Celebrating 40 years of defining European culture, Belgium’s mecca of music Rock Werchter is once again an unmissable fixture of the summer musical scene, with a lineup full of game-changers and undisputed modern icons.
Once a year, super-festival Rock Werchter takes over the otherwise quaint and picturesque Belgian village of Werchter and transforms it into a haven for all music lovers. Known for its stellar lineups that have previously featured The Chemical Brothers, Kings of Leon, Depeche Mode and Biffy Clyro, it’s no surprise that Rock Werchter attracts 85,000 people per day. Taking place over 4 amazing days, the festival spreads its 75-act bill across three phenomenal stages, with landmark festival moments abound at every turn.
The ultimate in rock aristocracy, Sir Paul McCartney stands alone as the father of modern music. One of the most successful songwriters of all time, his masterful catalogue of tracks has soundtracked generation after generation, from The Beatles through to Wings and his revered solo work, he remains an active and influential face within the ever-changing music industry. The epicentre of music itself, Sir Paul McCartney is the perfect host for a journey through memory lane, as 40 years of Rock Werchter is toasted by a true musical great.
Phenomenal funk rock legends Red Hot Chili Peppers bring their bombastic sound to this years festival. With their highly anticipated 11th studio album expected later this year, the hot-blooded American heroes are set to show Rock Werchter just why they were immortalised in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 by serving up a mix of 90s funk classics and new favourites.
Hailed as one of the most enigmatic performers of the last century, Iggy Pop returns to Rock Werchter 25 years since his last appearance. The punk icon known for his energetic unpredictable performances with The Stooges is showing no signs of slowing down as he re-emerges with new album ‘Post Pop Depression.’ The highly anticipated long play sees guests such as Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys), Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather) and production from Joshua Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) teaming up to form the supergroup record you never knew you needed. Unstoppable and uncompromising, Iggy Pop is set to be a highlight of Rock Werchter this year.
Gigantic EDM duo Disclosure are set to bring their unique mix of deep house, UK garage and electro mastery back to Rock Werchter after their stellar 2013 performance. The dance duo have impressive audiences all over the world after the success of the albums ‘Settle’ and ‘Caracal’, of which hit the UK album charts at number 1. One of the most influential electronic acts around, Disclosure are known for blistering tracks featuring The Weeknd, Sam Smith and Jesse Ware,and will be causing a storm at this summer’s festival.
Stunning Brit Award winning act Florence And The Machine will be appearing at Rock Werchter as they finish a headline US tour. Name by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people on the planet and cited by Beyonce as a source of inspiration, Florence Welch commands the attention of her audience in the most magical way. Inspired by sounds of PJ Harvey, Bjork and Kate Bush, the ever-creative, ever-mysterious, ever-overwhelming act performs on Belgium’s hallowed ground once again.
Deviant theatrics. Fireworks. Disguises. Driving beats and hell-bent guitars. It could only be Rammstein. The long-standing six-piece icons have long been an enigmatic force, sticking true to their individual style and leading to multiple Grammy Award wins and sold out fields around the world. The visual masterminds bring their outlandish performance back to Rock Werchter after a three year absence.
These legendary names are only a snapshot of the epic lineup Rock Werchter offers, boasting performances from the chameleonic mastermind Beck, electro-pop star Ellie Goulding, unstoppable British rockers Foals, energetic American hip-hop pairing Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, dominating chart kings Bring Me The Horizon and many many more, the musical spectrum is well and truly covered at Rock Werchter this summer.
Aside from the untouchable music lineup, Rock Werchter seeks to evolve and celebrate the latest in artistic talent and for its 40th Anniversary, the festival takes another step into invigorating artistic achievement. Consecutively winning the Arthur award for ‘Best Festival In The World’, Rock Werchter puts on a show for all involved, mixing art and culture with music. Curated by Belgium’s famed conceptual artist, Arne Quinze, North West Walls will display the work of six multi-national street artists throughout the four-day festival. Renowned street artists Fintan Magee, Nychos, Lula, Pixel Pancho, Gamma Acosta and SmugOne are previous examples of those selected to contribute to the installation.
Systematically reinventing and mastering the craft of the European Festival Experience, Rock Werchter has it all for an unforgettable weekend celebrating the best in arts, music and culture, bringing a 40 year journey into an exciting new chapter.
Full Combi tickets across the weekend start from £185, with limited day tickets for the Thursday, Friday and Sunday still available. Head to http://www.rockwerchter.be/en/ for more information.
ROCK WERCHTER 2016 LINEUP (A-Z):
Alessia Cara // Alice On The Roof // At The Drive-In // Aurora // BADBADNOTGOOD // Band of Horses // Barns Courtney // Bear’s Den // Beck // Beirut // Blackberry Smoke // Black Box Revelation // Blossoms // Bring Me The Horizon // Courtney Barnett // Daughter // Disclosure // Ellie Goulding // Editors // Elle King // Florence + the Machine // Flume // Foals // Frightened Rabbit // Gary Clark // Glen Hansard // Goose // Gutterdämmerung // Guy Garvey // Iggy Pop // Jagwar Ma // Jake Bugg // James Bay // James Blake // Jamie xx // Kaiser Chiefs // Kensington // Lapsley // Lianne La Havas // Lost Frequencies // Macklemore & Ryan Lewis // Mura Masa // Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats // New Order // Oh Wonder // Paul McCartney // Parov Stelar // Paul Kalkbrenner // PJ Harvey // Puggy // Rammstein // Red Hot Chili Peppers // Richard Hawley // Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters // Ryan Bingham // Samm Henshaw // Savages // Live Sigma // Skunk Anansie // Tame Impala // The 1975 // The Last Shadow Puppets // The London Souls // The Offspring // The Struts // The strypes // The Van Jets // Two Door Cinema Club // Years & Years //
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