Photo Credit: Voodoo Village
For the fifth year in a row, Voodoo Village returned to the beautiful Grimbergen Castle grounds in Belgium, this time for two full days of festival magic. However it wasn’t a camping festival, instead, you could take comfort in one of the nearby hotels and come back for round two on Sunday. With six different stages and a host of amenities, there was really something for everyone, from the hard techno at the Shelter stage, to the more melodic style in the Yard and our favorite getaway in the Forest.
These days you can find a lot of amazing lines up across the summer festival circuit so it has to be a lot more than just good music to make a festival memorable. Here is a breakdown of what made this festival one we will look back on with a smile of satisfaction:
The Location
The Grimbergen Castle (Princess Castle) made for an amazing backdrop to this festival and it reminded us we were partying in historical Belgium from the 14th century. It made us ponder how different the lives were of the people who used to frequent these grounds compared to the ravers who took over to chase lasers and techno in the 21st century. There were also art installations and fantastic lighting decorating the fields and forest which created a beautiful juxtaposition between the ancient and futuristic surroundings.
Sustainability
Every festival should do its best to ensure they are doing whatever it can to reduce its environmental impact and encourage its guests to do the same. A few ways in which they reduced their CO2 impact included planting new trees, using reusable hard cups, giving away EPs made out of recycled plastic, offering biodegradable straws, decomposable tableware, and efficient transport options.
Good Food
It was great to see such fun and healthy options for food, which got us more inspired to actually eat instead of skipping meals to cram in more dance floor time as usual. After one peek at all the delicious options including tacos, Vietnamese street food, and healthy chicken wraps we sat down to fuel up for a full day of dancing, and we were very happy we did! They even had a pop-up restaurant on-site for Sunday brunch hosted by a 5-star Belgian chef.
Hospitality
A smile and a nice welcome go a long way to creating a friendly vibe that will last all day. Starting from the ticketing people who helped us enter smoothly, without any invasive searches, we were on our way already feeling like it was going to be a good day. This was the first festival I experienced that had ‘Comfort Areas’, kind of like opting for ‘Business Class’ instead of ‘Economy’ on a flight. Those that had purchased a ‘Comfort’ ticket got access to large backstage lounge areas, bars, and toilets. Having been given this complimentary access definitely added to the experience as it was nice to be able to go to some proper toilets, the main reason we frequented those areas. The business of running a festival, especially in September when the weather could potentially ruin it all, is very risky. So although we didn’t like seeing table service covering the back of the main stage, we did understand that it does help the festival to cover some of the costs, and there was clearly a demand for them as they were sold out.
Extra Amenities
Whether you wanted to talk crypto or mediate, the Oracle offered a refuge from the music and a place to connect on different levels and topics. There was also a Bazaar market in a Bohemian tent where you could purchase unique festival clothing and accessories, or take your chance to peek into your future with a fortune teller.
Vibe
It was great to see a diverse crowd of all ages expressing themselves with their festival fashion and smiles, which are always the best accessory. Electronic music was founded on inclusion so the vibe is always best when people leave their egos at the door and walk in with open hearts. A great example of true humanity happened on Saturday when KiNK was playing. A young man in a wheelchair was eagerly watching and the artist came down to let him play on one of his instruments. It is extremely heartwarming to see such acts of kindness like this.
The line up was very impressive on both days and was what enticed us to go initially. With the likes of DJ Koze, Kink, KAS:ST, Pan-Pot, Konstantin Sibold, and the full Keinemusik crew doing their first b2b2b in Belgium, we knew we had to be there! Plus we were introduced to some amazing new talent like Desiree who was our highlight on Sunday along with Stavros. Both acts created a beautiful soul-filled vibe and made it hard for us to leave. We wish we had been able to stay all night to hear other favorites like Monolink and Mind Against, but we had to make the drive back to Amsterdam. Next year we will definitely take Monday off and stay! We had no expectations other than amazing music for the weekend but on top of that all the other elements came together to create an unforgettable experience. In just five years this festival can already contend with other major European festivals and we look forward to seeing what they have in the works for 2023!
Watch the 2022 recap below.
