Event Details
Gentse Feesten 2026: Ten Days of City Festival in Ghent
From Friday 17 July to Sunday 26 July 2026, the historic centre of Ghent transforms into one of Europe's greatest free urban festivals. The Gentse Feesten draws up to 1.5 million visitors across ten consecutive days of music, street theatre, dance, comedy, food, and non-stop celebration across every square, alley, and canal-side terrace in the old city.
Highlights
- Free admission to the overwhelming majority of all performances and stages
- Live music across more than ten squares simultaneously, spanning jazz, rock, electronic and folk
- International street theatre, mime artists and buskers throughout the city centre
- Specialist sub-festivals: International Puppet Buskers Festival, Gent Jazz Festival, Boomtown
- Family and children's programme at multiple city locations
- Hundreds of food stalls, drink vendors and brewery terraces
- Nightly programme running until midnight across the festival area
- Spectacular medieval backdrop: Gravensteen Castle, Graslei and Korenlei canal quays
Program
The complete official programme for Gentse Feesten 2026 will be published from 5 June 2026 on the official website gentsefeesten.stad.gent and in the free printed Feesten magazine. Each of the festival's squares and stages is independently organised, offering its own schedule of live music, cabaret, theatre, dance, and comedy. The most popular festival squares include Korenmarkt, Sint-Baafsplein, Vrijdagmarkt and Baudelopark. Events run daily from 10:00 AM until late into the night.
Admission & Tickets
The Gentse Feesten are free to attend. The vast majority of all performances at outdoor squares and stages require no ticket. Certain ticketed evening events in indoor venues or special concerts may carry a charge, with details available directly from individual stage organisers.
Getting There
- Arrive by train to Gent-Sint-Pieters station, then take Tram Line 1 or walk approximately 30 minutes to the city centre.
- From Brussels the train journey takes around 30 minutes; from Bruges and Antwerp approximately 30 to 60 minutes.
- Travelling by car is not recommended; parking in the city centre is severely restricted during the festival.
Visitor Tips
- Book accommodation in Ghent three to four months in advance as hotels fill extremely quickly during the festival.
- Consider staying in nearby Sint-Niklaas, Eeklo, Deinze or Bruges and commuting by train.
- The free Feesten magazine with the complete programme is available from 5 June 2026.
- Weekday afternoons are significantly less crowded than weekends; ideal for a more relaxed experience.
- Bring a lightweight rain jacket; July temperatures in Ghent average 18 to 22°C with occasional showers.
- The compact old town is entirely walkable; comfortable shoes are strongly recommended.
