All the city’s a stage at Gentse Feesten

Though the city emphasises the 10-day festival’s ability to gather together citizens of every persuasion, this modesty is lost on the masses and the guide books. Gentse Feesten is the world’s largest combination theatre and music festival, and it flexes its artsy-fartsy muscles as much as its mayonnaise and overalls – worn by the girl on the event’s poster this year, her hair decorated with fries.

It’s a place you can see Trixie Whitley in concert one night and a bawdy broad comedy on stage the next. Spend the day at the Puppet Buskers’ Festival with the kiddos in the medieval Patershol district and the night dancing to techno at Vooruit. Visit the park where you can learn how to belly dance or to polka, the tent where Turkish people serve you mint tea, the stage where only cover bands are allowed.

Eat frietjes with meat sauce or visit top vegetarian chef Kevin Storms as he heads from his just-closed pop-up to a fancy food truck with a menu specially developed for the “Feesten”. Belly up to the all-jenever bar or to the only-Irish coffee stand.

Don’t miss hip-hop sensation Roméo Elvis at the Boomtown pop and rock stage, but if he’s on against the great Gabriel Rios you’ll have to make a choice.

The variety of the Feesten is indeed madness. Which is part of its charm. And because you don’t need to buy a ticket – which is what sets off this largely free music festival from all those others across the land – you can just dive in. Again and again.

14-23 July, across Ghent