DOUR 2018: RECAP
© Andra Cerqueira
16. July 2018
The festival renewed itself. Replacing the slag heaps with wind turbines and again bears witness to an exceptional turnout for this 30th edition.
An amazing challenge, 30 years later.
In 1989, a group of young people from Dour decided to save La Plaine de la Machine à Feu, which was threatened by industrial projects. They launched a crazy challenge, a festival to breathe new life into the city and the region. The uncertainty about the availability of the site and the immense drive for innovation and renewal led the organisers to design a new playground from A to Z for the 2018 edition. A site still in Dour to reinvent itself and look to the future.
The wind turbines, a clean slate, the reception, the discovery, Dour's DNA.
There is no better image to symbolise this innovation than wind turbines. From the very beginning of the project, the environment has been at the centre of the project and consistency wants it to become Dour's best visual ambassador.
For the edition of no. 30, they started from scratch and with the experience gained over the years, put thought into each zone, looking
for the best way to welcome thousands of festival-goers, hundreds of artists, our numerous teams and all parts of this city of 50,000 inhabitants.
That’s why Dour created a new space that is more comfortable for everyone, more functional, logical and accessible, with campsites closer to the site, more toilets, more showers, new relaxation
areas, a new area with food trucks, new decors, two new tents and brand new furniture. Investments that were in line with the festival's desire to ensure a pleasant welcome and smooth ow in the long
term and to make it a celebration in all aspects.
In terms of programming, the host retained the number of bands (more than 200) and stages (7). The Belgians proposed what has always been their strength, a selection of alternative musical projects, known as well as to be discovered, from all over the world and to promote the local music scene through more than 50 Belgian acts. Just like their Devils and cultural scene in the widest sense, Belgians can be proud of their musical talent. The festival was therefore an international showcase for them thanks to the presence of several hundred journalists, foreign professionals and tens of thousands of festival-goers from all over Europe.
The challenge has been crazy, based on a team that questions everything every year and to positively stir the fantastic people of Dour. Demanding but faithful, nostalgic and always looking for continuous avant- garde. By changing sites, Dour disoriented them, but when it comes to programming, festival goeers expect to be get surprised. Putting their blind trust in the Dour team once again 228,000 festival goeers over 5 days made their trip to Dour. On average, more than 45,000 people a day!
After an intense year and a titanic work delivered by everyone involved, thoughts are already on the future when Dour opens it's "doors" again from 10 - 14 July 2019.
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