Live Nation Belgium chief toasts festival sales

Rock Werchter founder and Live Nation Belgium CEO Herman Schueremans says the festival has seen its fastest-ever ticket sales for next year’s edition.

With the Belgian festival turning 50 next year, Rock Werchter organisers have secured a blockbuster lineup headlined by Linkin Park, Green Day, Sam Fender and Olivia Rodrigo.

The anniversary event, slated for 3-6 July 2025 at Werchter Festival Park, will also feature performances from Deftones, Simple Minds, Raye, Noah Kahan, Fontaines DC, Girl in Red, Gracie Abrams and Maribou State.

The bill has been met with audience approval, with 89,000 tickets (combi and day) sold in 10 days and a further 11,500 sold last week after the 5 December lineup announcement.

“We are very pleased with the lineup as it is once more an eclectic mix of genres from artists at all levels – from top artists to mid-size and upcoming artists – all with the potential of a long-term career,” Schueremans tells IQ.

With strong sales across LN Belgium’s stable of events, the CEO believes that the secret to success in the festival world is evolution.

“An artist is only as good as his last show – that also applies to festival promotors and teams”

“There will be a continuation of the challenges we saw in previous years – rising costs and artists fees and there will be too many festivals,” he says. “So organisers need to renew the way festivals are experienced, from how audiences travel to how they recycle to their health and safety.

“An artist is only as good as his last show – that also applies to festival promotors and teams. Passion instead of routine – that’s what will determine whether a festival is successful or not.”

Another LN Belgium festival enjoying success is Rock Werchter’s sister event TW Classic, which sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale.

The one-day event saw 55,000 tickets priced at €133 snapped up, following the announcement of Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams as headliners.

Texas, Skunk Anansie, Lottery Winners and Portland are also set to perform at the festival, which takes place on 28 June 2025 at Werchter Festival Park, the weekend before Rock Werchter.

As Schueremans points out, the four top-billing artists for TW Classic 2025 all have a place within Rock Werchter’s legacy.

“Value for money is one of our key baselines”

Bryan Adams, Robbie Williams, Texas and Skunk Anansie performed on the same Rock Werchter bill 25 years ago, while Adams was featured on TW Classic’s first-ever line-up in 2002.

It’s not just the artists who will enjoy a homecoming at next year’s TW Classic but also the organisers, who cancelled the 2024 event after admitting they had failed to put together a top line-up for each of the day festivals.

“Our bar is high and we always aim for the best. Mediocrity is not an option,” they said in a statement at the time.

Werchter Boutique, another sister festival in the same location that takes place the weekend after Rock Werchter, was also called off this year and will return in 2025.

“The two headliners for Werchter Boutique 2024 decided not to tour, so we decided not to do it this year as we only want to deliver and present top-quality bills to our audiences,” explains Schueremans. “Value for money is one of our key baselines.”

Taking place on 12 July 2025, Werchter Boutique has so far confirmed Imagine Dragons for a headline set, with support from Declan McKenna. Ticket sales are currently up to 50,000 and with the final lineup announcement set for 11 December, the event is expected to sell out before Christmas.

“Our audiences are treated well as kings and queens and enjoy it and come back”

Both one-day festivals have been reduced from 60,000 capacity to 55,000 to “give the fans more comfort on the site and help the flow of cars, bicycles and public transport,” adds Schueremans.

Other Live Nation Belgium festivals Graspop Metal Meeting (est. 1996) and Dour (est. 1989) are also selling well, while Pukkelpop’s lineup will be announced in February.

Inclement weather at this year’s Graspop hasn’t put a dampener on demand for 2025, as the four-day metal festival in Dessel saw 40,000 tickets fly off the shelf within the first 48 hours of going on sale.

“It’s a top start, as in 2024,” comments Schueremans. “Graspop has a loyal and dedicated audience.”

Commenting on the promoter’s success across the board, Schueremans says: “Our audience likes going to our festivals as they get value for money, are treated well as kings and queens and enjoy it and come back. Not only artists want to stay forever young but also music lovers. Music unites.”

Read the IQ feature on Schueremans’ 50 years in the business here.

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