Rock Werchter Encore, the planned extra festival day to celebrate the return of the summer festivals after two years of corona, is cancelled. Production costs that were too high, staff shortages and too few festival-goers were the deciding factors. However, if you have already bought a ticket, do not despair. The line-up of ‘Encore’ will be added to the ‘TW Classic’ programme, which will receive an extra large version this year.
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‘The momentum is not going well’, is how Rock Werchter announces the decision to move the day festival ‘Encore’. ‘The desire to experience festivals in full glory again after two years of silence is great. But there are a few dampers on the revelry. Consumer confidence is lost, the live entertainment sector is struggling with staff shortages, production costs are skyrocketing.’
Rock Werchter Encore, scheduled for June 26, would eventually land at 25,000 festival-goers, according to the organization. ‘That’s great, but given the circumstances, rethinking was the better option.’ In any case, it will be an unprecedented busy festival summer, with extra days of Tomorrowland, Pukkelpop and even a few new festivals.
The organization has therefore decided to merge ‘Encore’ into TW Classic, which takes place the day before. ‘We are creative, positively minded entrepreneurs’, says organizer Herman Schueremans. ‘We are very happy to be able to bring Florence + the Machine to the Festival Park, along with many of the other artists who would be on Rock Wechter Encore. TW Classic is selling very well. However, partly due to the addition of the two tents, there is still sufficient ticket capacity to combine both day festivals. It’s going to be fantastic.’
Tickets remain valid
In concrete terms, this means that not one, but three stages – Main Stage, The Bar and KluB C – will be programmed on 25 June. Already on the bill that day: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Placebo, The Smile, Courtney Barnett, Sleaford Mods and Whispering Sons. Transferred from Rock Werchter Encore are Florence + the Machine, The Kid Laroi, The Specials, Zwangere Guy, Intergalactic Lovers, Sky Ferreira, AG Club and Sylvie Kreusch. Noordkaap was recently added to that poster.
So it will always be busy there in the Festival Park in Werchter. On Sunday 19 June there is the sold-out Werchter Boutique, a week later TW Classic and a week later the also sold-out Rock Werchter. There are still tickets available for TW Classic via ticketmaster.be. Those who already had tickets for Rock Werchter Encore can also go to TW Classic. If you cannot be there that Saturday, you can request a refund.
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