Do you think that the festival season in Ghent finishes with the close of summer? Obviously, you have not been living here for long! Gentenaars do not let the seasons define their festival plans. Bridging the gap between the summer festive feeling and Christmas time, several Ghent autumn festivals brighten up the rainy Belgian days.

SEPTEMBER

Flanders Festival Ghent

This international musical festival has been going on since 1958. It focuses on classical music, but welcomes world music and offbeat performances, combining different styles of artistic expression. The festival itself is composed of several separate events and features a large number of concerts across town and further out in Flanders.

This Ghent autumn festival is very inclusive – this means bringing music to people who for different reasons cannot leave their home, do not have enough means to afford the tickets, or find it physically challenging to attend concerts.

These different initiatives are available under the umbrella project of We share music. They take music to hospitals and residential centres (Festival@Home), offer special assistance for the blind and visually impaired (Blind Dates), as well as provide an introduction to music for children through Studio Story.

If you have a special Uitpas card that gives you access to reduced prices, use it to get a ticket discount. Standard Uitpas cards can be used to collect points at the events.

OdeGand

The most famous part of the Flanders Festival is its kick-off weekend, also known as OdeGand. You might have heard rave reviews from your friends about it and it’s definitely an event not to be missed. The programme features a large number of concerts at different locations across the town. You can move between locations on foot, by free taxi bikes and boat. Besides the paid part of the programme, many venues also feature free concerts. The kick-off closes with a free concert and fireworks.

Parklife

Another festival that joined the Flanders Festival umbrella is the family-friendly music festival Parklife. This has become one of the September highlights since the opening of the Parkbos a few years ago. Situated a bit out of the centre, in Sint-Denijs-Westrem, Parkbos is one of the large green areas that are slowly forming the green belt around Ghent.

The programme consists of the free-entrance Park Village, where you will find the main stage and the food stalls. Children will love Kidsvillage where they can try to get in touch with their inner musician at different instrument-playing workshops – all in the ear-friendly outdoor environment.

The paid part is a music trail through the park: you can listen to several concerts in natural surroundings of this lovely green corner of the city.

The Parklife festival takes place at the Grand Noble entrance to the Parkbos, Kortrijksesteenweg 1177 in Sint-Denijs-Westrem. You can reach it by bicycle, or buses number 76, 78 (bus stop Drie Sleutels) and bus 77 (bus stop Grand Noble). If you are coming by car, it might be easiest to leave it in the large car park in front of the Carrefour/Brico (park in front of Brico to be closest to the Parkbos) and walk the last 500m to the festival.

OCTOBER

Film Festival Ghent

In mid-October, after the students’ opening parties calm down and before gloomy November sets in, Ghent hosts its very own international film festival. Expect 10 days of quality films and a chance to see some of the biggest names in international cinema. This Ghent autumn festival is a great cosy escape from the rainy days outside.

The (usually) more than 140 films of the festival are sorted in several different ways. There’s the themes, then the sections, and finally parcours (“trails”). Or perhaps you would rather focus on seeing films where guests are present (actors/directors/producers …).

Film music has always been on the menu at the Film Festival Gent and several dedicated events will be a treat for film music fans. The World Soundtrack Awards, the most important film music prizes in the world, is a major music event and attracts established and upcoming names in the film music industry.

If you have time on your hands and a solid knowledge of Dutch, you can work as a volunteer at the Film Fest Gent. Work at least 6 shifts and you will be rewarded with a free pass for all the screenings.

Volunteers usually check the tickets and collect voting ballots after screenings of films in the competition. Despite the sometimes difficult work schedule (expect late nights) this is definitely a fun experience, as well as the cheapest way to see the festival.

FACTS

The largest comic con event of Flanders, FACTS currently has two annual events. The spring one in April and the autumn one in the second half of October. Although the autumn festival was originally the bigger one, it is now hard to say which one attracts more crowds. Expect big international names from movies and TV shows, cosplayers (a lot of them!) and comic book artists. As well as unusually dressed people making their way from the train station to Flanders Expo.

Read more about FACTS in our article about cosplay and FACTS.

Halloween

There is no special general fest for Halloween in Ghent, but you can be sure that there is at least one small event happening in your neighbourhood. Gentenaars love this creepy holiday! All tips can also be found on the event listing website Uit in Gent.

NOVEMBER

The Six-Days (De Zesdaagse)

While this is not exactly a festival, we cannot omit mentioning the biggest event of November. The Six-Days refers to six days of cycling races at the velodrome Kuipke in the Citadelpark. This sporting event attracts crowds from all over Europe, so don’t be surprised to see the city park overrun with people! The website of the event has a short explanation of the rules and events in English.

DECEMBER

Museum Night Ghent

In the early December, just before the Christmas lights get switched on around the town, the Ghent museums open their doors to the public for the annual Museum Night. The museums are open from 6pm to midnight and you can visit them all for free. Besides their own collections, many museums also organise special events for this evening. There is usually an afterparty at one of the museums, for those who don’t have to get up early the next day.

And then the Christmas season begins…

Author: Nina Jere