Genk on Stage

22-24 JUNE
GENK CITY CENTRE, STADSPLEIN 1
The 10th anniversary edition of the free rock, pop and hip-hop music fest features De Mens, Daan, Milow, Suzanne Vega, Hooverphonic, Gers Pardoel, Das Pop, The Scabs, Will Tura, Tom Dice, Sioen and more www.genkonstage.be

Graspop

22-24 June
Festival site Dessel, Antwerp
The small village of Dessel turns into a headbangers’ Mecca on the third weekend of June. See critic’s choice. www.graspop.be

Rock Werchter

28 June - 1 July
Festival site Werchter (Flemish Brabant )
Flanders’ biggest music festival, with a third stage added this year, boasts no less than 80 acts. As usual, the line-up is eclectic, with a focus on radio-friendly alt rock. Biggest names include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Editors, The Cure and local pride dEUS. It’s already sold out, as usual, but you can try your luck at their ticket exchange if you’ve missed out. www.rockwerchter.be

Gent Jazz Festival

5-14 July
Bijloke, Ghent
Jazz, but not only jazz, in a fabulous courtyard. See critic’s choice. www.gentjazz.be

Cactus Festival

6-8 July
MINNEWATERPARK, BRUGES
A stunning setting, a family-friendly atmosphere and the most eclectic line-up you’ll find at a onestage festival are the main ingredients of Cactus. We call it proven quality. See critic’s choice. www.cactusfestival.be

Gooikoorts

6-8 July
Dorpsstraat, Gooik (Flemish Brabant)
This is the 10th edition of this festival of traditional folk music. If you think Dranouter’s lineup has become too diversified, this might be just your thing. Expect panpipes, violins, accordions and people who wear socks with sandals. Every year about 5,000 share in this folk fever in the heart of the Pajottenland. www.gooikoorts.be

Vijverfestival

7 July
Town Hall square, Dilbeek
A small and cosy one-day fest that focuses on local talent. Gabriel Rios is the main crowd-puller with his solo set, but be sure to look out for new grunge collective Bed Rugs, the opener of the main-stage. Activities for kids are included in this eco-friendly festival. www.vijverfestival.be

Rock Herk

13-14 July
Park Olmenhof, Herk-de-Stad (Limburg province)
For 29 years, this festival has been free, but this 30th edition comes with a price-tag (not a big one, we hasten to add – €32 for the two days in advance). Rock Herk is probably the most relaxed alternative festival in the whole of Flanders and used to be the region’s best free festival. An entry fee, though, means it can attract bigger names: Dinosaur Jr, the Raveonettes, the Gaslamp Killer and Tocadisco are well-known headliners rather than the hidden gems organisers used to book. www.rockherk.be

Blues Peer

13-16 July
Festival site Peer (Limburg province)
Belgium’s best known blues-and-roots festival in the heart of Limburg manages to surprise every year with a mouth-watering line-up. See critic’s choice. www.brbf.be

10 Days Off

13-23 July
Vooruit, Ghent
A thrilling mix of all things electronic in Ghent’s most beautiful and historically important arts venue. See critic’s choice. www.tendaysoff.be

Brosella Folk & Jazz Festival

14-15 July
The Green Theatre, Brussels
Brosella combines the best of both jazz and folk, with each of the two days dedicated to one genre. As if the dedication to these styles of music isn’t Belgian enough, it’s worth noting that the Atomium looks out over the audience’s shoulders as well. Jazz cats will undoubtedly melt for the collective of European Jazz Trumpets on closing day. www.brosella.be

Gentse Feesten

14-21 July
Across Ghent
The largest music and street theatre festival in the world, the Gentse Feesten draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the centre of Ghent each July for the 10-day outdoor bash that never sleeps (quite literally). Every square is a stage, and the biggest are the Polé Polé Latin and world music stage across the canal, the Trefpunt stage of world music at Sint- Jacobs square and the appropriately named Boomtown, with mostly local rock bands in the Kouter square. The rest of Ghent’s squares are given over to eclectic music themes, including crooners, covers and country. The whole thing is free and more focused on quantity than big names. Some highlights of the line up of hundreds include An Pierlé, Walter De Buck, Petula Clarck, The Hickey Underworld, Raymond van het Groenewoud, Eva De Roovere, Vive La Fête, Kommil Foo, Dez Mona and Daan www.gentsefeesten.be

Suikerrock Tienen

26-29 July
Tienen city centre (Flemish Brabant)
Flanders’ sweetest festival (dubbed Sugar Rock for its city industry) hosts Belgium’s biggest acts, alongside a few international names. Thursday and Friday are great for lovers of unadulterated rock, featuring ZZ Top, Alice Cooper, Triggerfinger and Status Quo. Saturday and Sunday are traditionally reserved for a more mainstream audience, and this year is no exception: Mika, Gabriel Rios, Daan, Arsenal, Ozark Henry and Texas are all on the bill. www.suikerrock.be

