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Rock Teralfene

Belgium, under many points of view, remains a well-kept secret. Regardless of its small dimensions and low profile, it is the 16th richest country in the world in terms of wealth per capita, according to UBS’s Global Wealth Databook. It has the highest number of beer styles than any beer-producing region in the world, with the UNESCO including Belgian beer culture in its Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2016. Its capital, Brussels, is the second most cosmopolitan city worldwide after Dubai, with 62% of its residents being foreign born and representing 184 nationalities. And its music scene has been surprisingly rich in the latest decades, turning Belgium into an artistic powerhouse capable of punching above its weight.

First and foremost, Belgium was, together with The Netherlands and West Germany, the birthplace of electronic body music (EBM), a genre of electronic music combining synth-punk, dance and industrial music. Born in the early 80s, this style evolved into several sub-genres, including techno, which accentuates the role of rhythm, and new beat, a Belgian electronic dance music style encompassing new wave, EBM and hip hop. Anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s is familiar with at least two international hits coming straight from Belgium and rooted in this pioneering work: Pump Up the Jam, of Technotronic (1989), and No Limit, of 2 Unlimited (1993). Stromae, also born in Belgium, and his blend of house, eurodance, hip hop and chanson, which became internationally successful over the last ten years, would not have been possible without the Belgian electronic scene of the 80s and 90s.

But Belgium is not only one of the birthplaces of electronic music. It is also home to an incredibly diverse rock and indie music scene, which gave birth, over time, to internationally recognised bands such as dEUS, K’s Choice, Hooverphonic, Girls in Hawaii, Arsenal and Channel Zero, just to name a few. And it boasts the highest number of music festivals per capita in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants every year, many of whom from abroad.

It is in this dynamic and inspiring context that Rock Teralfene (RT), a music festival taking place in the homonymous town located roughly 20km north-west of Brussels, was born in 2011. Created by six friends motivated by their love for music and their desire to animate their community, it started with just a small stage and a handful of sponsors. Now it takes place over a period of two days and it attracts hundreds of visitors every year.

“There are many festivals in Belgium, for all tastes, but we distinguish ourselves in many ways. First of all by charging no ticket. And then by holding our concerts straight under the church tower in the centre of our village and relying as much as possible on local resources when organising them, both in terms of sponsors and workforce”, the festival team explained to us. 

And indeed having access to a professionally organised festival for free is becoming increasingly difficult in Belgium. According to a recent study by De Standaard, the cost of living increased by 32% in Belgium between 2013 and 2024, but the average price for a festival ticket went up by 67% over the same period, making music an increasingly expensive hobby. This is due to raising wages and energy prices, but also to the increasing fees that artists demand to play live, to compensate for the fact that the music sales market has almost entirely disappeared since the emergence of streaming services roughly ten years ago. 

So far, Rock Teralfene managed to welcome festivalgoers for free thanks to the relentless work that its team put in place with its increasingly long list of sponsors, some of them well renowned such as ING, Cristal beer and the Belgian national lottery

“We make sure they are all provided with good visibility before, during and after the festival, both online and on our advertising material”, the festival team continued.

RT focuses mostly on rock music, in all its sub-genres. This is why, for many years, its logo was a guy with a distinctively rock’n’roll and greasy hairstyle. “It was drawn by a local cartoonist, Edwin Van Mol”, they explained, “and it was our only logo for years. At some point however a new designer came in and a new logo was introduced. However, we still feel connected to our old cartoon, which is why you can still find it on various Rock Teralfene items and merchandise”.

Since 2011, the festival has been organised every year, with the only exception of the 2020 and 2021 editions, which were skipped due to the covid19 pandemic. During this two-year hiatus, the organising team worked on improving the festival and making it even more attractive: “Firstly, we moved the festival from September to August, to avoid any potential covid19-related measure in autumn. Secondly, we rearranged our site, by increasing its surface and equipping some areas with playgrounds for children”.

But more than the logistics, it’s the music offer that allows Rock Teralfene to remain competitive in a country that hosts more than one festival for every musical inclination. The biggest ones alone indeed occupy a remarkable portion of the scene, with Tomorrowland (widely considered the best festival worldwide) focusing on electronic music, Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop on rock, Graspop on metal, Couleur Café and Esperanzah! on world music, Les Ardentes on hip-hop and Dour on alternative music. The selection of bands and the creation of an attractive lineup is therefore of paramount importance to attract festivalgoers.

“Given the rich but competitive music environment characterising Belgium, the selection of bands is indeed crucial”, the RT team confirmed, “and this is why one of our board members, Bart, is specifically in charge of this activity. He comes up with a long list that is submitted to the board. The final decision is then taken collectively. In general however, we always try to come up with a balanced lineup, featuring local bands too and ending each festival day with easy-to-dance music. So far, this has worked pretty well”.

As RT moves into the future, its team remains true to its original goal: offering a high-level and free rock festival in the shadow of its town’s church tower. “We don’t want to move to another site just to attract a bigger crowd”, they concluded. “Rather, we want to remain in touch with our community and continue to have fun with music. To do so, we are prepared to work with the resources we have”. In a world increasingly obsessed with performance, success and growth for the sake of it, Rock Teralfene’s perspective is remarkably refreshing. 

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