Can you feel it? Yes, festival season is just around the corner. It might not feel like it, with you commuting to work in your damp puffer coat and all, but soon come you’ll be with your mates in muddy fields stomping away to seriously good music. One of the first big hitters on the circuit is Belgium’s Horst, which lucky for you isn’t very muddy at all.
Taking place May 14 to 16, 2026 at Asiat Park, Vilvoorde, Horst is known for its stunning settings and top-tier programming. Its gold-star reputation meant the festival sold out of its weekend tickets before its line-up was even released, with only Thursday day tickets remaining.
The team behind the three-dayer set out to do things a little differently this time around. Instead of leading with superstar DJs at the top of the bill, this year’s line-up is mostly populated with local Belgian talent. Highlights include the likes of Ben Kamal, Clara D, DJ Rino and live performances from both Ambroos De Schepper and Jan Loup. Performing alongside them are some of the finest selectors from across the globe, including Philly’s DJ Swisha, US garage legend Todd Edwards and stalwarts of the UK clubbing scene, OK Williams and Tasha, who will be going b2b for the first time.
If that’s not enough to tickle your tastebuds, today the festival has unveiled its arts and architecture programming for this year’s edition. The 16 artists and collectives will be responsible for transforming the site with stage design, performance spaces and installations. What can you expect? There’s Paul Maheke, who alongside Evelyn Simons on a spatial installation and live performance based on themes of death, transition and embodiment. Another evolving performance comes from The Constant Now, a non-profit that empowers artists of colour, which will platform Fallon Mayanja in an unfolding work focused on sound and music.
Elsewhere, Belgian landscape architect Bureau Bas Smets will stage its work Building Biospheres, first debuted at Venice Architecture Biennale, inside the festival, while students from the horticultural school Horteco will landscape some of the site’s standout locations. Grab your tickets here.
Photography courtesy of Horst Festival.
