6 June 2020 Update from Semi-Locked Down Ghent

The security council’s ban on mass events till 31 August means that all the big summer events will be cancelled. In Ghent too many are heartbroken, It is the first time since World War I that the Ghent Festivities will not take place. The Festival of Ghent is without doubt the biggest and best-known street festival in Europe, attracting around 2 million visitors each year. “The Ghent Festivities are part of the city’s DNA. The cancellation of course hurts, but we are resilient. In 2021 we plan to party twice as hard” said Mathias De Clercq, the city’s mayor. Here are some memories of the sparkling “Gentse Feesten” from 2014.  On display is late Walter De Buck at one of his last public appearances before he passed away later that year. Walter De Buck was a singer, sculptor and founder of the modern “Gentse Feesten” – Sint-Jacobsplein, Ghent, Belgium.