How Flanders' free city festivals work — and how to enjoy them as a newcomer
A single line in Het Nieuwsblad — Genk singer Zita Paulussen sharing an Antwerp festival stage with Eurovision alumna Laura Tesoro — opens a bigger, evergreen question for anyone new to Flanders: how do Belgium's free open-air stadsfestivals actually work,…
In 30 seconds
- Het Nieuwsblad reported that Genk singer Zita Paulussen shared a stage with Laura Tesoro at a city festival (stadsfestival) in Antwerp.
- Laura Tesoro represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with "What's the Pressure" (widely documented general knowledge).
- Most Flemish stadsfestival programming is free and ticketless; line-ups appear on UiTinVlaanderen and visit.antwerpen.be.
- Antwerp's low-emission zone (LEZ) covers the city centre; drivers should check compliance at slimnaarantwerpen.be to avoid fines.
Zita Paulussen, a young singer from Genk in Limburg, appeared on a stage with the established Flemish pop artist Laura Tesoro at a city festival (stadsfestival) in Antwerp, as reported by Het Nieuwsblad. The event is an instance of Flanders' publicly supported, mostly free open-air festival culture, coordinated through the official UiTinVlaanderen agenda and, locally, the city of Antwerp. This piece uses that pairing as a hook for a practical, evergreen guide to attending such festivals as a newcomer.
Background
Free, publicly supported open-air city festivals are a long-standing feature of Flemish cultural policy, with the Gentse Feesten in Ghent as the best-known template. Municipalities and the Flemish government underwrite much of the programming, and the UiTinVlaanderen calendar was created to gather these events in one place. Laura Tesoro has been a regular on this circuit since representing Belgium at Eurovision 2016.
What to do
Check UiTinVlaanderen (uitinvlaanderen.be) and visit.antwerpen.be for line-ups and to confirm which events are free; expect Dutch-language programming; verify your vehicle at slimnaarantwerpen.be or travel by De Lijn, rail to Antwerpen-Centraal or Velo bike-share; arrive early for seating and bring both cash and a card.
The Belgian angle
Antwerp's free open-air festivals draw large summer crowds to squares and quaysides across the city centre, shaping transport, local hospitality and neighbourhood life. They also function as a rung on the ladder for Flemish and Limburg performers moving from small rooms to larger audiences.
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- 7 Aug 2026
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