simple Minds

​‘Hey Rock Werchter, you came in swinging! The LOUDEST singalong’ – Green Day