Sinksenfeesten in Kortrijk kicking off
For four days, the city bustles with street theatre, music festivals, a flea market and much more. Our festival reporter stopped by to soak up the atmosphere. Look at here the report on Instagram.
Festival reporter’s findings
Kortrijk had prepared itself for an exuberant weekend. From the station over the shopping streets to the Leie, the taps were outside and terraces formed the streetscape. In pleasant temperatures, the people of Kortrijk kept their dancing legs under the table while the first deejays showed their skills. Although the first evening did not bring a complete folk festival, the visitors visibly enjoyed a revived city. At Budabeach, this weekend renamed ‘French Riviera’, they drank a cocktail or beer by the water and pleasure boats sailed towards the center.
The first day there were mainly performances and parties on the program. In the entertainment district, the ‘Havana 20’s’ started in Stationsstraat, where the tropical music links the theme ‘Roaring Twenties’ to Cuba. A stone’s throw from that, ‘The Skullfuckers’, whose songs are softer than their name, were allowed to entertain the still relatively limited audience on Schouwburgplein. Adults lived there in a friendly atmosphere thanks to the acoustic covers that the quartet performed. The fact that the Kortrijk Whitsun weekend organizes activities for young and old can count on appreciation.
Crossing the zebra crossing, mainly young people gathered in ‘t Straatje where DJ sets above the ground made the loudspeakers roar. At the height of the crowd, it was so crowded that the police and security, who were present in large numbers, had to close the street. The starting gun on stage came from ‘Idiots’, a solid rock band with front singer and Bevergem actor Luc Dufourmont. The number of spectators built up systematically until ‘Gestapo Knallmuzik’ gave up. With their mix of flawed German, vulgar lyrics and electro pop, the men rocked the crowd. Even in the rain the fans, not just young ones, continued to sing along unabashedly.
The night would undoubtedly last a long time and Kortrijk is warmed up for the big festivities that will start on Saturday.