Pukkelpop cancels indie festival Hear Hear

Pukkelpop has announced that its one-day festival for fans of indie and alternative music will not return in 2023.

Hear Hear! was launched in August 2022, drawing 15,000 fans to Hasselt, Belgium, for performances from the likes of Editors, Pixies, Liam Gallagher, Future Islands, Wolf Alice and Anna Calvi.

At the time of the announcement, Pukkelpop organisers said rock and indie had “faded into the background” at the marquee Belgian festival and that Hear Hear would give those genres “a little more attention”.

A recent statement from the organisers says: “Hear Hear! was very positively received by the festival-goers present, as evidenced by the numerous reactions we received during and after the festival.

“As an organisation, we have to dare to make choices”

“Unfortunately, in these times, that is not always enough and as an organisation, we have to dare to make choices. In 2023 we are fully committed to a rock-solid Pukkelpop edition and Hear Hear! will stay in the fridge for a while. Next year we will gladly revisit this.”

In the past, Pukkelpop has tried several times to start an extra festival in addition to its flagship event.

Previous events run by Pukkelpop include Polsslag, Rimpelrock and the Summer Swing family festival.

Since 2018, Pukkelpop has also been organising techno and house festival Garnizoen.

Pukkelpop (cap. 66,000) will return this year between 17–20 August, with the line-up yet to be announced.

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The post Pukkelpop cancels indie festival Hear Hear appeared first on IQ Magazine.

Written by IQ Magazine