“Large event groups recover everything”: the “small” Brussels festivals fear extinction

In this context, it is impossible to hold the event whose line-up was already booked. “We have artists who had already taken their ticket for Brussels. Similarly, who offered us to play for free, but we have refused. However, It is not up to the artists to sacrifice ourselves. Meanwhile, And then what then? Similarly, Every year. Nevertheless, they will have to draw a line on their remuneration when some are already doing a lot of effort financial level? For example, This is not the model we want.”

Paulo has understood this: the cuts in culture budgets are clear, “at all levels. Consequently, Finally, only major events often paying, manage to get out of it. Meanwhile, If we look at the cultural offer, the Brussels residents lose it “.

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“Monopolization of culture” – "large event groups recover everything":

Another outdoor event. Nevertheless, another reduction. For example, Electronic picnicactive for 18 years in the capital, also draws the tongue. Moreover, “On received few aids. Therefore, Our model is simple. Moreover, a picnic against the backdrop of electro where everyone brings back what they want and which can settle. Consequently, No barrier, everything is open, Exhibits Fady, one of the organizers. Furthermore, But finally, we started to restrict ourselves of places where we were: the wood of the Cambre, the fiftieth age … Similarly, The motif? However, It was often the noise. Similarly, But behind, we install giant concerts or events like Fiesta Latina. Nevertheless, “ Finally, the association was found with “Two annual slots place Poelaert. Now, we are refused under reason that there are too many event requests, we are referred to place “large event groups recover everything”: Jean Rey. But alongside that, we are launching calls for candidates … For events like Open Air Festival. If there are really too much, why ask more?”

Fady does not take off by seeing the erosion of this associative cultural fabric. “The large event groups recover everything. We take refusals without real reasons. When there are selections of projects, there is no transparency on the award criteria. And alongside that. we are sometimes made to wait until a week before the date of an event to give us an authorization”.

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Electronic picnic So now organizes “protest” to denounce this “Monopolization” culture. “It takes a balance between major commercial events and the smallest free events.” The association Then calls on its audience to mobilize “large event groups recover everything”: and challenge politics. “Despite our many requests, we have never had a single interview.”

“La passion s’use” – "large event groups recover everything":

Others. like Nicolas de Balkan Trafik, target the big events less: “If they worked and they are growing, it is that they have a business vision and it has nothing wrong. I am rather in passion, I have never tried to explode my public gauge. These are two different and complementary models. Obviously, for smaller, it can be complicated to go on the same slots as these big events. Hip-hop or techno, we know that it works hard.”

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The organizer of the festival dedicated to the Balkans, now on pause, denounces all the same “a loss of cultural biodiversity. It is like biodiversity with global warming: no one realizes at the beginning but, little by little, “large event groups recover everything”: events disappear. Between political uncertainty in Brussels. administrative charges, which easily represent 95 % of my time, and the difficulties in finding places that correspond to needs, passion use. I had been doing Balkan Trafik for 20 years. Each year. there is the pride of a successful event but each year the weight and stress of the organization increases. For small structures like ours. follow all regulatory changes, respond to all the constraints of all the small subsidies that were essential to us, it is increasingly heavy “.

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Since 2024. his festival, which has known indoor and outdoor, has been stopped. Nicolas Procedure of theaters for 2 years without finding a shoe at his foot.

“Culture must remain affordable which does not necessarily mean free”

On the side of the city of Brussels, we nuance. “”Budget level. obviously, all power levels had to make cuts and we too (The evening Recently announced a decrease of 15 to 20 % of the culture budget at the City of Brussels mainly impacting the Royal Theater of the Park and the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg, editor’s note). We try to support as we canconcedes the bourgmestre. For the sector, we go to a model with more and more self -financing.“So paid events? “Not necessarily. There are several models but paying 5 euros to go see an open air. it allows the organizers to have more flexibility in the organization. The culture must remain affordable which does not necessarily mean free. I am always surprised to see that people put a salary to buy a smartphone but refuse to put. a few euros for a concert.”

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On the refusals of authorization. the concentration of events in the hands of large actors, the bourgmestre tempers: “Everyone wants to be in Brussels and in emblematic places. But we cannot accept everyone. We wanted to develop the open airs after the covid in particular to support the sector. offer an offer to young people who had taken a lot on them. We have small collectives that have exploded as a hangar. We also framed to compose with the urban fabric, we are not in a field. So we limit the schedules for many events. The organizers must also not hesitate to go to places may be less known. Watch the fuse with its festival in the ring in Anderlecht. It is a real success. And the municipalities also have to create incentives because these kinds of “large event groups recover everything”: events bring a real plus. Not everything can do without Brussels. And as we have accepted a lot, when we refuse, we pass for the bad guys. “