Sfinks Festival

27-29 July
Boechout, Antwerp
As the stronghold of multicultural music, Sfinks aims to please the more adventurous festivalgoer. African or South American rhythms, Eastern European gypsy blues… it’s easy to find much to like at this family-friendly “excursion into enriching cultures”, as the fest’s website so eloquently puts it. Sfinks has a rich history of memorable moments: Every one of the late afrobeat stalwart Femi Kuti’s visits proved to be unforgettable musical experiences. The line-up this year includes Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Zita Swoon Group, Marco Flores and Narasirato. www.sfinks.be

Bruksellive

28 July
The Green Theatre, Brussels
Although it’s free, any visitor of underground concerts during the year will note this line-up is something special. Bruksellive offers a very eclectic mix of indie and avant-garde names, such as the exquisite French outfit Nouvelle Vague, the warm and experimental electronica of the UK’s Floating Points and the smooth tech-house of Chilean Matias Aguayo, who made a noted stop in Brussels’ techno club Fuse this year. Easily accessible by metro, too. www.bruksellive.be

Reggae Geel

3-4 August
Zandstraat, Geel (Antwerp province )
A must-visit for every lover of all things reggae and its related genres (dancehall, ska etc). The legendary John Holt, writer of many of the genre’s classic tunes, is the biggest name on the bill at this nice little fest with a super positive vibe. www.reggaegeel.com

Dranouter

3-5 August
Dranouter (West Flanders)
It’s not just folk purists who can bask in Dranouter’s line-up as it gets more diverse every year, while still holding on to its roots. The Levellers, the Waterboys and West Flemish folk outfit Het Zesde Metaal have a history of playing the festival, while more unusual names include Sergeant Garcia, Seasick Steve and Spinvis. Be there and be surprised by the West Flemish hospitality! www.festivaldranouter.be

Lokerse Feesten

3-12 August
Grote Kaai, Lokeren (East Flanders)
This annual city centre festival always manages to impress with its rock-solid alternative line-up and a typically Flemish carnival atmosphere. Last year’s edition caused a lot of media fuss as the organisers decided not to serve meat on the evening notorious vegetarian Morrissey was playing. The bill has not been completed yet, but the Beach Boys, Bryan Ferry, P.I.L., Echo & the Bunnymen, Gorillaz, Orbital and New Order are names that could inspire anyone to feel like a Lokeren local for the evening, meat or no meat. www.lokersefeesten.be

Antilliaanse Feesten Hoogstraten

10-11 August
Blauw Forest, Hoogstraten (Antwerp province )
For lovers of Caribbean music, this festival is an annual pilgrimage. This year, shake it to the smooth party tunes of Tony Dize, Morgan Heritage, Destra Garcia and Henry “Aventura” Santos. For two days each August, the Netherlands Antilles come to Antwerp. www.antilliaansefeesten.be

Marktrock Leuven

10-11 August
Oude Markt & Vismarkt, Leuven
Leuven’s old market place is referred to by some as “the biggest bar in the world”, as the number of pubs there exceeds even the Flemish average of downtown drinking facilities. We say: What better location for a festival? After 30 years, Marktrock is still going strong, although it has been scaled down a bit and now focuses solely on Belgian artists. Flemish punk rock pride The Kids and new wave-icons the Neon Judgement are headliners. www.marktrock.com

Pukkelpop Hasselt

16-18 August
Kiewit, Hasselt
A successful edition this year should blow away those clouds still hanging over the festival that suffered tragedy last year when five people died and more than 50 were injured in a freak storm that led to a stage collapsing. Pukkelpop is Flanders’ second biggest music festival (behind Rock Werchter) and sold out for the first time last year. This year’s final day is already sold out, but Thursday and Friday still have a lot to offer for the alternative souls: Björk, the Stone Roses, Bloc Party, the Afghan Whigs, Mark Lanegan Band and Santigold, among others. www.pukkelpop.be

Jazz Middelheim

16-19 August
Park Den Brandt, Antwerp
A household name of Europe’s jazz festivals, Jazz Middelheim’s 2012 edition is dedicated to Brussels’ harmonica legend Toots Thielemans, who celebrated his 90th birthday this year. Toots is the festival’s godfather and has played there on every occasion. The live rendition of his soothing and atmospheric tunes between Middelheim’s trees always guarantees goose bumps. It’d surprise us if he didn’t have anything special in store for the crowd on his first Middelheim appearance as a 90-year-old jazz legend. Other names include Ornette Coleman and Paolo Conte. www.jazzmiddelheim.be

Feest in het Park

23-26 August
Donkvijver, Oudenaarde (East Flanders)
Oudenaarde’s Feest in het Park is probably the best way to end the summer, a fact that is always reflected in the line-up, which honours the smoother and sunnier sounds in the music world. As usual, Feest in het Park offers a lot of reggae, ragga, ska, house, dubstep and electro in Oudenaarde’s city park. The line-up includes Beenie Man, the Internationals, Sizzla, Mr Scruff, Vive La Fête and Felix Da Housecat. www.feestinhetpark.be

