Beldub's Bubbling Festival Guide 2024
Go back 04 July, 2024
The festival season is in full swing again. The vibes took off last weekend at Couleur Café! Read all about it in our report which will soon be online. As we’re writing this, the BelDUB crew is on the road to Zion Station in Portomaggiore, Italy. High time for our bubbling festival guide! Wanna know where you can catch the best vibes this summer? Look no further. Our roadmap will be your guide for all in- and outernational sound things. Let the summer begin!
Zion Station (Portomaggiore, IT, 4/7-8/7)
Tired of that Belgian ailing weather, ever skimming between autumn showers and sudden heatwaves? Book yourself a flight to Bologna and take the train to Portomaggiore. This picturesque village harbours a well-kept secret, one of the coziest soundsystem festivals the Mediterranean region has to offer. Camping and dancing on the shores of a lake, that sounds like a holiday! Zion Station deliberately stays small-scale, perfect for those who don't like the big crowds – even though more and more Belgians are finding their way to the festival. Belgians like the BelDUB crew! We’re proud to cover the festival for the 2nd time. Expect daily updates on our socials and an aftermovie. We’re honored to return to the holy grounds of the Lake Yard, where local soundsystems like Heavy Rootation and Echotronix warm up a crowd in swimming trunks. Nothing beats swimming in a super relaxed mood, especially when alternated with skanking. Or meet some of the present artists for recordings at the dubplate room.
In the Night Yard, a rock-solid line-up sets up. Aba Shanti brings his full (new and improved) soundsystem to Zion Station, and is joined by Blood Shanti for what promises to be a memorable session on Sattaday. Other headliners on the bill are Imperial Sound Army with Johnny Clarke (one of our all-time favorite Jamaican singers), Robert Tribulation from Word Sound and Power feat. Jimmy Ranks, Sista Habesha, the Italian dub producer duo Mystikal Powa and the legendary UK selector Wassie One, bringing the finest selection of rocksteady, ska, rockers and dub. This festival is truly a family gathering, run like a family business. We have long fallen in love with this festival because of its beautiful setting in the middle of nature. Dancing into the morning under the shade of cypress trees, to the relentless bass of heavy dub, echo’s breaking the reflection of the moon in the water: there is something to it that can't be explained but only experienced.
For the homecamp
Still working in July, low on cash? Still nuff dances on the BelDUB event calendar, and two very visit-worthy soundsystem festivals. Stepping Stone Festval takes place Saturday the 6th of July in Houthalen-Helchteren. Host Jezabel Soundsystem invites a.o. Waga Waga & King Samir, Jipla, On-Air and Wisemen. The 9th of July, Lighters Up invites Collie Budz to OLT Rivierenhof. One week later, on the 13th of July, Roots Garage hosts the third edition of Sattamassagana in Bruges. Outdoor, Young Rockers open with their new soundsystem, followed by a DJ-set from Shikoba and a session with Roots Garage Soundsystem. Indoor, Rejoice Soundsystem (the sound formerly know as Mbegu) plays all night with full sound and crew. One you can’t miss if you’re not abroad is the Burning Spear concert in the best setting you could get: OLT Rivierenhof with Blackbird doing the warmup. Every rootsman run come rally!
Rasta Plas (Zoetermeer, NL, 19/7-20/7)
With Rastaplas and the Sun Splash Festival in the same weekend, this seems like the best possible moment to book a city trip in Den Haag. Both festivals take place in a pleasant, natural setting and gathered some big artists on stage. Rastaplas brings Groundation, Kenny B, Gentleman’s Dub Club, Marcus Gad & Tribe, the LDE Band, King Shiloh Soundsystem and Kibir La Amlak to shake up the waves of Zoetermeer. Belgium represents with producer Unlisted Fanatic and Youth & Truth Soundsystem. An excellent live program and a touch of the soundsystem experience, for a fair price? Worth the trip, I’d say.
Sun Splash Reggae Festival (Zuiderpark Den Haag, NL, 21/7)
On Sunday, Sun Splash Reggae Festival in Zuiderpark Den Haag, aims for a mix of roots and dancehall artists. Solid veteran bands like Aswad and Black Uhuru, combined with the younger energy of Dexta Daps, Julian Marley, Kallibwoy, Skillibeng and Byron Messia. Even Sizzla Kalonji is on the poster! Those who still haven’t recovered from his canceled Reggae Geel gig can finally retaliate, even though his passages in Europa never go unnoticed and are often subject to protests, for obvious reasons that are hard to neglect.
Dour Festival (Dour, BE, 17/7-21/7)
Doureeeeuuuh! 5 days of super-eclectic rambling on the dusty planes of Wallonia! The line-up of Belgium’s most openminded alternative music festival never disappoints. The older this reporter gets, less artists he recognizes on the poster and that’s clearly a good sign. But the organization still takes care of the lovers of reggae and African music. Femi Kuti & The Positive Force plays on the first day in La Petite Maison dans la prairie. Some of the very best reggae live artists will perform on the Last Arena stage: Protoje, Queen Omega, and Kabaka Pyramid. Blackboard Jungle, France’s ru-huling sound, hosts the Dub Corner, which opens on Thursday. Acts in order of appearance: Blackboard, Mungo’s Hi-FI and Daddy Cookiz & B.R.C. on Thursday. Three activist amazons open the stage on Friday: Amazoning Shot comes with a message of love and diversity. The heat rises with sets from Blackboard, Atili, Von D, healthy herb guru Macka B and last but not least, the New Yorkers from Dub-Stuy with Johnnygofigure on mic duties. Saturday guarantees vocal entertainment and musical variety, with Dub Shepherds, Ubik feat. the sweet voice of Young Kulcha, Joe Yorke and another set by Queen Omega. Save some energy because they kept the real bassss killers for Sunday. Warm-up by Sista Fabienne from Brussels Roots Collective, accompanied by a flutist, trumpetist and sax player. Jah Tubby’s brings the killer selection together with Macky Banton and Professor Natty. The French Wandem Sound and The Hornsmen will make the heat rise to a peak, Blackboard closes down inna spiritual stepping style.
