Pukkelpop’s Baby Brother

The team behind Belgium’s Pukkelpop Festival is starting another smaller indoor in the nearby city of Hasselt, an event Herman Schueremans says is fairly described as "Pukkelpop’s baby brother."

Polsslag Festival isn’t strictly new, as Schueremans and Pukkelpop partner Chokri Mahassine did run a festival of that name in 1990.

"We thought it was about time to do the second edition," Schueremans told Pollstar, "but more seriously it’s all about finding a way to break new talent through a small indoor festival."

In character, Polsslag is similar to Futurama, a 3,500-capacity that Schueremans and Mahassine used to develop new talent until they decided it would easier to just add another stage to Pukkelpop.

The new festival takes place across three stages at the 10,000-capacity Grenslandhallen in Hasselt and a 5,000-capacity marquee constructed alongside it.

The confirmed acts include The Breeders, Millencolin, Goose, Angels & Airwaves, Alter Ego, Boyz Noize, Infadels and Holy Fuck.

It’s the second new festival Schueremans is involved with this year, following the announcement of Live Nation’s first Werchter Boutique (July 13).

Being staged on the 70,000-capacity Parc Du Festival site one week after Rock Werchter means LN’s TW Classic event, which is usually staged that weekend on the site, is moved to June 7.

The acts scheduled to strut the catwalk include Doe Maar, Santana, Crowded House, Tokio Hotel and Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall.

The one-dayer, described by the press release as being the company’s "nouvelle collection," is being staged on the 70,000 capacity Parc Du Festival site one week after Rock Werchter, causing the Live Nation Belgium chief to shuffle this summer’s events.

The TW Classic, which usually falls the weekend after Rock Werchter, has been moved forward to June 7. Schueremans says that’s not a problem because the new date falls within The Police’s European touring period. Apart from The Police, TW Classic has Iggy & The Stooges, The Scabs and Juanes.

Rock Werchter itself, the current holder of ILMC’s Arthur Award for being "the liggers’ favourite festival," has its usual monumental bill.

Among the acts appearing July 3-6 are R.E.M., Radiohead, Lenny Kravitz, Kaiser Chiefs, Mika, Sigur Ros, Nightwish, Counting Crows, Editors, The Hives, The Kooks and KT Tunstall.