Maanrock

25-26 August
Mechelen city centre
This Mechelen equivalent of Marktrock is getting bigger than its inspiration. The main acts on the multiple stages are Shameboy, Raymond van het Groenewoud, the Scabs and Guido Belcanto. Hong Kong Dong, the experimental band of the children of Flemish painter and cartoonist Kamagurka, will be headlining a smaller stage and are a live experience you’ll definitely want to absorb. www.maanrock.be

CRITIC’S CHOICE: METAL

Graspop

Flanders’ biggest metal fest is back this year with its strongest line-up in ages. Although the initially planned Black Sabbath reunion concert was restricted to the British Download Festival earlier this month, Ozzy Osbourne is still headlining Graspop and is bringing some other friends instead. Motörhead, Slayer, Megadeth, Europe, Twisted Sister, Machine Head and Guns N’ Roses are the other powerhouses of metal and hard rock that will look to disturb the peace in the small town of Dessel. Besides that, every other metal sub-genre is represented, too. You wouldn’t want to let down the Viking metal enthusiasts or deathcore aficionados, would you? Take note: Metal-heads are not as violent as you might think. Despite the aggression displayed in the shrieking riffs and grunted vocals, the atmosphere at Graspop in the small town of Dessel is super friendly. Laurens Bouckaert

CRITIC’S CHOICE: BLUES

Blues Peer

This all-blues festival in the small town of Peer in Limburg province has been going since 1985, building quite a reputation in Western Europe. The late Stevie Ray Vaughan headlined it multiple times, along with other huge names such as Dr John, Ben Harper and Canned Heat. This year’s line-up is again a mouth-watering prospect for any self-proclaimed blues fan, with living legend BB King, recently reformed Flemish band El Fish, John Fogerty, the North Mississippi All Stars and John Kay & Steppenwolf (pictured). An odd collaboration will finish off the first evening, as legendary Flemish blues guitarist Roland teams up with crooner Helmut Lotti and an all-star band that will mainly play blues and rock’n’roll classics to get you through the night. LB

CRITIC’S CHOICE: ECLECTIC

Cactus Festival

In both location and line-up, Cactus proves to be Flanders’ most scenic and atmospheric festival. Even without music, it’s hard not to fall in love with Bruges’ Minnewaterpark, the green lung of the medieval city. And the truly original Cactus line-up alone offers three days of mental bliss. “Many artists have said that the setting has something magical,” claims organiser Patrick Keersebilck. “They tell me that it’s comparable to a gig in a hall because of the patience and composure of the crowd, as well as the clear acoustics.” The big names this year are John Hiatt & the Combo, Razorlight, Chris Cornell, Paolo Nutini and Daniel Lanois, but Cactus wouldn’t be Cactus if it didn’t spice things up with a few more challenging underground acts. Checking out cutting-edge bands Low, Explosions in the Sky, Blonde Redhead and Yeasayer surely can do no harm to your kids’ cultural development. Did I say kids? I did. Cactus is the quintessential family festival, as the “offstage” section provides all kinds of children’s entertainment. LB

CRITIC’S CHOICE: JAZZ

Gent Jazz Festival

Gent Jazz is a rather young festival, having its first edition in 2002 under the name of Blue Note Festival. The strategy is to introduce the genre to a larger audience by mixing up traditional jazz names with more airplay-generating artists out of the soul, blues and indie-pop worlds. They also provide an excellent platform for local jazz talent. The midsized garden of the medieval Bijloke arts complex makes for a pleasant atmosphere. The biggest jazz cat on the bill is the legendary Wayne Shorter (pictured). Listen out, too, for the angel-like voice of Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons (with the Metropole Orchestra), the free-flowing soul of D’Angelo and soul pioneer Bobby Womack. For a really riveting summer night, we’d suggest the dark but soulful chamber pop of British band Tindersticks. LB

CRITIC’S CHOICE: TECHNO

10 Days Off

If you want to know whose beats are currently the most innovative or most danceable, head to the Vooruit in Ghent on one of these 10 nights of electronic music mania. 10 Days Off, which takes place during the Gentse Feesten, offers a mix of all styles of electronic: deep house and minimal (Booka Shade, Mark E, Maceo Plex), straight-up Berlin techno (Len Faki, Ambivalent), experimental or avant-garde (Teebs, Matthew Herbert, Nosedrip, DJ Koze), disco-influenced house (DJ Harvey, Jacques Renault). Expect world-class pioneers such as Richie Hawtin (his 12th visit!) and Etienne De Crécy. We would recommend checking out John Talabot, a Catalan producer, whose critically acclaimed album fIN is one of the best electronic releases so far this year. His warm blend of Balearic electronica, cosmic disco, Chicago house and even afrobeat will provide a sensual clubbing experience, perfect for a hot summer night. Even if all this is Chinese to you, if you like to party, you won’t go far wrong at this festival. LB