Pukkelpop Disaster

On 18 August 2011, a violent thunderstorm hit the second-largest Belgium music festival Pukkelpop. Five people were killed, at least 140 were injured.

Research done in the aftermath of the disaster showed that wind speeds at the festival site reached 170 km/h (106 mph), with reports of large hail and the possibility of a tornado. A weather condition extremely rare in mainland Europe.

Several large concert tents collapsed, the winds uprooted trees and knocked down festival light towers and video screens. The mobile phone network broke down and inhibited people from contacting their worried parents, partners and friends.

The disaster struck on the opening day of the festival, just an hour after I had arrived at the site with a few friends. We were at the main stage when, within in a couple of minutes, a sunny festival day turned dark and stormy. We ran towards a large modern concert tent to seek shelter. Luckily, our tent withstood the forces of nature, but we were shocked to witness the collapse of a large circus marquee nearby.

After the storm had passed, festival visitors were left in chaos, disbelief and disorientation.

This series represents my personal view of the dramatic festival of 2011 and the Pukkelpop festival I visited in 2010. Highlighting the contrast of both experiences, I chose to show the photos of 2010 in color and the photos of 2011 in black and white.

Cas Bochner, 2024