Escape the City Festival (Barbariga Beach Vodnjan, HR, 24/7-28/7)
BelDUB reporters Andreas and Doryan continue their journey around the mare nostrum. This time all roads lead to Barbariga Beach in Vodnjan, 20 minutes north of Pula, pearl of Croatia's Istrian peninsula. Escape the City is a soundsystem gathering of 5 days and 5 nights with two stages, with a circus, a family camping and lots of activities like yoga, slackline and climbing. The festival, hosted by Sub Movements Association, has been running since 2018. Escape the City is more than just a music festival. It’s a gathering with a special program dedicated to kids, youths and their families dedicated to provide an experience that celebrates the beauty of nature, music, and healthy fun. Families and friends dancing under the shade of the trees, with the sound of the refreshing waves in the background: sounds like a perfect holiday. Above all, this is a real family festival in beautiful surroundings, a community built on strong ecological principles and a sustainable relation with the environment.
A very promising line-up with local acts next to bigger names. 6 local soundsystems sign present for the beach party: Munchies, the Roots Rev crew (IT), Heavy Duty, Kordoom, Prevara and Sandokan Hifi. Seems like few things can go wrong with headliners like Blakamix, Roots Injection, Gussie P and Weeding Dub. Three veterans from the UK dub scene and one of France’s most prolific dub producers in one line-up: prepare for steppers galore. But there’s more; sets from Roots Daughters, Earth & Power, Bass Matters, Junior T, trumpetist Vale, Low Frequency, Jah Forcefield, Heavy Rootation, an opening concert by Croatia's finest Bamwise & Kalikamo, and many more. You might also notice the BelDUB selectors on the poster When soundsystem, selecting and filming comes together, you know you’re set for one hell of a trip. Follow the Instagram for live updates!
Sfinks Mixed (Boechout, BE, 25/7-28/7)
Packing for Irie Vibes, but maybe you need some time to adapt, before you surrender to Jah glory? Our favorite free festival, Sfinks Mixed, brings music from all corners of the globe to Flandres. As usual, they put in some treats for the reggae lover. Don’t miss the comeback of Whawasda on Thursday! It’s been 10 years since their last recording, but the band around Wally and Sput is back, bigger and better than ever. You can bet all your money on it: this will be a steamy hiphop-reggae party. On Sunday, 54 Sound selector Rrita Jashari brings beauty, grace and election selection to the DJ-booth. For those who have some energy left after Irie Vibes: the festival closes with a show from the Jamaican legends of Black Uhuru!
Irie Vibes Back to the Roots Festival (Kortemark, BE, 26/7-27/7)
It's a public secret that Irie vibes is the nation's most sociable roots festival. Nowhere, are the vibes more irie than on Irie vibes. Why must you just go - without any rubbish excuses that keepeth Thou away from the rightful path of Jah? Because non-profit organisation Greenforward bravely kept going for years, in financially challenging circumstances (like rained out editions, or the covid years). So let's cherish this jewel in the Belgian roots crown, and show our support for a festival that has schooled generations of dubheads in soundsystem culture. This small-scale festival sure knows how to please their core audience. Greenforward keeps raising the bar with original line-ups, year after year.
Where else can you find Belgian roots pioneers (like Ionyouth, Jahmbassador Hi-Fi and of Reservoir Dub) on the same line-up with Jamaican soundsystem legend Jah Observer? The younger generation, well represented by Youth Warrior, Jahmani, Satta Sound and I-Shence Family, warms up the camping on Friday. The Lions Den is where the mainstage action happens, dubaddicts are headed to the Inner Lion dub area. As usual, rootsreggae isn’t the only genre on the musical menu. If you want to funk before you start skanking, selector Beto’s got you covered. He invites DJ’s Ubuntu, Saimn-I and Zwoeleboel for a jam on Friday. For those going downtown, ready to jump on a reggae beat: Jahmbassador Hi-Fi steps into the Lions Den with the Spanish Jah Life International Soundsystem. Singer Marijah & Belgian mic veteran Missing Link join Kaya in the Jah Embassy camp for vocal support. Looks like this will be a very entertaining soundmeeting in the best of traditions.
Lots of familiar faces on the mainstage; like Freddy Loco from Charleroi and Wahwasda bringing the Antwerp nostalgia. International artists put the cherry on top of this delicious live cake: don’t miss the shows of Charlie P ft GT Moore & Goldmaster Horns, and of course the unique voice of headliner Johnny Clarke. The Amsterdam massive from King Shiloh closes the festival on Saturday with 4 hours of nation-healing selections.